‘insulation’ Tagged Posts

The Environmental Benefits Of Sash Window Restoration Are Worth The Investment Of Time

It is surprising to many home owners to find out about the environmental benefits of sash window restoration. Returning original sashes to their for...

 

It is surprising to many home owners to find out about the environmental benefits of sash window restoration. Returning original sashes to their former glory is certainly worth the investment of time and money. While new products on the market make claims of environmental benefits, the best way to conserve resources it to lovingly restore and reuse your home’s original features.

A decision to install new windows has environmental implications. Many new window designs are made of PVC. The production of plastic is unnecessary when you can instead recondition your existing windows.

Choosing brand new wooden windows also has an environmental effect. To cope with deforestation, the best approach is to conserve and reuse old wood rather than producing more wood products. This pays off in more than one way. Old wooden window frames are often much stronger and of better quality than cheaply produced newer versions.

Your windows affect not just the natural environment but the environment of your town or neighborhood. A beautifully restored window frame usually looks better than a PVC-type frame. Good looking windows can even add to the the value of your house and surrounding houses. As well, the original features are appropriate to the age and style of your home.

Every home renovation project involves some disruption. However, window restoration is usually less disruptive than removing windows and installing new ones. Window installation can sometimes damage surrounding plaster and walls. This can be expensive to repair. Environmentally speaking, an installation means a greater consumption of energy and materials.

Sash windows are useful for maintaining a desired temperature inside your house. During the hot seasons, opening both sashes will allow warm air out and cool air in. The smart design lets hot air exit through the upper sash while cool breezes filter through the lower sash. It is a much better and environmentally sound solution than an electrical fan or air condition unit. Altering sash windows can add to their thermal efficiency. For instance, adding extra glazing and sealing can help to insulate your house.

These are some highlights among the environmental benefits of sash window restoration. If you are not sure about the decision, it may help to know that window restoration is often cheaper than buying replacement windows. For details about sash window restoration professionals in your area, look online or in local business directories. There is a big selection of companies to choose from, especially in neighborhoods that have a lot of older homes. Many companies will provide an evaluation and quotation free of charge.

Cost-effective yet top notch sash window restoration London is now a mere click away. All you need to know and more now in our exclusive sash windows review.

Tips On The Environmental Benefits Of Sash Window Restoration In Comparison To Replacement

 

Homeowners are often surprised to discover the environmental benefits of sash window restoration. In reality, preserving old windows can be a more environmentally sound approach than installing new ones. Some window retailers heavily promote the eco-friendly aspects of new products; yet, the best choice for the environment may be to reuse the windows you already have.

The disruptions to your home tend to be less when restoring sash windows rather than replacing them. Installing new windows can disturb structural plaster. Any damage to walls will have to be fixed, resulting in more expenditure and greater environmental impact.

A current trend among homeowners is to use factory-made PVC windows to replace old wooden frames. However, the production of new plastic products is not good for the environment. Alternatively, restoring the original windows has less negative environmental consequences.

Even if you decide to use new wood frames rather than PVC, this uses up natural resources. The problem of deforestation can be addressed by conserving wood products where possible. Furthermore, many house owners agree that old wood frames tend to be longer lasting and better made than new ones.

Sash window restoration has an effect not just on ecology but on the immediate environment of the neighborhood. Aesthetically speaking, restored window frames are a better option than new PVC-type frames. The former looks better and compliments surrounding houses. Old sash windows also look suitable for the age of your property, whereas new window frames can look out of place.

A cleverly designed mechanism in a sash window allows you to regulate temperatures inside the house. For instance, you can combat hot summer temperatures by opening the sashes at the bottom and the top. That way, hot air near the ceiling is released outside; meanwhile, cooler air enters the house through the bottom sash. This is a much more environmentally friendly system of cooling than a fan or an air conditioning unit. To get even better insulation benefits, you might choose to add glazing or sealant to original sash windows during the restoration process.

Above are some of the more compelling reasons to invest in preserving the original features of your home. The environmental benefits of sash window restoration make this option worth serious consideration. In addition, restoration can offer significant savings over replacement. There are a variety of companies offering sash window restoration, particularly in areas that have a lot of period properties. You can find out more online or by checking a phone book.

Find out more about reasons using sash window restoration London options are better, more affordable and more environmentally responsible than replacing your sash windows.

Advice On The Environmental Benefits Of Sash Window Restoration For Period Properties

 

There are many new window and door products designed to minimize heat loss and tap into the market for environmentally friendly homes. Yet, restoring what you have rather than purchasing new can be a more eco-friendly option. For instance, the environmental benefits of sash window restoration are noteworthy.

Many house owners opt to replace wooden sash windows with PVC frames. However, preserving old wooden windows instead of paying for the production of new PVC is a better choice for the environment.

Even if you decide on wooden frames rather than PVC to replace sash windows, there are environmental issues. The problem of deforestation means that to recycle old wood is a more eco-friendly choice than using new wood. As well, old wood window frames may be of superior quality to new wood products.

The advantages of restoring sash windows pertain not just to the natural environment but to the built environment. To many people, wood is more attractive than PVC. Furthermore, sash windows add authenticity to an old house.

If you are concerned about insulation, there are many adjustments which can be made to existing sash windows to reduce heat loss. For instance, double or triple glazing provides extra insulation and sound proofing. Sealing windows can help to exclude drafts.

Sash windows are cleverly designed to ventilate a house. That’s why, in the summertime, opening the top and bottom sashes can keep the house cool. Warm air flows outside through the top sash. Cool air enters through the bottom sash. This can keep you from using fans or air conditioning, and is thus an environmentally friendly option.

A major benefit of sash windows can best be described as allowing the house to breathe. This is important for maintaining a comfortable and healthy atmosphere inside. In contrast, some modern window replacements are virtually airtight. This can lead to problems with ventilation and the build up of condensation. Good ventilation is important for health. It also prevents excess moisture from accumulating. A damp problem in plaster and woodwork can be very damaging and expensive.

The environmental benefits of sash window restoration are compelling. This option can also be cheaper than replacing windows. Online you can find listings for sash window restoration professionals in your area. Many will provide a free consultation and quote.

Sash window restoration London area provides a service to those who want to save on energy costs. Instead of replacing or discarding sash windows, you can restore them instead.

Save On Your Energy Bills By Draught Proofing Your Sash Windows

 

You can save on your energy bills by draught proofing your sash windows very easily. A home loses over 25% of its total heat due to draughts. Spending some time to make your home energy efficient will save you time and money with minimal expense and effort.

In addition to heat loss from sash windows, you may want to check the other windows and doors in your home and address the energy loss from all these areas. Properly treating sash windows and making them energy efficient often has the greatest impact on home energy costs because of their size and location in a home.

An easy way to check for heat loss in your home is to light a candle slowly move it around the frame of windows and doors. When the candle flickers, there is a draught that needs attention. There are a few steps you can take to help eliminate draughts from your sash windows that are affordable and relatively easy to carry out.

Using heavy curtains is one way to take care of a draughty window immediately. By hanging a heavy curtain in front of the window you will effectively stop the heat loss and the entry of cold air in your home. Heavy curtains will act as an extra layer of insulation for the room and will keep air from passing through the windows.

Using clear silicone bathtub caulking works very well if you have lose panes in your windows. Older sash windows often have panes that come loose. The silicone will seal the pane into the frame of the window and keep air from passing through any gaps.

When the windows are very old and have not been maintained regularly, you may need to have a secondary glazing completed by a professional to give them a bit more life. However, it will be important to make plans to have a professional group remove the windows and re-fit them with parting bead, foam, and seals to achieve the greatest benefit and save on your energy bills by draught proofing your sash windows.

If you are going to save on your energy bills by Sash window draught proofing, you may want to spend some extra time taking care of all of the draughts in your home in the form of sash window repairs London and decrease your general energy cost.

How Your Windows Contribute To Global Warming

 

Is your house leaking heat? Do you even know? If you live in an older house, the answer is, “Probably.” However, even new houses and house owners can suffer due to this problem. If you were careful with the insulation, you are in better shape than most people, but air can still flow without your consent or knowledge. It flows through the doors and windows and can subtly shift the temperature of your house. This leads to extra costs that will add up over the years–both monetarily and environmentally. You should really look into the environmental benefits of draught proofing your sash windows.

When I say “insulation, ” your first thought is probably heat in cold weather. This is only one half of the problem, the other half being unwanted warm air entering a house in the summer. If your house is well-protected, it will be several degrees cooler in the summer than it is outside. It will also make sure any cool air produced by air conditioning does not just float right out of your house. Remember entropy when you think about air currents; air wants to spread out. Don’t give it the chance.

Now that you’ve familiarized yourself with the problems you will face due to leakage (increasing carbon emissions and paying far more than you have to for proper temperatures), the next step is to take an active stance against the problem.

So what is to be done? Using renewable heating sources, like solar heating, is a good start but it still won’t make you warmer. Not using air conditioning at all is ideal (since CFCs and HCFCs, which are what is produced by air conditioning, are both particularly nasty for the environment). But that won’t keep you cool in the summer. The answer is therefore looking to your insulation.

So when you build a house or have any major wall repairs, make sure your insulation is as it should be; this is not an area to skimp. If you aren’t doing any major construction, head right for the windows. Warped or rotten wood not only decreases the value of your house but it lets leaks in and will cause other problems. The same for flaking paint on or around the windows. Keep your windows maintained from both sides.

Don’t waste your time double-glazing your windows. Attack the problem head on. Make sure a professional attends to all repairs. Use heavy curtains; this will not stop the air flow entirely, but it will slow it down and decrease it. Secondary glazing focuses on the sash and can solve almost any leakage problem. Check any loose putty in the windows and replace it.

Some people can’t seem to escape certain problems, though. If you’ve tried everything, go with an old favorite: putting a towel against the leak. It’s not the most glamorous solution, but it works well to staunch the flow. More aesthetically pleasing weighted cloths are being produced to put against sash windows and doors, if you don’t care for that option.

Need sash window draught proofing? If you need proofing and window insulation in London and Brighton, make sure you let the professionals help you. Find our more now!

categories: insulation,enviroment,heating,diy,sash windows,wooden windows,property

The History of The Box Sash Window

 

Sliding windows have existed throughout Europe for Many years, dating back to the thirteenth century as very simple timber sliding shutters.

It was not until around the sixteenth century that glazed sash windows came on to the scene, sliding side ways unlike today’s vertical sliding sash windows, that only actually started to appear mid seventeenth century in France.

Fearing the guillotine French nobility came to England and brought with them advances in sash window designs from across the channel.

One of the first glazed sliding sash windows was created and fitted for Henrietta Maria, the Queen Mother, who returning from France with French joiners, encouraged the renovation of Somerset House in London.

The development of the sliding sash window is not very clear and numerous theories circulate. It is commonly believed that a weighted and balanced version was actually invented in England.

The original vertical sliding sash windows would have been very heavy with thick bars separating the tiny glass panels due to the fact that the glass was so thin, the window would have been a difficult window in its function.

The counter balance was developed for use in doors originally but it did not take long for someone to apply the system to windows.

Throughout history the sash window has never been patented, nor has anyone ever claimed to be its inventor.

Glass producers began to make glass that was more reliable and stronger and the British Government of the day stopped the taxation of glass, this all helped towards sash windows with large panes without bars.

During the period of British history when glass taxation existed, it was a great sign of extreme wealth and prestige to have large glazed windows in ones home.

Want to find out more about sash windows in London , then visit Robert Wood’s site on sash window restoration in the UK at www.sashwindowrepairs-london.co.uk.