Sash windows and rendering

[judy]

Hello all,
It's been a few years since I've been here, several babies later and a house move along we're about to start tackling the various issues in our new home. Early victorian house in the country with rendered exterior and 1970's 'council house windows' - the surveyors term not mine! Courtesy of the lovely weather from the east we're getting just now we now have several large wet patches on our kitchen wall around the window and an extra patch where I think the render must be failing. (The previous owners had the exterior filled and painted before they put the house on the market so there's little clue as to what's going on outside)

The windows are lousy - I'd like to replace them all (small panes but top opening not sash or casement, don't know the name for them, most in poor condition) with sash windows at the front (south facing) and side (east) and possibly casements at the back. The house was formerly a shop at the front and bakery at the back. I've seen old photos with sashes at the front. Given that there are 9 windows to be replaced at the front and side I'd like to be well informed from the outset - we can't afford to do them in one go, looking at doing one room at a time.

The house is not listed but is in a conservation area. So I'm looking for advice on the following:

a. advice & guidance on sashes - timber to use, any do's and don'ts?
b. thoughts on double glazing/sound proofing - we're alongside a road
c. first time in a rendered property - how to repair if water coming in?
c. should we discuss our plans with the conservation officer ahead of works commencing?

Sorry for the long post!

 

[middi]

Hi Judy.
No need to be sorry obout your post, it's period property related so it can be as long as you want it to be :wink:

As to you questions it would be a good idea from your point of view to see what type of windows are being used by the neighbours and local buildings similar to yours, this will not only give some very good ideas but the chances are that they would not present a problem from a conservation aerea point of view.
If you can, do have a chat with your conservation officer as I am sure he/she will guide you in the right direction .

Invariably victorian windows would have been of a pine (softwood) construction with hardwood cills, single glazed ( occasianally out of local or impoted hardwoods). You should think on the lines of double glazing for obvious reasons

If you are unable to purchase these from " off the shelf" suppliers it would mean having them purpose made , these tend to be more costly.

As to water entry and damp near the existing windows, the chances are that a" bodge-it-and-leg-it" job has been done , the best thing you can do temporarely is to seal with modern mastics of matching colour any gaps and cracks you can see until such a time you fit you new chosen windows

Middi

 

[Penners]

a. advice & guidance on sashes - timber to use, any do's and don'ts?
b. thoughts on double glazing/sound proofing - we're alongside a road
c. first time in a rendered property - how to repair if water coming in?
c. should we discuss our plans with the conservation officer ahead of works commencing?

Hi Judy, and welcome back from maternity leave.

Middi's advice is based on expert experience, whereas my own is purely amateur ramblings based on some modest period property restoration experience.

a. Can you be a bit more specific on the nature of the advice you want? If you're not sure what timber to specify when getting replacement sash windows made, then I suggest the first thing you should do is to get a quote for one sample window in both softwood and oak. Then you'll know which you can afford.

b. If you're beside a road, then your DG obviously needs to be as effective as possible at sound attenuation. I understand that sealed unit DG is not particularly effective at this (although obviously better than single glazing). For maximum efficacy against noise, I believe that well fitted secondary glazing units are better, leaving something like 100mm air gap between the primary and secondary glazing. Line the edges of this gap with acoustic insulation tiles.

c. As Middi says, leaking rendering is difficult to repair effectively for the long term. Your best bet is a patch-up job until you can afford to have it properly taken off and redone.

c.(!) Yes. Ask to have an informal chat with the CO about your plans. He/she should be able to give you guidance on what will/will not be acceptable. But if you're planning to restore the house to a more faithful representation of its original character, I don't think you'll have any problems.

 

[Moo]

No words of wisdom, I'm afraid - just another question that may be pertinent: have you any idea what the house was rendered with?