Acoustic glass

If you live on a busy road, acoustic glass -specified as part of a replacement window solution - can make a real difference. A laminated glass that incorporates polyvinyl butyral resin (pvb) is added to the outer face of the double glazed unit - and this significantly reduces noise levels.

Laminated glass is also very tough - so gives your property an extra level of security.

Acoustic laminate option adds £120 to the price of a sash window - and we’re finding this is an increasingly popular choice (our last job, in leamington - and our next job, in Nuneaton - both have acoustic specified).

Reclaim Doors

I don’t know if you’ve you’ve noticed - but prices for building materials have been going up over the last year. Thankfully this hasn’t affected our reproduction sash windows yet - but our favorite UK composite door manufacturer (Solidor) hiked prices by 20% recently, citing the increased cost of raw materials.

We’ve not given up on Solidor yet - as it’s still a great product - but, as I’m always checking on other ways to get value for money on a home makeover, I’ve been looking at reclaim doors as an alternative..

For example, I found this door on ebay last week for £500 - ok, that’s not small money but on the right property it would look fantastic.. and there are plenty of others around (don’t forget reclaim yards) if you know what to look for.

In terms of performance, you’ll obviously be losing some heat from any single glazed glass surfaces - but in the overall scheme of things this isn’t a lot, and draughts (the biggest culprit when it comes to energy loss) can easily be taken out of the equation with good quality ‘around door’ seals like these from Toolstation.

Finally - (and, yes, we’ll be talking about Toolstation in my next blog) - here’s my top tip for Victorian Style door hardware c/o my favorite place to buy this sort of thing - fleur de lys style handles; great value & looks at just £7.52 a pair.

Get SUPER ideas by looking closely at other homes..

If a property grabs my attention as I'm walking or driving by I always try to make some time to take a proper look. What is it that's really making the difference?

The two photos below are good examples, snapped during a brief stroll down a few streets near the parade in Leamington Spa; the first - ok  I really love stucco frontages but it's the detail above the window openings on the first floor that are unusual. Fixed pelmets on the outside frame the windows beautifully - and this is a relatively easy look you can try out on any period property.

The second photo shows some (I assume) original sash windows, however, the stand-out feature that made me stop is of course the black painted timberwork, which really makes for a dramatic, modern look.

I'm itching to try out the new dark grey option now available as standard from our window supplier - grey is a more versatile colour choice as it compliments traditional red brickwork more readily than black.