Thu Jun 2
Sash windows are usually installed because they look great. They have a charm and character that is hard to beat with other more modern styles of windows.
Whilst they look great, the one issue that often happens with sash windows is that they are traditionally made from thin glass, and they have a gap in them that is necessary for the sash part of the window to slide up and down easily.
This design can mean that the windows are draughty and that water can leak through and lead to the wood rotting.
For some people, this is well worth it for the benefits of how they look, but for others, they may want to know whether or not original sash windows can be double-glazed.
Why is it tricky to double-glaze sash windows?
So, this is the big question. Can you have your beautifully designed sash windows double-glazed? The answer is not quite as straightforward as you may think it is.
The main reason is the glass usually used in old sash windows. It is most common for this class to be incredibly thin, sometimes as thin as 2mm, which means that the wood separating each glass pane will also be thin and light.
Modern double-glazed windows feature two panes of glass with certain gas between them. Each of these panes is usually 4mm thick, and the air gap between each level can be as much as 20mm in some windows.
Therein lies the problem. Double glazed windows are, by their nature, much wider and heavier than the single pane glass that used to be installed in sash windows. This means that they are not going to fit in unless you remove wood to fit them in. However, removing wood can mean your window is at a higher risk of snapping.
What is the answer?
The thing to know about sash windows is that you can have new windows made that look like the traditional timber window styles but are energy efficient. They use the slimmest glass possible in their design, and they can be made to be placed into your original box frame. This means that you can have all the benefits of double-glazed windows but still have the beautiful charm of box sash windows.
