still undecided about upvc windows.

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We have wooden framed double glazing. Some are a little shabby on the outside but my dh sanded the worst one down and mended it best he could, finished with a coat of paint they look absolutely fine.

Just because they are oldish (15 yrs maybe) and the front ones getting a bit shabby i was considering replacing with upvc windows. Not the white but the dark grey ones. Been quoted 6k for the job which includeds 11 windows.

When i look at friends windows my windows are middle of the road, they dont let terrible draughts in and they are reasonable condition. Just our winters are so severe and only solid fuel heating, i want to make the house as cosy and draught free as possible. Have re insulated the loft etc.

Anyone any thoughts? Would i actually feel the difference? How can i tell how good the windows we have are? The gap between the glass is around 10mm so I dont think they are great.

Help! Please give me some advice.

the amount of energy you save with new windows will never cover the cost of changing them.

If your old windows were rotten and had to be replaced anyway, or if you were building a house from scratch, or if you were a builder and had some spare windows and the time to fit them, it would be worthwhile.

The biggest savings come from insulating the loft and the wall cavities, and the fastest paybacks from insulating the hot water tank and pipes, and draughtproofing. Are your windows draughty? They can be re-stripped.

Good wooden windows, protected from rot and maintained, will easily last a hundred years.

Keep the wooden ones they are more environmentally friendly and are timeless looking. Look after them and they keep going look at all teh period houses where the windows are still good. UPVC has a life span and eventually looks shabby/grey/yellow

is 15 years old for wooden windows? If properly looked after they should go 50+, surely?

As PJ says, you could renew the draught-stripping. Have a look here to see which of the (many!) different types is most suitable.

We had our original wooden bay windows replaced with upvc recently & have been so pleased with them. I was worried they would spoil the character of the house, but have actually greatly improved the look. Best thing is our house has never felt warmer & they never need sanding or painting!

Steer clear of any big window companies. We had window & porch done by a guy recommended by a friend. It cost around £2000 less than we were quoted by big companion.

Well, I may be pig ignorant misinformed, but when I last looked into it...

You shouldn't paint wooden windows. Varnish ONLY. So OP's DH has already slightly blown it (but not too late).

Hardwood windows could last 50 yrs. Soft wood DG windows only last about 15-20 yrs (typically); ours only lasted about 8 yrs because owners before us PAINTED them, rather than apply a breathable varnish. If we had realised & stripped the paint off the day we moved we might have saved them, but after 2 yrs our ignorance had finished them off. Wooden frames need to breathe: expand & contract with relative humidity; painting traps moisture in & leads to rot.

Wooden windows must be maintained (regular new coats of varnish) or they rot, anyway. I think that's what's happened to OP: she has probably inherited them from previously owners who didn't look after them properly (either).

If the windows could be redeemed, I tend to agree with PigletJohn about trying to keep them.

Our neighbours still have original softwood windows nearing 20 yrs old, but some frames repaired; otherwise in good nick but need revarnishing every 2-4 yrs. We were told similar maintenance schedule for hardwood.

It's OK to paint wood. If you look at some Victorian houses that have not been spoiled, you will find the windows are painted softwood.

Varnish is usually recommended for hardwood so you can get your money's worth and see the grain. It tends to be oily and close-grained so benefits from an Aluminium wood primer which is very durable, if you decide to paint it. Old varnishes tend to crack and flake so need sanding off to recoat which is very tiresome.

Breathing/microporous finish systems are always an advantage for outdoor joinery.

We have an early Edwardian house (1905) with wooden painted windows. They are still looking good, although newer windows in the house (soft wood dormers) are suffering more.
It's a matter of choice and fitting in with both the house and area you live in. Personally, I think that wooden windows are more appealing than UPVC.

if your windows are double glazed and draft stripped then they slip down the order of priorities. As other posters have said insulating the loft and pipes is next. If you are really going for it consider insulating your ground floor (check out guidance on the energy saving trust website for old houses) as that stops a lot of drafts. Then if you are really keen consider adding secondary glazing - we used the cheap plastic/magnetic panel system (think it was called ecoglaze?). 250 for the bay in our sitting room. Has been great and really stopped drafts when sitting. Would triple glaze your windows at a fraction of the cost of new double.

Cant do links from phone but:

www.365plastics.com/ecoglaze-installation.html