Sash window refurbishment and Slimlite double glazing installation for original sash windows in Brighton and Hove.
Slimlite double glazing is one of the best inventions that you can install in your old sash windows. In this period building in Hove it looks beautiful. It also had the added bonus of our own Antique sash window furniture fitted to give the home that extra wow factor. Ultimately in keeping with the Regency period when first constructed.
One of the biggest concerns was noise level coming from the street and into the house. It is in one of the liveliest streets in Hove. We have explained this in great detail on our dedicated Slimlite page about the benefits of the noise reduction and the U-value properties that Slimlite has.
Why Slimlite double glazing is better than other copycat products
Slimlite is the only company that will give you a 10 year guarantee when this product is installed to manufacturers specification. Every other company only gives up to 5 years and some companies don’t even give you that, all depending on the size of the glass. For more information please see our own page on Slimlite to see how it can benefit you.
The job was in a beautiful home, exquisitely done up. No expense was spared when it came to our fixtures and fittings as the windows were one of the things that the owners really wanted to set off, like having a living picture that constantly changes. This was a key component that people wanted in the regency period, to bring the garden and the outdoors into the property seamlessly.
Windows in this period were so big for the above reason and additionally it was now possible to make larger expanses in glazing. Large expanses of glass also acted as a huge statement of the owners’ wealth. We go into great length on the history of windows and glazing, from questions like did Issac Newton really invent the theory of gravity or did he steal it from the man that invented sash windows, Thomas Hooke?.
Can you tell whether Slimlite double glazing is installed
The windows themselves were able to have Slimlite easily installed in them due to the fact that they were thicker than the normal 40 mm sash windows that we normally work on. This was only by 8 mm giving a total of 45 mm.
This meant that you could not tell the difference on the inside of the mouldings at all. One of the things that you have to do when you install Slimlite glazing is to rebate the glazing bars, rails and stiles a little deeper than the normal 14 mm. This is because the Slimlite glazing that was installed in this property was 12 mm thick as the customer wanted toughened glass because he had young children in the house. It also comes at 9 mm but with the expanse that was needed it is better to install 12 mm. 12 mm has a less failure rate with loss of gas.
This means that you need a minimum of 21 mm in the rebate for the Slimlite to work and have an adequate glazing bead. This all matters when it comes to the final finish of the windows, this also includes the inside mouldings for the rails, stiles and glazing bars.
If the glass is heavier will I still get full movement
When installing Slimlite glazing there can be an issue with the weight of the extra glass that is being installed. This can only be rectified by swapping the cast iron weights for lead. This is because lead is a third heavier than cast iron and gives you back the movement back into the windows please see our dedicated page on Slimlite double glazing for all the pros and cons of this product and how it can benefit your sash window restoration project.
Here, the installation was for 3 sets of windows, 2 front and one back window. The front windows were pretty simple to do and the only rot that we found was on the box frames themselves and one meeting rail of the top window. Obviously other companies that came round to look insisted on a new window, but this is totally wrong. By English Heritage standards they say that you should keep your old windows at all costs. With the repair coming in at a third of the price why would you want something that is only going to last a guarantee of 20 years, if you’re lucky versus a true restoration that could outlive your property. There is no comparison really!
The back window was pretty similar and had only the bottom rail restored this was done by stripping all the glass out of the windows and taking any old screws out that a carpenter had put in trying to repair the window from before. We stripped this apart and put back together again and fixed using the Dry Flex wood care system. This is a product that is especially designed for windows and doors for replacing old rotten timbers and splicing new. This works by being slightly flexible to get around the different shrinkage rates of new and old timbers and stopping cracking occurring and letting in water ingress. This product has also a page explaining everything that it can do and how we can restore your tired old rotten windows back to normal on the Dry-flex wood-care system page.
We can give you that extra wow factor no other company can.
The windows here had the whole nine yards of restoration. All the paint had been stripped off and sanded. These windows had two primer undercoat coats of paint and finished with two topcoats, and to give the ultimate finish our very own Antique sash window furniture.
The antique window furniture has been restored to the highest possible standards. Completing the restoration with these fittings gives the windows greater character. A look that stands out not regularly seen anymore. The stock we hold comes from around 1700’s to late Victorian. These are very sought after products and we get enquiries from around the country for these types of fittings.
This is a service that no other company can give you especially if you have a 2 star property or a Grade one or two listed property, than this can give you the ultimate finish to a beautiful job please click the link here for information on our Antique sash window furniture shop.
you have any questions or queries about a future project please don’t hesitate to send an email and see what our company can do for you in the future.
Kind Regards Sussex Sash Window Restoration Ltd
