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Secondary glazing for sash windows
Lightning - 24/9/08 at 09:34 PM

I want to put some secondary glazing in my existing sash windows. Why not replace them you ask.
Conservation area and have to have the same design but more importantly I have many and some are just plain huge. like 2800mm high
Some of the glazing I have seen attach to the face of the sash. which is fine for the bottom window but no good for the top one as you cant then open the bottom one if you see what I mean. What would be ideal is to be able to fit to the inside edge.
Does anyone know of a DIY system that I can get. with the weather getting colder I have to something about the bills. i have insulated the lofts and replaced one of the boilers The newer sections of the house have double glazing but the old 1880.s bit has timber sashes.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Dingz - 24/9/08 at 10:21 PM

In some areas I have just got a single sheet of glass over the whole frame with a sort of edge beading seal and clips, its not too pretty and you can't open the windows but it helps in winter and you can remove it in the summer. In the kids bedrooms I did something similar but with acrylic sheeting and a snap in plastic framing, it came from Wickes I think.

hillbillyracer - 24/9/08 at 10:32 PM

There's Everest secondary glazing over our sash windows, must be about 25 years old. They sit in an alloy track/frame which is attached to the inside of the original window frame about 3" to 4" back from the old panes. Inside that frame sit 2 alloy framed panes split vertically so they can be opened by sliding one past the other & you can still open the originals.

MK9R - 25/9/08 at 07:56 AM

We had exactly the same situation, listed building in a conservation area and massive windows (downstairs bay used to be a shop front, the window is part of the reason the house is listed so very hard to change, and its nearly 3m wide by 2m high).

I found a company called Duration windows, you can buy them as made to measure as a DIY option, but also alot of the profeesional companies use them. I priced the windows up direct with Duration, and with a specialist sash renovation company (we need one window renovated) called Ventrolla. To fit he secondary glazing to 6 windows was only an extra £300, so we let them take the risk and hassle away and did it all through them (but using the duration windows).

The duraction stuff is excellent quality and they do loads of nice options to make a nice installation and cleaning easy (we had some vertical slide units that the pains also hinge out when you need to clean the windows.

They have made a massive difference to the house, its so much warmer and quieter (we had accoustic glass fitted)

So i totally recommend them!

MK9R - 25/9/08 at 08:05 AM

http://www.duration.co.uk/secondary.asp

Mr Whippy - 25/9/08 at 08:13 AM

You may laugh but my sister used wide cling film simply stuck to the window frame in front of the glass. Seriously you could not tell it was there and it transformed her house as far as heating it. I thought it was brilliant.

owelly - 25/9/08 at 11:54 AM

Being a tightarsed Yorkshireman, I did my own!
I measured all the panes of glass and got some cut to size. I fitted some foam tape around the edge of the excisting window and then pushed the new panes up to it. I then pinned a small quadrent beading right around the new glass to hold it in place.
I also live in a National Park so changing the windows would be very expensive. My double glazing worked fine and I could still pop the beading off if I needed to (about once a year to clean).

MikeRJ - 25/9/08 at 12:01 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
You may laugh but my sister used wide cling film simply stuck to the window frame in front of the glass. Seriously you could not tell it was there and it transformed her house as far as heating it. I thought it was brilliant.


You can buy kits from the DIY stores that have double sided sticky tape and special film that shrinks with a hairdryer so you can make it perfectly flat. It works very well for stopping draughts, but doesn't last long if you have kids with inquisitive pokey fingers or a cat

Lightning - 26/9/08 at 09:13 PM

We thnks for all your replys, I particularly like the idea of owelly. I had thhe same thoughts as there doesnt seem to be anything readily on the market. Odd as its a common problem. I didnt really want seperate sashes on the inside. The quadrant would also be in keeping with the house.

Thanks again

secondaryglazing - 31/12/16 at 03:10 PM

Yes you can do it yourself with a simple additional layer of glass, or you can get a more advanced system that will replicate your existing window and have counterbalanced panels moving up and down just like a sash.

coozer - 31/12/16 at 03:37 PM

How about shutters? Just like the original thing??