Timber Replacement Windows

Timber Replacement Windows - Some Points for UK Homeowners

If you own a historic or vintage UK home whose windows are in need of repair, you should seriously consider timber replacement windows for a number of important reasons. If you have aluminum or vinyl windows installed at present, timber frame windows are more compatible with your home's classic look. In fact, vinyl windows or aluminum windows clash with your historic home's fenestration, or "design and disposition of windows and other exterior openings of a building" (definition from dictionary.com). There's no question that this is the primary reason to install timber windows and doors. Even if you currently have wood windows, they may be decades or even over a century old. Such windows are bound to be either rotten or in need of substantial repairs. Also, they may allow heated or cooled air to escape, increasing your energy bills. If noise is an issue in your neighborhood, you should know that wood replacement windows, especially if they're double glazed, should help in that respect as well.

How to Choose a Contractor for Window Replacement

Since window replacement is a major undertaking, you should get estimates from several reputable companies. If there's a contract involved, have a solicitor review it before you sign. Your contractor should offer a customized solution that fits your particular situation. For example, he shouldn't recommend that all windows need to be replaced if some can be repaired or overhauled and put back into good condition. This is sometimes tricky to determine, so that's why you should get opinions and price quotes from at least two or three timber replacement window companies.

Some of the Issues a Contractor Should Address

Noise reduction is something that's important to many people. Double glazed timber windows uk can help a great deal in that respect, especially if they use spiral balances rather than the old-fashioned cord-and-weight system to assist in opening and closing the window. The cord-and-weight system requires a hollow chamber in the window to contain the mechanism. One contractor says that sound reverberates through this hollow and the window "like the sound box of a violin or guitar." The solution is to use newer spiral balances in place of the cords and weights. Also, installing expanding foam insulation between the window frame and the building will both deaden sound and reduce vibration. Another issue a competent contractor should address is whether the window frames are no longer square. Some contractors take the window apart to effect repairs, a labor-intensive and time-consuming process. A good contractor will "square up" the window, doing whatever he needs to do, up to and including a new frame. Another small, but important thing a good contractor will do is paint all surfaces of the window, even those that are hidden from view. If the wood meets brick or other wood, it's important to paint it to forestall dry rot.

These and other factors should be considered, along with price and reputation, when considering a contractor to install timber replacement windows in your UK home.

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