uPVC vs timber for sash windows

[McCheck]

which one to choose?

We’re after anthracite grey windows for red brick period house.

Front of house needs doing: bay window on ground floor, first floor, second floor windows.

Met with an Anglian homes consultant who recommended uPVC windows and quoted about 33k for the whole job.
Local window guy swears by timber, awaiting his quote.

Does uPVC devalue period property?
What else do I need to understand about windows.
What did you do?

Grey is so ugly. It really doesn't suit a red brick period property at all. The photo you posted looks dreadful.

Do not under any circumstances put grey uPVC ones in as you'll be stuck with the colour. (I do think you can paint them but that kind of defeats the point of "no maintenance" and I don't know how long lasting it is) I definitely wouldn't buy somewhere with grey plastic windows.

No. They were the last thing I wanted! Our derelict property had a mix- a few sash, mainly crittal and a few other random styles. We wanted something in keeping with a 1930's property, but there are many other styles- other than sash.
You might be able to get aluminum ones, but I never asked. Any reason you'd want to keep them?

They mis measured two windows, and to add insult to injury had taken out the old windows before they realised! So I had an insecure house while they remade the windows and came back. When I phoned and complained about this , and named names , I got a really foul and abusive phone call back from presumably one of the people I had named. When I complained about the phone call I was told that they couldn’t trace where it had come from but they were sure it wasn’t one of their employees , even though the content of the phone call made it clear it was, and I had 1471 the call and it was one of their numbers. No discount offered for the inconvenience, and I did ask.

For wooden windows linseed oil paint is better than gloss. Apparently in Scandinavia linseed oil paint is the dominant paint used on wood externally. It gets absorbed by the wood abd keeps the damp out whereas gloss paint traps any water inside and the wood rots.

You can paint uPVC windows, you just clean, do a light sand, use a special primer (Zinsser seems to be well thought of) then can use any outdoor paint.

We compromised and put double glazed wooden sash windows on the front of the property and Upvc on the back. We're next to a conservation zone but not in it and I do agree with their view that double glazed wooden sashes are not the same as single glazed when it comes down to the quality of the reflected light, the double glazed ones give a cross shaped reflection of the sunlight and the old one do not. Despite this misgiving, I do love the double glazed wooden sashes, they keep the house warm in winter, much cooler in summer and cut out a lot of the street noise, they are balanced on their weights and are easier to open and close than the Upvc ones which feel stiff and heavy to me. We used a local tradesman and he charged us about two thirds of what the large national company were offering.

Apparently you can get aluminum, sash windows OP:
theheritagewindowcompany.co.uk/products/aluminium-windows/sash-windows/

The Anglican "consultant" is a salesman/woman working on commission who will sell you whatever will get them their biggest return. That may not be the best for you.

Please get some alternative quotations, including from smaller local firms who have more to lose if anything goes wrong.

And make sure that the the supplier guarantees all work, including anything done by subcontractors they may bring in to do minor brickwork or damage repairs.

I second this.
Definitely don't put grey windows in to a red brick house. They look horrible and will date fast.
If you must have grey then get timber so you can paint them white which is much more in keeping with period properties.

As I said upthread, we had to get all new windows. Not 1 tradesperson could say anything good about Anglian. I also can't believe they recommended grey, and would assume they have old ones they can't shift- because no one gets anthracite grey anymore.

I'd be getting further quotes.

They won't have old windows they can't get rid of all windows are made to measure.

Anglia didn’t recommend grey, I personally requested it. Just to put things right.

but I hear you all

No anthracite grey. it’s noted.

I’ve not been following home decorating/ furniture trends for years. I’m still stuck on the level of 2010 or so with white gloss kitchens etc. But the last thing I’ll do is get something that screams ‘dated’. promise.

I’m asking around locally for more quotes and am mulling all those great ideas on this thread over. Thank you all for recommending

• aluminium (although have been told they’re no good as sash and better for bigger encasements)
• restore in various ways, keep frame, keep as much as we have, add ventrolla, make them sound and draftproof
• Add an internal glass frame
• get double glazed timber frames making sure they’re made to last as long as possible, using the right paints. Maybe even get ultra thin heritage double glazing with Argon gas in it.
• I’ve noted that I need to pay attention to the weights and chords and maybe even ask for chains.

that’s where we’re at

We have UPVC sash windows upstairs and R9 windows downstairs. The whole house cost around 17k including removing a rear window and replacing with french doors. Our windows are cream on red brick, and are completely indistinguishable from wooden sash windows, we have had people knocking on our door asking who did them for us. I'd recommend getting a small local company who do R9 over.

Our Sash windows are https://www.quickslide.co.uk/windows/sash-windows/pvcu-sliding-sash-windows/

@2andadog are they on springs or cords and are the sashes easy to open and close?

Very easy to open and close, and they also have a tilt mechanism so you can tilt them in to clean them. They’re on springs I think but it’s all hidden in the framework.

I hate upvc, it looks really cheap and nasty sorry! If you’re lucky enough to have original windows I think you’d be mad to tear them out and not restore them. People who would pay more for a period house will not want upvc (we lowered offers on houses which had them and our current house has beautiful wooden windowsills - irreplaceable)

The house will look as though it's eyes are missing if the frames are grey!

We chose these for the front of the house. Expensive but look pretty close to the real thing.
www.sashwindowsuk.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwjsi4BhB5EiwAFAL0YEJTylfWCW7LVXT_lbEsjdab3M5jNoJ4yA08VB_bgXkT-RtT6Mzi1hoC-GYQAvD_BwE

I agree a lot of UPVC are awful and they make me cringe looking at them.

However if you take time to get the right ones they actually make the house more attractive to buyers these days, energy efficiency and low maintenance tends to win out now. I do find it sad too but we have no regrets going to UPVC when the wooden windows in the house we bought were beyond saving.

Only exception is if you can get double glazed panes fitted into the original frames, but this is incredibly costly. It depends on the ceiling price of the house also and the availability of specialists in the area. We live just outside a conservation area and a majority have now gone to the good quality upvc replacements as they are genuinely indistinguishable.