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Traditional windows - their care, repair and upgrading
The loss of traditional windows from our older buildings poses one of the major threats to our heritage. Traditional windows and their glazing make an important contribution to the significance of historic areas.
They are an integral part of the design of older buildings and can be important artefacts in their own right, often made with great skill and ingenuity with materials of a higher quality than are generally available today. The distinctive appearance of historic hand-made glass is not easily imitated in modern glazing.
Windows are particularly vulnerable elements of a building as they are relatively easily replaced or altered. Such work often has a profound effect not only on the building itself but on the appearance of the street and local area. With an increasing emphasis being placed on making existing buildings more energy efficient, replacement windows have become a greater threat than ever before to the character of historic buildings and areas.
This guidance covers both timber and metal windows and is aimed at building professionals and property-owners. It sets out to show the significance of traditional domestic windows by charting their history over centuries of technical development and fashion. Detailed technical advice is then provided on their maintenance, repair and thermal upgrading as well as on their replacement.
A selection of traditional windows experts can be found in our directory here.
Shedding light on conservation rooflights
Paul Trace from Stella Rooflight offers advice on navigating UK Building Regulations and Planning Laws.
In his address to the House of Lords in 1943, Sir Winston Churchill emphasised the profound influence that the built environment has on our lives, advocating for the faithful restoration of the House of Commons following its wartime destruction. “We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us,” he said. His sentiment underscoring the significance of preserving the character and identity of historic buildings, which form an integral part of our national heritage, evoking a sense of pride and identity among many Brits.
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What is a conservation rooflight?
Paul Trace, director of Stella Rooflight discusses the unique properties of a genuine conservation rooflight.
If you know that you need conservation rooflights for your project, the chances are that you have searched online and found plenty of choice. But what is a conservation rooflight and are they all the same?
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Stella Rooflight launches ‘The Ultimate Guide To Conservation Rooflights’
Stella Rooflight has launched ‘The Ultimate Guide to Conservation Rooflights’. Authored by industry experts, the independent Guide is intended to assist those looking to specify conservation rooflights by providing a wealth of knowledge and practical insights into what can often be a complex and confusing market.
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Church renovation project transformed by Clement’s steel doors
Clement Windows Group has manufactured and installed a large, bespoke, striking steel door screen and feature steel window for St Paul’s Church in Ireland Wood, Leeds.
The steel screen incorporates a pair of double doors, providing light and airiness. Both the door set and the new steel window are made from Clement EB24 steel sections which include double glazed, argon-filled glass units.
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Specialist glazing units help period buildings stay ahead of the curve
Curved-in-plan glazing units have been around for some time, but over recent years there has been a significant surge in their popularity. The curved shape matches both contemporary and heritage aesthetics, creating a sense of flow and continuity. Internally, they help to enhance a feeling of light and spaciousness.
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Conservation rooflights allow period house to become a 21st-century home
The Old Court House is located on a large farm in the West Midlands which is under private ownership. The farm had been purchased with a number of outline consents for the conversion of the various farm buildings into habitable dwellings and staff accommodation; but those consents were all linked to the repair of one particular building on the site: The Old Court House.
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Secondary glazing provides divine solution for church windows
Feature windows have played a crucial role in church architecture throughout the ages, with shapes and styles changing to fit the trends of the times. Works of art in themselves, they contribute to a church’s majesty, and the ambience they create adds an extra dimension to the experience of worship within.
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Shedding some light on the new Part L Building Regulations
A major part of the UK’s commitment to meeting its targets for carbon reduction is being driven by a tightening of the Building Regulations surrounding energy efficiency standards for homes. Here, Stella Rooflight Director, Paul Trace, addresses the new rules for rooflights and thermal performance including why they are needed.
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Steel windows - the important questions answered
Our picture shows W40 steel windows and doors. The Steel Window Association have provided answers to nine of the most important questions surrounding steel windows.
Do steel windows rust?
Modern steel windows, positively rustproofed by the hot dip galvanizing process and then polyester powder coated, together with brass and stainless steel hardware, will provide as good if not better durability than is offered by competing materials.
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Why is repair better than replacement?
Traditional windows can often be simply and economically repaired, usually at a cost significantly less than replacement. For timber windows this is largely due to the high quality and durability of the timber that was used in the past (generally pre-1919) to make windows. Properly maintained, old timber windows can enjoy extremely long lives. It is rare to find that all windows in an old building require new sections. Many historic components continue to give service after 150, 200 or even 250 years. Traditional metal windows can also usually be economically repaired and their thermal performance improved, avoiding the need for total replacement.
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Stained glass restoration helps bring 17th century manor house back to former glory
Breakspear House is a truly magnificent 17th century Grade I-listed manor house, which has undergone a detailed restoration. Formerly the Breakspear family estate in the 13th century and home to W.S Gilbert by the end of the 19th century, it was then acquired commercially in 1956 as a retirement home. Sadly by 1987 it lay abandoned, derelict and vandalised.
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Beautiful abbey sensitively preserved with EB20 steel windows
Mount Saint Bernard Abbey opened in 1844 after a donation from John, the 16th Earl of Shrewsbury, enabled a permanent monastery to be built to replace the original building. The most famous architect of the Gothic Revival, Augustus Welby Pugin, offered his services for free and designed the beautiful building which still stands today.
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