Need new double glazed windows - where do you buy from?

[windowsgalore]

Hello, sorry if this is a daft question, but we have zero experience about this (FTBs). We bought a house EPC D and the main issue are double glazing.

We'd rather change the windows as the handles are quite loose on all of them (security worry) and the double glazing is "thin" (i.e. the gap between the glass seems quite small) and they look old.

I have no idea where to look for good double glazing windows and what price to expect. Can anyone please advise?

We are so worried about it as it looks quite costly.

Contact a few companies and get quotes. Should give you a better idea if the cost. Prices vary a lot, depending on material, number of openings/panels/the type.of glazing. There should be both local and national companies that cover your property.

However, handles can be easily replaced as a DIY job. The thick ess of double glazing is slightly immaterial as it's the gas in-between that keeps the warmth/sound in (if it blows, you'll know as you'll see condensation between the panes.

I would get quotes from some small local companies.
I'd avoid large companies but if you do get one around to give a quote don't be sucked into the line they will tell you about how this price is only available now and you must sign up whilst they are there. This is usually after they have telephoned their manager and agreed a special one off discount for you.

I would start with good local companies, we managed to get some repairs done to our as the frames were ok so just got handles fixed and glazing replaced.

An EPC D is a normal rating for British properties. What matters is that it says next to it: very good (installed recently), average (probably within the last 25 years) or poor (too old to function properly). What does your certificate say against it?

Just be sure you actually need it and not just some repairs before spending the money, please!

hi, thanks for your help! I'm really hoping this might be all we need to do.

May I ask how much the glazing cost to replace?

thanks for responding! on our EPC report it says "average". But honestly, they look pretty old :(

How do you know when you need to change your windows? I guess I don't know.

As above go local if you can, better value and less annoying than the big firms. We are in the East of England and got quotes to replace all our blown panes, and quotes to replace all the windows. The quote for approx (I can’t remember rn) 15 windows and 2 doors to be replaced was around £15k. To replace the blown panes was £7k but didn’t include sealing them (wtf?). That’s with basic white finish. A colour is more expensive.

You know the glass is blown (ie the seal in the double glazing has failed) if they look constantly condensated or foggy in between the panes. If they’ve been blown for a long time they might look really streaky on the inside of the pane. These should be replaced.

Wow, £15k! Ours is a small 3 bed property, 2 doubles and a box room. I'm kind of sweating over the price now. I hope you like your windows though and they did a good job :)

Based on your description, our windows aren't blown. They are clear and no streaks. The handles are extremely loose and one of the windows around the back doesn't shut properly unless you really slam it.

We paid £9k for 9 upvc sash windows a few months ago in London. Standard double should be a bit cheaper. Where in the country are you?

£1k per window seems to be the going rate.

Nobody is going to force you to replace them all at once. If they need replacing rather than repairing (sorry, I am not experienced enough to advise on the difference) you could always do half now and half later.

It probably won't be as cheap, but at least it will make cash flow less intimidating.

Another recommendation for local company. Some of the larger companies go for the hard sell!

Go for small local companies, especially any that are personally recommended.

The big companies are usually much more expensive and sometime indulge in pressure selling.

Where are you OP? Which county.

@roses2 Thanks for sharing, makes me feel a little less anxious! May I ask who you used?

Also for yourself and @MintJulia , I'm in South-West London. We were actually going to go with a bigger company thinking they'd be more reliable but now everyone here is recommending go local, so we will do this. So glad I came on here!

We had front of house double glazing installed, 2 big rooms and one small, cost about 8k, not wooden but reasonably sympathetic with our Edwardian terrace. If you are near London I'd recommend Silverline windows.

I found a local company was several thousand pounds cheaper (and didn’t use the high pressure sales techniques)

Make sure the one you choose has fensa certification

Also if you get a local company out you can probably just ask what they would recommend - repair or replace? Our chaps were very honest with us and gave us options. They should advise you on the best course of action.

Ours was pricey but we have big windows, plus there were 2 external doors included in that, and some patio doors.

thank you! I think we'll do that then. Better to ask, really hoping it just needs a fix rather than replace now.

We paid 8k last year for a 3 bed semi with 9 windows including a large complicated bay and 2 x composite doors.

They absolutely did need replacing, they were at least 30 years old and most panes had blown. It used to be EPC D and I'm hoping this has improved it now though we've not had it reassessed yet.

If they've not blown, if you can't feel any draughts or obvious cold spots it's likely you might not have to replace them. But again totally support local, the larger ones are an absolute nightmare, rude, condescending and inflexible.

We used https://g.co/kgs/Ah399Wg (Elegance Glazing). We're in NW6 London and they are Kent. If you email them your area and window sizes they will confirm if they cover your area and give you a ballpark cost.

Avoid Everest, their prices are just absurd (they quoted us £40k to replace all our windows with fairly ugly uPVC, we ended up getting handmade wooden double glazed sashes for £10K)

If you want wood and are in south London or Kent, I can recommend Greenwich Joinery. Really fantastic work, and also turned up when they said they would, left no mess etc.

Otherwise yep, just get some quotes from a few local companies.

Just get lots of quotes , avoid big companies and try and find a smaller local one with recommendations. We had ours done in our last house 20 years ago and they were £5k..big quite a few windows and doors . god knows how much they are now !

Glass isn't the spendy bit really, it's the frames being made to size and then an installers time doing it all, ripping out old, fitting new and if you're really lucky making good after. Oh, and the sales rep ripping you off.

I recently had all my windows checked and serviced. New handles, hinges couple of blown panes, etc. Now got practically new functionally windows at a much lower cost than replacing. I just googled window repairs and found a local specialist https://traditionalsashwindowrepairs.co.uk . They did works such as replacing parts, glass, re-sealing and insulating any air leaks.

Not planning to change them anytime soon. People replace things too often and too quickly.

Yes definitely go for a decent recommended local company. They’ll give you a decent price and none of the sales BS.

The big national companies all operate the same way. Pressure selling , over inflated prices, fake discounts - so long as you sign on the dotted line today - and still end up being double the price of a decent local company.

An average standard window should be around the £400 - £500 ish. Depends on the size and number of openers etc.

You should be able to fix the handles easily.

Why otherwise do you want to replace them ? Is your house cold or your bills huge ? or do they just look bad ?

My double glazed UPVC windows are 20 years old and are pretty much perfect. Non are blow and they are all pretty good thermally and close and open easily.

Replacing all windows is going to be pricey, if I were to do it I would want to know what definite advantages there are to doing it.

I doubt whether it will change your EPC rating if your windows are already double glazed as that will already add points on your EPC and swapping them out won't change that.

If you look up the EPC on the government site it will make recommendations as to what to do to get more points to improve the EPC rating if that is of interest. Sometimes you are on the edge and doing something that is relatively cheap can improve the rating catagory.