Bargain basemetn windows...

[Gervase]

Heretical in these parts, I know, but does anyone know of a reasonably decent brand of off-the-shelf wooden casement windows?
They're not for me, you understand (he hastily interjected); they're for someone I know who has been let down by a joiner and who needs to fit some windows within the next fortnight to a Welsh stone cottage, lest the whole project fall disastrously behind schedule and various tradesmen fly off to the Costas for the rest of the summer.
What they're seeking is a company making windows in a range of common sizes in timber which wouldn't look too awful on the place until such time as the runes and the bank balance are aligned sufficiently to warrant so bespoke windows.

 

[biffvernon]

Here's a few, but I can't vouch for them personally.

http://www.jeld-wen.co.uk/
http://www.premdoruk.com/page.cfm?pageid=473
http://www.dempseydyer.co.uk/timber/timber.htm
http://www.exmoorwindows.co.uk/about.php
http://www.parker-joinery.com/
http://sitebuilder.yell.com/sb/Displaycompany.do?p=homepage&id=SB0001341652000050

Four bits of softwood, a sheet of acryllic and a handfull of nails might keep the weather out and the other trades on site.

 

[Gervase]

Ta for that - I've passed the details on.

 

[erusfarley]

I absolutely hate myself for saying it but try Wickes. they do softwood casement windows in a multitude of sizes, very reasonably priced which means that you wont be wasting too much cash, he will get proper windows and at least his home insurance will still be valid.

 

[Becka]

word of warning.. with wickes/jewsons etc, don't order just from the catalogue pic.. when i was young and naive and didnt know joiners were reasonably priced i bought a window from jewsons, in the pic looked a perfect match to the 1950's one i was having to replace (it was literally disintergrating.. + young and naive remember, didn't know it may have been fixable) but when it turned up it had the most hideous moundings on the inside and glazing bars about 10cm wide.. I knew that would drive me loop every time i looked at it so I ended up chiseling them off and replacing with much slimmer glass beads.. reasonably happy with the result now as only slightly thicker than the others but was a lesson learned about being very thorough in my research (and how to do lots of woodwork and good mitred corners ) maybe not relevant if they do end up being very temporary, but I'm sure everyone on this site has 'temporary' fixes they've ended up living with for years..

 

[Moo]

another word of warning -

Look very carefully indeed at anything that comes ready-glazed. You may find that it has been done in a fashion that makes replacing the glass impossible, thus taking the idea of a throw-away society to hitherto undreamed-of extremes.