If you live in an older property or in a conservation area, you might be under the assumption that modern windows made from uPVC won’t be right for your home. You couldn’t be further from the truth. You can easily get the look of heritage windows with modern double glazing.
Heritage windows vs. modern windows
Modern uPVC windows have been designed to perfectly emulate the appearance of traditional windows through their design, appearance and finish.
Sometimes installing authentic timber windows in a home just isn’t right: they may not match the needs of your household. This is because timber windows require a lot of maintenance in order to be kept working well. Needing regular cleaning, sanding and coats of paint to be kept weatherproof, timber windows can take up a lot of time and energy: time and energy that many homeowners may not have. This makes the case for modern uPVC windows all the more attractive.
Modern uPVC windows provide all the aesthetic, energy efficiency and security benefits of timber windows, without the hassle of needing sustained maintenance. uPVC windows just need a simple clean with a cloth, as and when they get dirty. That’s all!
With this in mind, the argument for installing uPVC windows in a traditional home is very convincing.
Here are some of the ways that you can make your new modern double glazing look like heritage windows.
1. Choose a sash window style
The sash window is arguably one of the most ‘traditional’ types of window design, used widely across a range of heritage style homes. For many, the clean lines, vertical sliding opening mechanism and simple aesthetic of a sash window is what they associate with a traditional style home.
Sash windows can now be manufactured from uPVC with incredibly convincing aesthetics. Often homeowners even have trouble telling the difference between the two! If you want to make your modern double glazing look like a heritage window, choosing a uPVC sash window can significantly help. It can also reduce the amount of maintenance time you’d otherwise have to spend looking after a real timber window. At Falcon, we offer a variety of uPVC sash windows for you to choose from.
2. Add astragal bars
Astragal bars are simply the narrow strips of wood you find on older windows that divide the glazing into different panels. On older sash windows these were originally used because 18th-century technology made it difficult (and costly) to manufacture large panes of glass. Hence, astragal bars were used in sash windows to allow smaller panes of glass to be fitted in the sash. This helped to improve the overall light benefits of the window as well as reducing costs.
Nowadays, astragal bars are one of the features that we instantly recognise as those of heritage windows. Modern double glazing can be easily fitted with astragal bars so that you can make your windows have the look of being much older than they actually are. If you want to improve the heritage charm of your window, adding astragal bars is a wise decision to make.
3. Choose leaded windows
Like astragal bars, leaded windows have their origin hundreds of years ago when it was expensive and challenging to create large panes of glass for use in windows. As a result, many smaller panes of glass would be used, held together by lead strips. This created the timeless, traditional look of the leaded window that we know and love today.
The look of leaded windows can be easily achieved with modern double glazing. Falcon can incorporate leaded strips into your glazing so that you can add a traditional charm to your new window without detracting from its appearance and performance.
4. Add a timber effect finish
Timber effect finishes are one of the best developments of recent years when it comes to replicating the look and feel of heritage windows made from wood with uPVC windows. As the name suggests, timber effect finishes emulate the colour and texture of a specific species of timber. They match the unique grain of the particular timber so that the overall window looks and feels like it’s made of timber. It’s now often incredibly difficult to tell a timber window from a uPVC window thanks to the development of this amazing form of finish.
Ways to make your uPVC windows look like heritage windows
Of course, many homeowners are put off from installing modern double glazing in a traditional home because they think that it won’t look right. That’s not the case though. uPVC windows can be easily customised so that they seamlessly match the aesthetic of even the most demanding of period style homes.
At Falcon, we specialise in adapting each modern window so that it seamlessly matches the heritage aesthetic of the property it is being installed in. Find out more about our uPVC double glazing and how we can help you get the heritage look, by calling us on 01656 646 047 or contact us online.
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