Sash Windows... Again....

[UnicornsAndMarshmallows]

Seen many older posts on here about sash windows... sorry to start another, but really looking for some advice on this one.

We currently have wooden sash windows in our Edwardian semi. They are in okay condition, but could do with a refurb. They are also single glazed.

We are facing the sea and it can get quite chilly so we are looking to upgrade to double glazing.

So we have narrowed it down to two options -

First option is to repair damaged bits of the wood boxes and have new sashes made with double glazing (slim-lite glass which will look like single or we can also just go for straight up double glazed).

Second option, we can repair the damaged bits of the wood boxes and replace the single glazed wood sashes with double glazed PVC.

The first option costs £650 per window, the second costs £350 per window. Obviously, I am attracted to the cheaper option, however I would rather keep our colder single glazed windows than destroy the character of our home.

I am hoping someone on here has perhaps gone with the second option in their own home and can tell me if it was a success?

[Sprig1]

We had our sashes refurbished including replacing rotten parts of timber and the addition of draught proofing. The draft proofing makes a huge difference. I would not double glaze sashes, I think it looks awful. Our windows were refurbed by Ventrolla. Not cheap but we were v pleased with them.

[UnicornsAndMarshmallows]

@Sprig1 - Don't mean to pry, but do you live near a road? We live near a road, not too busy, but at the minute we can hear quite a bit of traffic noise, but I think that could be because the sashes aren't properly fitting etc. Any experience with similar/advice?

[Sprig1]

We don't no, but it really is noticeable the difference between the before and after in terms of lack of draft and also less noise from outside. We had new catches fitted as well as the draft proofing and afterwards when you close them you feel the window make a nice tight seal, so not your typical rattly old sash window. Of course you still get noise transfer through the glass but for me a slight compromise on that front is worth it rather than greatly devaluing the aesthetics to install DG.
How much time do you spend at home in the daytime. At night a good pair of blanket lined curtains or shutters will help enormously with eliminating any road noise (and keeping you warm).

[UnicornsAndMarshmallows]

The aesthetics are very important... it's why we've put up with the tatty old ones for so long. We've got a pretty good quote of £650 per window and that for repair of the box, new weights, draft excluders etc and for the sashes to be remade identical in double glazed. We also have the slim-lite glass option, which looks just like single glazed. I think it's the one we are going to go for :)

[BumbleNova]

We are in the process of having our original victorian single glazed sashes refurbed and fitted with slimlite glazing.

yes - its more expensive to go this route but lets be brutally honest - UPVC looks terrible, there is just no two ways about it. it will devalue your house.

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

We had to have new windows made. Some of our neighbours went for upvc. They look awful, like badly fitted false teeth as one friend said.

Ours cost a lot more but they look beautiful and will last a longtime if looked after properly.

We didn't replace the windows in the back. Those are aluminium frames.

All our windows are double glazed but you can't tell with the sashes.

[UnicornsAndMarshmallows]

Thank you for the replies!! I think repairing them and double glazing is the way to go, be it with the slim-lite or normal double glazing. We are the only house on the street with the original sash windows in our house... and it is the reason we bought the house - all the original features are in tact as the lady who lived there had done so since it was built in 1929. She grew up in the house and never changed it (apart from installing a few ropey 1940's tiled fireplaces - which is the only sad part).

[GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER]

We had some new sashes from Bygone Windows in wood grain UPVC - they replicate all the features of original sashes and are very hard to tell from wood until you are really close up. They come with period style fittings and we were very pleased.
It had taken me 2 entire days to paint just the inside of our double sash bedroom window - fiddly little Georgian panes - and there was no way I was doing that again.
They are rather more expensive than standard UPVC but we thought well worth it since we did not want either standard UPVC or the hassle of painting all those little panes every 2-3 years.

[whois]

Good quality double glazed sash windows look lovely. Why keep cold and noisy single when you can have double that look just as nice?

Unless cost is a real real issue, I wouldn;t go UPVC.