Keep your house cooler in the summer, or warmer in winter? Can Double Hung Sash Window Repair help?

Traditional double hung sash windows are renowned for being painted shut. It seems many painters may not understand how they function. In our own experience, most painters just paint them shut.

If your windows are not functioning correctly, have been painted shut, have broken cords, etc. here are two good reasons to repair them so they function correctly.

Summer

Fully functioning windows are a key focal point for energy efficiency, ventilation and home health.

In Summer we should have the capacity to ventilate our houses correctly, and as the windows were designed to do.

Also, we should be able to shut down our house windows, fully sealed, to hinder the heat coming in through windows during hot weather.

• Our Draft Seal Recondition Service will make the top and bottom windows function correctly, so you can open the top window for ventilation.

• A fully functioning sash window will allow ventilation to pass through the house and catch the breeze to cool it down. This can reduce the need for air-conditioning.

• Functioning sash windows will allow the ventilation to pass through the house and fresh air is a key to good health.

• A well-ventilated house hinders development of mold issues.

• Our Draft Seal Recondition Service will seal the gaps in the windows when you close them on a very hot day, in order to use air-conditioning. (Helping to keep the heat out and the cool in.)

• Our Draft Seal Recondition Service will help to save on energy bills in summer as the house will stay cooler for longer, due to windows being sealed.

• Our Australian standards acoustic seals will not only keep your house cooler in summer when you need to keep the heat out, but will help to cut down on noise coming in.

Winter

A large percentage of heat loss from internal heating systems during winter will come from leaky sash windows.

• Our draft seal recondition service will help keep the heat inside the house during the bitter winter to help keep your house warmer.

• Our Draft seal recondition service will also help to save on energy bills in winter as the house will stay warmer for longer, due to windows being sealed.

• ·When the sun finally comes out and you need to let some air into your house during winter, if your windows are functioning properly, this can be easily achieved.

• Functioning sash windows will allow the ventilation to pass through the house and fresh air is the key to good health.

So, to summarise if you have double hung traditional sash windows, you have a great investment. The windows were made to last, designed to be repaired and designed to ventilate effectively. With a basic draft seal recondition you can have all these benefits along with more energy efficiency.  

When to “repair” or “replace” a window, which one is the right decision?

Traditional Heritage Windows

If you have traditional counterbalance double hung rope timber windows, that were made between 1890s to 1950s, they have been designed and made to last and to be repaired. They have been made with quality joinery, cedar frames and hardwood sills, and if they have been maintained correctly will last over 100 years and beyond.

Problems that can occur with traditional windows:

• Our Standard Service will maintain items such as - replace broken sash cords, rebalance windows, release jammed windows, replace rusted inoperable pulleys, replace beadings, replace any broken or cracked glass, replace any damaged putty.

• Rotten sashes (Sashes are the frames that move that hold the glass.) When windows are not maintained and exposed to the weather they will reach a point of actually starting to rot, however, this can take many years. Sashes will usually rot on the bottom window where the sash mortise and tenon rests on the sill, where water can sit. Sometimes the top sash will have a rotten meeting rail where the water has penetrated the mortise and tenon join due flaked paint. Finding rotten sashes do not mean you have to replace your whole windows. If the frames and sill are in good condition, the sashes can be replaced and your window can be revived.

• Window sills which are generally manufactured with hardwood will have a longer life, despite catching the brunt of the weather. The window sill can often only have surface rot, which can be addressed by covering with lead flashing, thereby lasting for decades. However, if the window sill is truly rotten and you can push your finger through, it is a good sign that your window sill will need replacement. Generally, if the window sill is truly rotten, and the styles of the window frames are also badly rotten, it is a good indication you will need to replace the whole window.

• Painting if this is is not maintained regularly the paint will flake off and exposes the timber to the elements, and the timber will start to degrade and eventually rot. Especially if they are facing the ocean, southern storms or the western sun. However, because the timbers of cedar and hardwood are quite resistant to the weather, they and can be exposed for many many years. We do not paint.

Problems that can occur with newer 1970s-2000s style windows:

• Inferior Design and Materials Most newer double hung windows manufactured from the 1970s to the present day are spiral balance spring windows. They were made with inferior materials and design, (accept some from that era have been made with cedar frames and sashes which is a bonus). The windows made with maple and poor quality cedar are prone to rotting and warpage, especially if they have not been maintained. This is most prevalent with window sills that were made with softwood, getting wet rot. At some point there is no solution other than to replace them.

• Inferior Mechanisms Newer double hung windows have mechanisms of spiral balance or springs, and in some you can replace the spiral balances or springs. Unfortunately these newer mechanisms are vastly inferior to counterbalance windows.

So, in summary

If you have Traditional Heritage Windows that were made between 1890s to 1950, you have quality windows.  If they have been reasonably well maintained and are protected from the weather, you can successfully repair them. If your traditional windows have a rotten sash (a sash is the timber frame that moves that hold the glass) the sashes can be replaced and the windows can be repaired.  If the window sill has slight surface rot it can be lead flashed and repaired. If the windows have been very poorly maintained and have totally rotten stills and styles they will need to be replaced.

If you have Newer 1970s-2000s style windows that have been well maintained, the windows can be serviced and spiral balances can be replaced. However if the softwood sills and frames are rotten and warped the windows will need to be replaced.

Australian Cedar

Heritage Double Hung Box Frame Counterbalance Windows in Sydney have been crafted from Australian Cedar frames.

Here are some points of interest about Australian Cedar:

Before colonisation the native Australian Cedar was abundant and in huge stands, their preferred habitat was subtropical forests and river valleys.

This special timber the Indiginous People knew well. They used their trunks to carve tradition markings for directions as they were easily carved and the trees have great longevity.

From the moment of European colonisation in Sydney and surrounding areas, these trees were sought out as a resource, due to their easily workable softwood with great durability. They quickly became the go to timber to be used in household furnishings, doors trims, double hung sash window frames. The young trees were pink, the more mature and stronger timbers were dark red, to at times, almost black.

Often the logs were taken to the nearest waterway and floated to the mill. This required a huge amount of work and slowly but surely this became a major income for the millers. Very soon, it also became an out of control plunder during most of the 1800s. Before long, all the stands of cedar had been felled in the easily accessible areas around the Northern and Southern Sydney regions. Fellers then moved into Newcastle, and further afield in search of fresh cedar.

By the late 1800s most of the cedar stands and millable trees had vanished……gone…….

This Australian Red Cedar still remains today in homes containing Heritage Traditional Sash Windows, with some homes up to the early sixties.

The cedar timber cannot be surpassed for its strength, durability, longevity, and is soft and easily worked.

The frames and sashes, were crafted precisely and exquisitely. (Unlike today where the cedar windows are steamed to make the joints rigid which weakens the timber.)

The history of these windows and the tragic loss of these trees, is being neglected in our unrestored Heritage Sash Windows. We should cherish these windows and restore them; these Traditional Sash Windows are part of our history and should be treasured. Definately not tossed and wasted.

Draftseal / Draftproof Sash Windows

Do you have traditional double hung timber sash cord windows?

If so, they are well worth restoring. These windows were lovingly crafted with joinery hewn from all Australian timbers and built from the 1880s till the late 1960s. Classical icons of Heritage Victorian Federation Art Deco style homes are found in abundance from Sydney’s inner city, lower north shore, and inner west, eastern suburbs, south Sydney, northern beaches and beyond.

Unfortunately many have been neglected for years, but can brought back to life again with our skilled hands and knowledge of their working parts and joinery

Do you have sash windows that rattle and keep you awake at night, are they drafty and let in noise and dust from the busy street?

Did you know that if you added all the gaps and drafts in a traditional timber sash window it would be equivalent to a gaping hole in your wall the size of your hand? So you can imagine what this does to your energy bill in winter and air conditioning bill in summer.

Also a hole the size of your hand will let indust from the street and also plenty of noise. Draftproofing a sash window is the first port of call when it comes to sound reduction, without draft seal, installation of acoustic/ laminated glass is a fruitless exercise.

How does it work?

Sydney Sash Window Repairs are experts and use Quality UV resistant acoustic seals machined into new red cedar beadings. Rubber style end cap draft seal is machined to your top sash rail and bottom sash meeting rail. This is installed into the windows when we do your restoration and once completed this will eliminate rattles. When you shut you window it will be like shutting your fridge, totally sealing your window from the elements. It is highly effective and will last for decades.

Beware of cheaper pitfalls such as Handymen offering a similar idea and installing stick on style brush pile. It will peel off and foul your windows, and may not last one year.

Once your windows have been draft sealed correctly by specialists Sydney Sash Window Repairs, with our acoustic seals and end cap system, you will immediately feel the difference. No rattles, sound reduction and savings on your energy bills, not to mention how smoothly and quietly your windows will slide when operated.

Tthe best news is the cost. For us to to draft seal recondition your traditional double hung window is less than a quarter of the cost of a new window of similar quality. Or better still less than 1/3 of the cost of a new mass produced window of inferior joinery with inferior draft seal.

See our price guide for more information.

Common Questions and Answers

Question/ What should I look for when choosing a Window Repairs Company

Answer/ If you have traditional timber double hung, box frame sash windows and require repairs, this is a specialist job, and most builders and carpenters are not set up to do this work. Look for a specialist window repair company such as Sydney Sash Window Repairs. With many years of experience, we are a small company and have been in the business of specialist repairs for over 10 years, our employees have been with us for over 10 years.

Question/ What are the benefits (cons/pros) of hiring a professional window repair company vs yourself -DIY.

Answer/ Traditional sash windows were designed to be repaired, and require specialist tools, parts and knowledge. Most builders don’t carry out the repairs as they don’t have the expertise and even if they did, would have to spend a few days sourcing and collecting the parts such as replacement glass, beadings, profiles, extra weights, pulleys, ropes, spiral balances to complete the job correctly. For the DIY home owner, without the right parts and expertise you will find yourself frustrated and looking for advice, and will no doubt end up calling a professional such as Sydney Sash Window Repairs. We have developed good relationships with a large variety of responsible suppliers and we will have the job completed quickly and efficiently.

Question/ What should I keep in mind when choosing a professional window repairer.

Answer / Check their Google reviews as these are a window into the company, its ethics and practices. Sydney Sash Window Repairs has many five star reviews.

If you have home, strata or commercial window repairs look for a company that has many years of firsthand experience such as Sydney Sash Window Repairs. Look for good communication skills for your questions, and communication for scheduling, work practices, payment and finished product. Sydney Sash Window Repairs has extensive documents outlining the pricing and processes required.

Question/ When or why its time to repair or upgrade your windows - selling the property, middle of reno or just bought the property. (New vs Repair)

Answer/ When selling a property, having functional windows is important for prospective buyers to see. Nobody wants to buy a new property with all the windows painted shut. If you have just purchased a property with non-functioning windows, having them renovated professionally provides peace of mind, ventilation and family health and safety.