single glazed windows...options...conservation area

[MaryIsA]

semi detached, 1908, original single glazed windows. Wide windows. There’s coloured, not stained, glass downstairs.

I love the bobbly original glass, sends beautiful reflections into the house. House is dark so keeping as much light in as possible is important.

We are in a conservation area.

Windows open inwards so secondary glazing isn’t a option.

I love the look but there’s a rare cold breeze comes through with a north wind.

How much did it cost you, how disruptive and did it change look of house?

Slim profile timber double glazing is the best for old buildings. However, you need to ensure you have adequate ventilation or you can end up with damp as historic buildings need to breathe. The best and most cost effective and sustainability way to get your old building to loose less heat is to get good quality blinds and heavy curtains. This is as effective as double glazing and retains the character.

Thanks, I ve been thinking about the ventilation thing. No worries about that with the windows the way they are...

Previous Victorian house with double glazing had some issues with that in corners of rooms.

Have the neighbours upgraded the windows in any way? That will give you some idea what the local council will allow.

We have original windows from 1930s and I can see there has been multiple attempts to improve them - top class secondary glazing, heavy drapes etc. It's still very cold in winter and the condensation is bad on the outer original windows so you can't see out of them in the morning. This is more pronounced by far where there is secondary glazing.

We are replacing with aluminium made to look the same. It seems a shame but the internet is full of stories about people restoring original crittal windows at the cost of replacing them and still being cold.

The road is a complete hotpotch of styles and designs - all roughly the same era though apart from a couple of 1980s houses.

So some have very old double glazing from (probably just) before conservation status was put on the road. Some have had replacement hard work glazing done more recently.

It's the original hard wood single glazing we have - lots of little panes of glass. Here's a picture of upstairs - downstairs are box bays.

In a brief moment of an interim planning officer a couple of houses sneaked in UPVC - nice looking UPVC - but still UPVC. But he's left never to be heard of again.

I'm about to purchase a house of similar age with single glaze. The house feels warm when I go in as previous owners have done every other energy efficiency/insulation step possible.

I got a quote from a traditional window specialist and his advice was to repair the original windows, check draft seals/brushes and then add window shutters and/or heavy curtains.

Over time our plan will be to replace with same style wooden double glazing but his opinion ( which I think was genuine given one would make him more money than the other) was to restore the originals.

I’d like to get them restored. But heavy curtains and shutters are fine at night. In the day you want to see out without a drought or it being cold.