A Unique Way to Double Glaze Your Listed Property

 

 

If you've been considering improving the energy consumption of your listed home for some time, you may have been researching how to improve the energy efficiency of your windows.

After all, your home's windows transfer a lot of energy from inside your home to the outside.

The original windows on historic buildings are not energy efficient and could be costing you a lot of money on your energy bills. Double glazing can solve this, but how do you add double glazing to a listed property?

Well, that's what we're discussing today.

How to add double glazing to a listed property

There are several ways of adding a second pane of glass to your windows, but the way you choose is really important. Some replacement windows or glazing techniques require planning permission, and some can change the look of your home forever. Here are the options you have to turn your single glazing into double.

Secondary glazing

Secondary glazing is adding another window to each window in your home. This will fix the inside of your current window and block the window sill from being used. While the exterior of your home will go unchanged, secondary glazing comes with several considerations, for example:

•        The interior look of your property will be changed forever;

•        You lose space in your home/

Unless the current issues with your windows are solved, secondary glazing will not likely improve your energy consumption too much.

We feel that secondary glazing is a stop-gap. It solves some of the energy efficiency issues that period buildings have. Still, there is now better window technology available for heat loss in the home that is worth researching before investing in something like secondary glazing.

UPVC double glazing

Unless you get planning permission and building consent from local conservation officers, uPVC double glazing is often out of reach for most listed building owners.

These windows dramatically change the look of your listed building, and once this is changed, it is near impossible to bring the old charm back.

This is why getting planning permission for uPVC double glazing in a listed property is tough. However, there is another way of getting double-glazing into your wooden window frames without changing the property's look.

Retrofit double glazing

If only there were a way of adding double glazing to your existing windows without changing their look, right?

Well, that is precisely what retrofitting double glazing into your existing timber windows does. It is the best of both.

You get high-energy performance but keep the original window frames.

 

 

However, because the pane of glass is added directly into the window frame, your property's interior won't change either.

 

Retrofitting double glazing into existing wooden sash windows

Glazed windows in period buildings can be massively improved with this technique. It is like putting a modern window into a historic building while ensuring the property's look stays the same.

Retrofitting improves the thermal performance of a property, lowers the energy bills and ensures that the property maintains its beautiful looks for years to come.

While you still need a planning application in most cases for retrofitting double glazing into existing windows, it is far easier to get planning officers to agree to this type of work as it keeps the original features of the windows.

Planning officers are more inclined to improve works like retrofitting, especially in conservation areas, because these works do not change the characteristics of your home.

 

An alternative to Secondary glazing and window replacement

Retrofitting double glazing into a period home is the best way to improve the heat transfer from your windows to the outside. The planning authority in your area is much more likely to accept your application form for these works because the original glass remains intact, as does everything else in the window, the sashes, the glazing bars, and the mechanism.

The windows largely go unchanged, at least in looks and how they open and close.  This allows for an ultra-thin double-glazed window that performs just as well as triple glazing. The thermal performance of your windows (and your home) will be significantly improved, and your historic windows will look as beautiful as they ever have.

There are some fantastic benefits to retrofitting double glazing into existing wooden sash and casement windows.

From thermal and acoustic performance to changing the window style back to a more original design and a great deal more. If retrofitting double glazing into your windows has piqued your interest, explore our website further.

We offer services and sympathetic design using modern glass technology to bring your home's energy consumption into the 21st century while never changing the style.