Heritage Windows – In name only?

Heritage Windows – In name only?

There is officially no definition for a heritage window; however there are many windows referred to and claimed to be, heritage windows. Historic England does however refer to traditional windows suitable for Heritage Assets. To be suitable for a Heritage Asset such as in a conservation area, the window would have to stand up to close scrutiny by the planning officer to ensure it is a good visual match in appearance to the timber original.  Consequentially, cutting corners would not be possible in this this situation.

However, with regards to new build projects which follow a more traditional design, or home owners with period style homes that have permitted development rights, no such scrutiny would be applied.  It is therefore all too easy to supply a window which, to all intents and purposes would appear traditional to the untrained eye.  The upside of this for the customer would appear to be the price but the value could be in question.

Besides looking slim, beautiful and stylish, what does a customer demand to receive in a truly traditional yet low maintenance sash window crafted by professionals?

·         Slim sightlines through both the upper and lower sashes to maximise the visible glass area

·         Equal panes in both sashes to create a balanced appearance consistent with original timber sash windows

·         “Putty line” glazing and staff bead outer frames

·         Neat chamfered matching astragal bars externally and ovolo internally to match originals

·         Foiled woodgrain finish

·         Continuous sash horns

·         Patented Timberweld wood effect ‘butt jointed’ corner construction

·         Bonded Georgian bars, precision cut inside and out for a three dimensional character with a patented clip system to permanently secure the bars in place

·         Deep bottom rail sympathetic to original designs

·         Integral mullion for multi-light windows to reduce sightlines from 153mm to 99mm and to match original timber detail

·         Deep 55mm cill an original timber feature

·         Elegant and stylish cam catches in a range of colours to match traditional design

On top of all the above, customers will also expect to have their windows come with an A rating for energy efficiency, a Secured by Design accreditation for security and a very rare BBA accreditation for longevity and performance, added benefits that are missing from most offerings.

Carol Slade, Managing Director for Masterframe says “We have seen an increase in demand for traditional sash windows with both homeowners and developers returning to a much loved style. It is important that we continue to deliver products that are as true to original as possible. We never cut corners and respect all the original features so that customers get the true benefit of fully enjoying a window design that has become an important part of our heritage.”

Read more about the features and benefits of award winning Masterframe windows here .