Window design is perhaps the most intricate and varied feature of the traditional house. Rarely are two windows alike in detail, even on modest terraces, where subtle glass design differences can exist. It is this detailing, such as moulding and leaded lights, that provides the visual pleasure to be found in many traditional windows.

Viewed from inside the house, old windows are even more attractive, where this detail is seen to its best advantage. The materials used in traditional windows were usually of the highest quality, where mainly seasoned pine and various glass types were used to great effect, not only stained glass but also crown type mottled effect glass, unlike the plain and boring 'float' glass used today (to read further on this go to  links page)..

The real magnificence of many traditional windows is stained glass panels. This art form has enjoyed something of a revival in recent times. Original stained glass, particularly glass made in the Victorian era, was usually of high quality, from which time it was also enjoying a revival from medieval times, through artists such as William Morris.

Although still less appreciated, 1930's houses can contain very fine stain glass : See examples in the following link: http://www.stainedglassguild.co.uk/thi04.htm

'Steel windows cannot be replicated by aluminium, timber or plastic due to the fact that steel is a very strong material and hence the frame of the window can be a lot more slender than the alternatives, thus maximising daylight by incorporating greater areas of glazing.'

All Crittall Windows and Doors are hot-dip galvanised, delivering corrosion free windows and doors. The process involves the complete immersion of the frame into molten zinc for a long life of protection against corrosion.
All opening light windows and doors are weather stripped as standard preventing draughts and heat loss. Extract from http://www.angliafixing.co.uk/homelight.htm

The biggest threat to traditional windows is wholesale replacement, often by unsuitable plastic frames. A glance through any local newspaper will quickly show by just how much the plastic window industry has expanded. Advertisements leap out from almost every page, many showing quite crude windows. However, it does seem that certain plastic window manufacturers are making an effort to improve the general design of their products. But there are still too many quite nasty designs being offered. One of the biggest problems with plastic windows is their current inability to reproduce decent moulding, particularly on glazing bars. The stick on glazing bar totally fails to emulate the real thing, due to the absence of essential form that creates the all important shadow effect that real glazing bars give. The so called 'stained' plain glass offered with plastic windows, also fails in copying the look of the real thing, since most old glass always used some form of occluded or mottled coloured glass.

Recent figures published by Which magazine (October 1992) show that typical costs for complete window replacement can be more than £5000, giving a fuel saving payback period of 100 years! Fitting secondary glazing to existing windows however, would cost only about £300 with a payback of only 10 years. It does not therefore make financial sense to outlay so much capital, except where total window replacement is necessary (which is rarely the case, since rotting is usually a localised problem that is often repairable). Even when costs of repair and painting are taken into account, it is still considered cheaper to maintain original windows. Cost and benefit analysis carried out by English Heritage also support the above.

'it is sometimes said that wooden joinery requires more maintenance than aluminium or PVC. This prejudice has been superseded because of developments in finishing products and the growing understanding that there is no such thing as a material which does not need any maintenance'  (Engels N.V, leading supplier of timber and PVC windows) extract from Greenpeace document below.

New arguments against PVC has also been produced by Greenpeace in a document entitled Look Out this  provides further compelling environmental as well cost arguments against PVC. Further evidence against PVC can be found via www.greenbuildingstore.com, an excellent site well worth a visit.

And finally it is the case that DIY stores are now stocking special PVC paint to renovate PVC windows - Surely one of its biggest reasons for window use is that you do not need to paint it is  finally blown out of the water!!

Most of the windows displayed here, are where possible the counterparts to the doors, and are shown in similar sequence where possible.