Non-double glazed windows - how bad are they?

[MillionPramMiles]

A house we're thinking of buying has two bedroom windows that aren't double glazed. The windows aren't in particularly bad condition or anything (we've had a survey) and we'll want to replace them but that might take time.

How bad are non-double glazed windows for keeping out noise and cold?
I've only lived in double glazed homes for so long I'm imagining them to be freezing/noisy. We live in a busy city (planes, traffic etc though house isn't on a busy road) and I don't like the cold (though dp seems immune...).
Any thoughts appreciated...

My original sash windows are cold, it can be fixed with thick curtains, but they will never be as warm as modern windows. On the other hand, double glaze a period house and you will inevitably get damp, they are designed to have air flowing through, up the chimneys etc.

Another vote for the Karcher window vac , and a empty 2 litre bottle to empty the vac into as I can fill it many times over on a bad day

I think you can get away with double glazing old windows as long as you have other ventilation (air brick, chimney vent, fan etc)

We just bought a house and I wouldn't have bought one with double glazing unless it was secondary/wooden windows that looked like the original ones.

I prefer a single glazed sash window over UPVC any day of the week. And yes thick heavy curtains are the business. Cotton velvet, lined and gathered are probably the best. You don't need interlining on those.

I have just bought sheets of clear acrylic along with magnetic tape to secondary glaze a large single glazed (sash) bay in our rented house. It cost about £200 and the difference to soundproofing and the draught (that ran through the whole flat before) is absolutely amazing. We're on a main road and under a flight-path and although you can still hear, it's noticeably quieter. You can hardly see where the Perspex is and it lifts off easily for cleaning/ventilation and took me about an hour to fit on my own (the supplier cut it to my measurements).

I know it wasn't really your question I would strongly recommend it as a temporary (or semi-perm) solution if you want to delay the cost of replacing windows.

To answer your question, single glazing on the road side of your property and depending on the air-flow CAN make a massive difference. Ours just turned our whole flat into a wind-tunnel. I'm so pleased to have a solution for this winter and i paid myself as the LL refused to bother.

The comment about damp & double glazing houses is correct however our house is still far from airtight even with DG. Each room still having a working fireplace means we still have airflow just not the whistling draughts we used to.

Sorry to hijack, OP. Just been to see a house we love, but a bit worried as it's grade 2 listed, anyone know whether this means it's a complete no no to replace the windows, ( even if it was affordable to do it properly sympathetic to the style of the house?) ? Would we be able to fit secondary glazing? Thanks.

you can fit secondary glazing. In houses that use net curtains, it is pretty well undetectable. Otherwise, if you look, you can see the frames, but not the glass unless it is very dirty or greasy. However the frames can be painted to blend in.

Noarguments- you would need listed building consent to change the windows and wouldn't usually be allowed to double glaze, or replace needlessly . Secondary glazing is more often permitted. Windows of an age are usually very durable- modern woods not so much. Double glazing also changes their character/thickness. You can overhaul them to draft strip etc which really helps improve their thermal efficiency (and your bank balance).

With listed buildings you need to be happy living in it as is. Lots of info online- listed building property owners club etc.

Thanks all - glad this has been of some use to others too.

At the risk of sounding like a complete novice, what exactly is secondary glazing? Does it fit over the existing windows (instead of replacing them)?

noarguments we're in a listed building and there are certain windows (almost all!) we're not allowed to alter as they're considered to have historical/architectural significance. On others we've been allowed to put secondary glazing. We've also got 4 that are double glazed because they're not viewable from the road and weren't so old or special. Strangely enough they're actually the coldest (north facing).

It's a separate unit which goes on the inside of the existing windows- their quality can vary so you need to shop around. I'm probably not explaining it well but Google might help!

You should have a chat with your local conservation officer. Listed buildings require a different way of going about things from windows to seemingly typical repairs.

Sorry- getting confused between posters! Hope to help anyway x

Olivia - Thanks will do.