To get grey windows?

[MissingDietCoke]

Live on a small cul de sac of 18 houses built in the late 70s. All residents original - bought from new, raised their families and now live out their retirement here. They are all quite cliquey, have a club and everything, perfectly nice and welcoming though not overly forthcoming. We bought 6 years ago from a deceased estate. EVERYONE has white windows with Georgian bar, apparently the whole street replaced at same time from original windows. A year ago we replaced our old white garage door with a grey one, caused quite the stir. Now we've saved up enough we're planning to replace the windows. With (dramatic pause) grey ones. With clear glass. Not Georgian bar.

I'm irrationally worried. I mean, it's my house, it's freehold and I can do what I want with it. The windows are old, ineffective and several have blown and are cloudy. They need doing. I just don't want white ones with bloody Georgian bar.

I'm not being unreasonable to put the windows I want in my own house even though it doesn't match the rest of the street. Am I?!

PVC faux Georgian windows are hideous. I disagree that grey/black pvc windows will date - the framesvisually ‘disappear’ so I think they sit much better in modern houses, who wants to make a feature of pvc windows?!

If you do want to change them you can actually change the colour. There are companies who wrap pvc windows or you can paint 5hem with specialist primer and paint. We have horrible white pvc (not faux georgian thankfully) and painting them is on my ‘to do’ list.

There is a house near us with grey windows and new render. It looks amazing. Very modern. I would go ahead.
You say retirement, I think the future holds a few new residents as the old ones reluctantly downsize (or worse). If you are cautious now, and new residents come along in 5yrs and buy grey windows you will be jealous

Urgh hideous Georgian bar!!! I've always hated them but until googling just now after reading your post I didn't know what they were called. I also hate that fake diamond leading.

However I agree w pp that grey may soon date. But who cares, get the windows you like.

I love grey windows but they will date. I have a lot of grey inside and outside my house and I fully expect to be redoing elements of it in the not too distant future! I think people are moving away from it already.

We changed our windows and we're really tempted to have plain glass rather than leaded (small street all leased windows), but chickened out. Our neighbours subsequently went for plain glass and it did look odd, they are now having their windows deglazed.

Aa long as you are happy with your choice then go for it! Hopefully it will stand out in a good way! I really don't like Georgian bars so can see why you want rid.

Leaded and reglazed!

My street has mainly white windows (a few natural wood) and the house opposite me has just had new grey windows and door installed. Sorry, but they look horrible...😕 They look dirty and make the whole (brick built) house look extremely gloomy and somehow grubby. If your house is rendered/painted in a light colour they might look okay, but if it's brick... 😞

I don't like grey personally but that's not the point ... what I'd worry about is them "dating" very quickly when the current fashion changes

To my mind, with something as long lasting as windows, you need a more timeless look. It doesn't have to be white, though - what about one of the wood tones?

Be careful you’re not in a special planning area as someone near me had to buy a new set of windows when the planning board realised they’d changed them

IMO Grey / Black is very dull and I think makes the whole house look like a filthy crack den. They make the windows disappear, so it looks like you’ve got a fugly house with gaping holes in it.

Also light doesn’t bounce off grey, so it makes the interiors very gloomy in winter.... new builds have larger windows as a rule so it doesn’t affect them as much, but if you’re not knocking out walls for greater window area, you could end up replacing them to a white very soon!

I prefer white windows, having had hard wood, black and Georgian.

However, do whatever you like within the regulations, if any. I wouldn’t do it, but then it would be very boring if we were all the same.

I love grey windows but I'm currently not in a position to change mine, as in I'm too poor.
We painted our front door a different colour to everyone else's and I had sideways glances. I don't care though.

I'd go for with windows without Georgian bar... But that's just me.

You may not be allowed to change the windows but apart from that....? Do whatever you want. But be prepared for the reactions.

*white windows.

Not with windows.

We put grey windows in our house 8 years ago. We were the first to do so in our street of 1960s houses. They look great and get a lot of compliments. A couple of other houses on adjacent streets have them too now. I don't think they will date particularly. I would put them in any house from the 60s onwards - I think they improve the look no end.

Just like the style of windows you hate, and those with the fake lead diamonds, grey is currently fashionable. It will become dated eventually so I'd play it safe and go for white windows without the detailing you dislike. This also has the advantage of keeping the peace with your neighbours. But ultimately it's your house and there's no point doing something you dislike!

Of course they are a fashion and will date. I would also think about the resale value if you plan to sell in the next 5 - 10 years, many people are put of by brown frames for example and I think the grey trend will be even worse.

Will grey windows really suit your house? Some do, some don't.

I live on a cul-de-sac of matching semis built in 1996 . Whilst several people have updated doors (which all look fine), I think if the windows all differed it would be jarring.

We have double-glazed fake Georgian bars. One neighbour on the road leading to us just has plain white frames & sills - looks a bit bare compared to the rest but otherwise blends in. My previous nextdoor neighbour converted a garage into a dining room and put in a dark 'wood' frame with leaded lights - looks fucking awful! Luckily I can't actually see it from my house

White widows date too. Ones which were put in 15+ years ago often look horribly dated! Everything 'dates' to a degree, but I think grey windows will be around for a long time to come. They're certainly not a fad - they're far too established for that to be the case.