CliffordPope
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That picture's cast iron, surely?
- Thread starter LeeL82
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Cubist
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CliffordPope said:
Yup, Clifford's right, no way are they wrought iron. Cast iron - so be gentle with them.
Also, check what material the Blasters use to clean them up. I learned recently that Soda Blasting, whilst softer and friendlier to the metal also leaves a deposit on the surface to which even Gorilla Tape will not stick. If not properly treated beforehand any paint will 'bubble' over time.
I've heard there is an effective treatment to prevent this but have not looked it up yet.
Feltwell
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I removed 2 original roof windows here and replaced them with conservation replicas, both the original ones had cracked frames and were well & truly rusted shut. I wanted them to open really but they were just too corroded and far gone to be worth trying to salvage. One especially had clearly been leaking for years.
They had a mechanism for a rope loop to open them using a brass worm screw - someone had tried forcing them open with this and on both windows the mechanism was completely shot.
All this, and the fact that very expensive scaffolding was required to get to the outside of them - new ones were a better option, much to my disappointment.
They had a mechanism for a rope loop to open them using a brass worm screw - someone had tried forcing them open with this and on both windows the mechanism was completely shot.
All this, and the fact that very expensive scaffolding was required to get to the outside of them - new ones were a better option, much to my disappointment.
Feltwell
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I fitted 3 of these 11 years ago:-
https://www.therooflightcompany.co.uk/all-products/conservation/#
They've performed just fine. Externally, so far up on the roof, you'd struggle to tell the difference compared to the original. Internally, up much closer, they're clearly not original but they look in keeping is how I'd describe them - certainly much better than a standard Velux.
One thing I do remember was their "flashing kit" - which turned out to be - an ordinary roll of lead :lol:
Nothing wrong with that, easy enough to install and of course looks authentic, just stretching it a bit to call it a "kit" I thought!
https://www.therooflightcompany.co.uk/all-products/conservation/#
They've performed just fine. Externally, so far up on the roof, you'd struggle to tell the difference compared to the original. Internally, up much closer, they're clearly not original but they look in keeping is how I'd describe them - certainly much better than a standard Velux.
One thing I do remember was their "flashing kit" - which turned out to be - an ordinary roll of lead :lol:
Nothing wrong with that, easy enough to install and of course looks authentic, just stretching it a bit to call it a "kit" I thought!
Flyfisher
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Same company we used as they were the only company that could make the 2.5 x 2.0m sizes we required.
Fun and games fitting them!!
Fun and games fitting them!!
Feltwell
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Flyfisher said:
Yee Gods, they must have been heavy at that size! I presume the fact that they were heavy and cumbersome was the cause of the fitting difficulties?
My, considerably more modestly sized ones, went in with no issues. There's a fair bit of weight to them even so - we took the openers off and fitted them on again once the frames were in.
Flyfisher
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Yes, heavy and cumbersome. Fortunately, I only had to watch and take photos. The frames could be fitted first and then the two independently opening lights fitted separately. They were the heaviest item. If they hadn't come apart then some sort of lifting gear would have definitely been required.
Cubist
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LeeL82 said:
You might be surprised Lee, I've seen some good work done in the past. May be expensive but the cost might stack up well against new bespoke lights.
But if you feel that they're too much trouble/cash I'd suggest you have a chat with some of your local Reclamation Yards to get an idea how much they would pay for them and then put them on eBay.
I can't remember now - did you say the house is listed?
Feltwell
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Much as it goes against the grain to say something against an original feature.....
An original metal roof window, single glazed with no thermal break in the frame, could suffer from condensation which then drips down.
I bought 8 used roof windows when I built my garage that had been removed from a barn conversion. The man who did the barn conversion owned a foundry business, so he made his own roof windows, they were double glazed but had no thermal break in the frame. The dripping condensation was so bad as a result that the next owner of the barn was removing them all and replacing them.
Good for me as it meant I got 8 large conservation type roof windows for £400 ! In an unheated garage they are fine.
My other concern with an original window is what happens when the putty fails, as access is usually difficult. If I were to go with an original I would use a glazing silicone personally - I think it would last longer than linseed putty in that situation.
An original metal roof window, single glazed with no thermal break in the frame, could suffer from condensation which then drips down.
I bought 8 used roof windows when I built my garage that had been removed from a barn conversion. The man who did the barn conversion owned a foundry business, so he made his own roof windows, they were double glazed but had no thermal break in the frame. The dripping condensation was so bad as a result that the next owner of the barn was removing them all and replacing them.
Good for me as it meant I got 8 large conservation type roof windows for £400 ! In an unheated garage they are fine.
My other concern with an original window is what happens when the putty fails, as access is usually difficult. If I were to go with an original I would use a glazing silicone personally - I think it would last longer than linseed putty in that situation.
Feltwell said:
The condenssation was something wed also considered in, as the roof light above the stares is black and horrible because of this. I think we'll go down the route of replace and if anyone wants three original windows theyre free to a good home if anyone wants to collect, or I could send them using a courier and charge cost. I can send upto 30KG with DPD for £5.
Feltwell said:
I really couldn't bring myself to buying new, So I took to the task of getting them restored, I then primed painted and glazed them after all the rust and paint was removed, I read on another forum to bed them in a silicone glazing sealant then put putty on the top on the outside, Ive done this to the lower two windows, as access to these two is easy as they're on the lower part of the offshoot. The large central window over the stairwell, however, being on the main house is high and access would be difficult, so ill bed that on silicon and forget the putty. The silka range has great reviews and I used it on the lower two windows internally and a linseed putty on the outside. Last nights storm (I'm in Scotland) has held the rain out, So all is good.
There are two windows we've reinstated as theyd been boarded and tiled over, these were in the large rooms on the main bedrooms upstairs and we opted for the velux style conservation style window. So now we've gone from 1 central window over the stairs to 5 windows and put the building back to its original light self, and what a difference especially over the stairs since this window was felted over as it was a leaking mess! We're also in the process of getting a whole new roof, so it made sense to do this all in one go!
plasticpigeon
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That sounds excellent. I would have done the same. Even when it is more effort to restore I usually end up doing it because I hate throwing stuff away, especially if good quality and historic. It would be nice to see photos of your house now with all the extra windows.
here's a before and after picture. The entire roof isnt finished yet, this is the rear of the house. The windows were originally from above the downstairs toilet and one at the other end, they were ripped out and we found them purely by chance in the woodland at the side of the house in the garden.
Before
After
Before
After
plasticpigeon
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That looks great!
Gothichome
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Well that looks great. Let the sun shine in.