Secondary glazing security

[SevenAteNine]

Hello

I would like to install secondary glazing in my nice, unmodernised 1830s cottage with sash windows. These are a bit draughty, and although not rotten do mean the house is very cold. Not terribly secure either.

Everyone is telling me to get UPVC, but I love the look and feel of my old sash windows. I quite fancy secondary glazing. But I'm a bit bewildered by the choice of windows, which seems to cover anything from films you buy for a couple of quid on Ebay to bespoke systems which cost more than new double glazing.

Where do I begin? Is it a terrible job to fit something like this yourself?

Whatever you do don't replace them with UPVC! I used ExtraGlaze recently to add secondary glazing to my sashes. Took me hours to measure as I wanted to get it perfect but minutes to install and without looking closely you can't even tell it's there. Has made a huge difference to the draughts. It was expensive compared to the cheap kits on eBay but it's a top quality product. You can order a sample on their website

the security needs to be on the outside of your house (once someone is past that, noise will be muffled). For timber sash windows, fit Sash Window Dual Screws, one each side.

By fitting an extra socket part way up the sides of the sash, you can also lock them a couple of inches open, for ventilation.

I recommend putting a cup-hook into the top corner of each frame, on the inside, where it is out of sight of an intruder and preferably concealed by curtains, so that you can always find a the key to your window locks without having to rummage in drawers or wander into another room.

UPVC would look awful in a c19th cottage!

We have single glazed windows in an c18th house. A few of them had secondary glazing panels too when we moved in but we've actually removed that as they are a condensation trap and were causing the extant frames to rot.

We've used the glazing sheets (cling film stuff that you heat with a hair dryer ) in some of the coldest rooms in winter and they do work well in terms of the room temperature but they don't look great, mean you can't open the windows so can't get air circulating, and removing them in spring damages the paintwork so that's an extra DIY job. I can't decide if we'll actually do it again next year or not.

Thick thermally lined curtains are much more effective than both IMHO.

Could you do something to the existing windows to make them more secure (window locks)? Fill in holes to reduce draughts?

It might be I need an attitude shift.

The doors lock, and there are locks on the windows. The only entrance is down a little pathway which will be secured with a wrought iron gate.

The gate is not to keep burglars out, but to keep my 50kg dog in.

I was burgled a few weeks ago from my old place, and I'm still a bit jumpy.

So curtains it is.