Traumatised PP owner

[Alex]

This isn't a question, it's more of a disbelieving moan to people who will understand.

Whilst driving through Somerset today, admiring the little cottages and pretty villages, I was stunned to see a UPVC window company fitting nasty plastic windows into a thatched cottage. I couldn't believe my eyes, so I drove back down the other side of the duel carriageway just to double check, am now in need of therapy. :shock:
I hate our stone cottage's upvc windows, it just doesn't look right, especially in the room which we have lime plastered but they will have to do untill funds allow us to replace them.

If you were in the car behind me when I braked at the sight of all that white plastic.............. I'm sorry

I feel a bit better now I have shared this with you, thankyou for listening to the ramblings of a now traumatised individual, think of it as therapy for me.

 

[Penners]

Sad to say, Alex, your traumatic experience is far from unique. I think people have been given the impression that fitting these awful plastic windows is somehow the responsible thing to do for our rapidly overheating planet, based on some pretty weak arguments about reducing their carbon impact while simultaneously reducing their heating bills.

The question of architectural heritage is deftly swept under the carpet, as is the highly questionable "whole of life" carbon footprint of the bloody windows.

 

[Alex]

Hello Penners, we have them here in our cottage (already fitted when we bought it), I think they are about 20 years old and the rubber seel is gone in at least 3 of them. If I replaced them with wooden casements tomorrow, these plastic ones are going to end up in landfill somewhere aren't they. Where is the sense and economy in replacing your windows every 20 years ? Somewhere on this planet there is going to be a UPVc door and windowframe graveyard that will be seen quite clearly from the space station.
P.S. We have a nice wooden front door that we have just bought from the reclaimation yard, ready to fit as soon as the weather warms up. What do we do with the UPVc one that it will replace :?

 

[Penners]

Where is the sense and economy in replacing your windows every 20 years ?

There is, of course, none.

And the really disturbing thing for you is that, since your house has already been fitted with uPVC windows, the most planet-friendly thing that you can do is to keep them.

As for your graveyard that can be seen from space, I'm afraid that's closer to the truth than you might imagine: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_Garbage_Patch

 

[FamilyWiggs]

We have a nice wooden front door that we have just bought from the reclaimation yard, ready to fit as soon as the weather warms up. What do we do with the UPVc one that it will replace :?

You could do this with it:

http://periodproperty.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=11048

On the original question - surely most thatched cottages are listed, aren't they? In which case why have they been permitted to fit uPVC DG??? :twisted:

 

[JohnB]

Hello Penners, we have them here in our cottage (already fitted when we bought it), I think they are about 20 years old and the rubber seel is gone in at least 3 of them. If I replaced them with wooden casements tomorrow, these plastic ones are going to end up in landfill somewhere aren't they.

Drop them off at my place near Newcastle Emlyn, and I'll build a greenhouse out of them . Any missing seals etc can be bodged as it wouldn't be a house!

 

[Me!]

Alex
If you know the name of the town or village, and would recognise a picture of the house, then have a look here at the Images of England site and see if it is listed. If it is, then a word to the local CO should do the trick, or if you don't want to get involved then just put the IoE number that you find on that website in a reply to this thread and I'm sure someone else will do it for you.

 

[MdB]

Our 13 year old badly fitted uPVC has about 50% failure of the double glazing. Our current bedroom being the worst - you can hardly see out of them due to the internal condensation. Unfortunately, we can't afford to replace them.

 

[Carol]

Please let the CO at the District Council know. Or if it is listed let the PPUKers bombard the authority. If it can be seen from a dual carriageway it will be noticed by others and we do care about our old buildings in Somerset.

Mind you there aren't that many dual carriageways around here, we could have a competition to locate it, more clues please!

 

[Schoolmarm]

Our 13 year old badly fitted uPVC has about 50% failure of the double glazing. Our current bedroom being the worst - you can hardly see out of them due to the internal condensation. Unfortunately, we can't afford to replace them.

You could replace the glass cheaply and it will be much easier to live with for now. Really cheaply.

 

[AMc]

If I replaced them with wooden casements tomorrow, these plastic ones are going to end up in landfill somewhere aren't they. Where is the sense and economy in replacing your windows every 20 years ? Somewhere on this planet there is going to be a UPVc door and windowframe graveyard that will be seen quite clearly from the space station.
P.S. We have a nice wooden front door that we have just bought from the reclaimation yard, ready to fit as soon as the weather warms up. What do we do with the UPVc one that it will replace :?

There is no sense in replacing windows every 20 years but please don't let us use bad arguments to support good ideas, uPVC/PVCu can be and is recycled.
For instance a quick google "PVCu recycling" brings up http://dekura.co.uk/ and http://www.veka-recycling.co.uk/ who do bulk recycling. They will get their supplies from waste management facilities and replacement window companies. If you don't want to recycle the door then freegle it - someone will be glad of it I'm sure.

IMHO The right thing to do is to repair what can be repaired and replace what isn't repairable with sustainable materials that can in turn be repaired - that all sounds like woodwork to me. I've just spent a lot of time and a considerable amount of money refurbishing the remaining original sashes in my house and I'm about to spend more money to add repairable & recyclable secondary glazing to make them sensibly efficient. I wouldn't have done anything else. It would have been cheaper to get replacement windows made, painted and fitted than paying a carpenter & decorator to refurbish what I have. It would probably still be cheaper to replace them than pay someone to paint them properly - that's the problem.

I second Schoolmarm, most sealed units can be replaced and they're not expensive.

 

[MdB]

You could replace the glass cheaply and it will be much easier to live with for now. Really cheaply.

I was told about £25 for the glass. The problem is fitting as they are all glazed externally. The main one I would like to change is above a cheap plastic roof which won't take the weight of any sort of scaffold. Fortunately, we plan on demolishing this plastic roof when we add an extension so we should be able to sort it then.

 

[Alex]

Hello All,
I really didn't know that UPVc windows could be recycled, so thankyou for that.
I do remember seeing that units with damaged seels could be repaired but I didn't know that it could be done so cheaply, not knowing anybody who had had this done, I just assumed that it would cost almost as much has having new windows.
We are also suffering from the concrete overcoat problem, I think a previous owner had shares in Blue Circle, or may have been a 'test pilot' for them. There is so much concrete around the insides of the windows that when we removed it to lime plaster our first room, we realised that the window was actually at least an inch smaller all round than it could have been and we had to replaster to the same depth. No doubt we will have the same problem when we replace the door and frame.
I will look and see the number of the duel carriageway, I didn't take a map, I just relied on Sat Nav Woman. Not far from Yeovil I'd guess, judging by the number of helicopters, it was like being an extra in a Vietnam War Film.

Thanks for all your replies,

Alex

 

[Carol]

RNAS Yeovilton for the helicopters, A303 for the dual carriageway, any more clues?

 

[Penners]

duel carriageway

A road lined with corpses, perhaps? :wink:

 

[Joiner]

Check this out...

http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=11094

 

[Alex]

Hello again All,
Have been reliably informed by my other half that the dual carriageway in question was the A358. We had travelled down to Somerset from Wales, passed a mother and baby camel, the famous Wicker Man (on the right hand side) and then a T. Rex (on the left hand side of the M5) looking over the fence. Sat Nav woman told me to leave the motorway not long after that but I can't remember the junction number. I don't remember the names of any pubs or particular landmarks but about 5 minutes before I saw the offending windows there was a burger van on each side of the road, not that far apart and the thatched cottage was on the left.
I blame Sat Nav woman for my lack of knowing anything on this occasion, if I had had a map, I try and remember pub names shops etc but when she is in charge I tend to rely on her to remind me what my own name is

Not deliberately being awkward, honest......

Alex

 

[AMc]

Google launched their Streetview maps of lots of the UK last week. This allows you to fly down the A358 at double decker height if you so choose. Simply zoom in to the the closest level on this link and you can relive your car journey.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&sll=52.471488,-2.161174&sspn=0.012365,0.027423&g=A358+m5+junction&ie=UTF8&ll=50.997984,-3.02124&spn=0.04894,0.110378&z=13

The images were taken recently so you can probably find the building and show us what was there.


Is this your burger van madame ?
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&sll=52.471488,-2.161174&sspn=0.012365,0.027423&g=A358+m5+junction&ie=UTF8&hq=Intersection+House&hnear=Intersection+House,+Birmingham+Rd,+West+Bromwich,+B70+6RP,+UK&t=h&ll=50.991608,-3.014213&spn=0,359.998275&z=19&layer=c&cbll=50.991654,-3.014026&panoid=ww_4clGLJdVXItt4TnK6yA&cbp=12,248.68,,0,5

 

[Alex]

Yes that is the burger van that was on the same side as the thatched cottage !

You lot should be working for MI5, I'm stunned............... :shock:

We were heading towards Barrington from the M5, if that is any help. The cottage was a little way back from the road and there was a larchlap (I think that is what they are called) fence near by. I can't look for it now, I have visitors arriving from Essex and it would be a bit rude to sit upstairs on here as I havent seen them for two years.

Thankyou Alex

 

[FamilyWiggs]

I think it might be here - Thornfalcon.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=51.00701,-3.032666&num=1&t=h&sll=50.991608,-3.014213&sspn=0,359.998275&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=51.0072,-3.032586&spn=0.001445,0.005059&z=18&layer=c&cbll=51.007099,-3.032444&panoid=x1K4qHz954R7yerZS9DxnA&cbp=12,224.12,,0,-6.4

Just looking on IoE to see of anything is listed near here.

Secret Agent Robin (shhhh!)