Houses here carry fittings from several eras, and a lot of what we do is helping decide what is worth repairing and what should be replaced. Old steel and wooden windows are often better made than what would replace them, and old aluminium usually is not. Knowing which is which is most of the value of a visit.
Old steel windows, which are usually worth keeping
Steel windows from this period are heavier than anything made now, and the frame is frequently sound long after the window stops working.
What fails is the hinge, the stay and the putty holding the glass, and all three are replaceable without touching the frame.
De-rusting, new hinges, reputtying and repainting costs a fraction of replacement and keeps a section you cannot buy. We will say plainly when a frame has genuinely gone, but on these houses it usually has not.
When uPVC is the right upgrade
Where a window genuinely has to be replaced, uPVC suits these houses well: it seals better than the original, insulates better and needs no painting.
The trade is that uPVC frames are thicker, so on a small opening they eat into the glass area noticeably.
So we suggest uPVC for larger openings and on the noisy or weather-facing sides, and aluminium where the opening is small and the light matters more. We would not quote one material for a whole house.
Grilles that were welded on decades ago
Almost every ground floor here has fixed grilles, many welded directly to the window frame rather than to the masonry.
That means the window cannot be serviced or replaced without cutting the grille off, and the grille's weight distorts a frame never meant to carry it.
So when we replace a window in that situation we refit the grille to the wall on its own fixings, with an opening section on at least one window per room. It costs very little more and it makes every future repair an ordinary one.
How the job works
- Tell us about the jobSend a few photos, rough sizes and what you need. Use WhatsApp or the form. For a repair, a short video of the door moving helps a lot.
- We call you back in about 2 minutesWe confirm what you need and a time to visit. Where we can, we give you a rough price on the call.
- We come and measureWe measure the opening and check the walls, floor and ceiling around it. Anything made to size is made to these measurements, so they must be right.
- You get a written priceIt lists each item, with GST as its own line. If anything about the job changes, we tell you before we go ahead.
- We fit itYou approve the price and pay the advance. Our own team fits the work, checks that every door and window opens and closes properly, and clears up. Most jobs are done in 3 to 4 days.
