Original, draughty windows

[soapop]

We’ve recently moved into a big, draughty house. It has some double glazing but most of the windows are original (early 1900s) and very draughty.

There is some lovely stained glass in the hall/landing and original frosted glass in the bathroom. The house is not listed but it is in a conservation area.

Interested to hear what others have done. In previous houses we’ve always tried to keep period features, but the house is cold and our energy bills are scary.

Following because we are about to buy what sounds like a very very similar house!

Secondary glazing will stop the draught and help keep the heat in some quite cheap some more costly
My OH fixed clear polycarbonate sheet across the bedroom windows worked a treat, much better than I expected.

We had ours refurbished, they take them out replace beading and put draught excluders in. New locks and cords as most of our were broken. Made a huge difference!

£300 per window

@onmywayamarillo
Could you link to a company please?
And possibly give an idea of what part of the country you're in. Thanks!

Yes please provide details! I can do one a year...

You can fit DIY draught excluders yourself very easily. I favour the velvet pile or brush type as they compress and do not stick to the opening part. They can be used on sliding sash windows.

"E" section in synthetic rubber are good if the thickness matches your gap.

Foam ones do not last.

Clean and dry the paintwork thoroughly before sticking them into place. They will not stick to old rough paint or to dirt.

Some of the "draught " from windows is just cold air running down the glass like a waterfall. Secondary glazing or thick curtains will fix this, but you can buy an inexpensive plastic film that sticks to the frame and holds a layer of air. It is very effective. You will be lucky if it lasts more than one winter.

We moved into house in conservation area and have gone double glazed wood sash throughout. Some windows beyond repair and the difference was only £1k more than high end sashes in upvc. We love them and the house is so much warmer now. Not listed and apparently even though conservation area we could have gone upvc that felt like sacrilege. We’ve keep original cornicing and one door with stained glsss and original front door but working to draughtproof as much as we can.

We have just had a whole extra window put on the outside of our stained glass window. It is double glazed and has made a huge difference.

You can also have the stained glass removed and encapsulated within the double glazing but I always think that can make it look a bit odd.

We have gradually renovated them over the years,

We had original 1930s crittal and some secondary glazing and it was never very warm. The secondary glazing also obscured the view somewhat but definitely worked to a degree.
In the end, I replaced with new frames - aluminium mostly and steel for the more obvious windows. The difference is unbelievable.
Regarding the stain glass windows, encapsulation can work great.

Thanks all. Lots to ponder. It's warmer today and doesn't seem so pressing!! And DH is very unwilling to change any original features. But energy bills are scarey.

Fully lined curtains and blinds make a massive difference while you are considering window replacement. Good for keeping the heat out in the summer as well.