The plague of plastic windows in London seems to be more of a scourge on the beauty of once-proud manses of eras gone by. Anyone can see that cheap plastic windows do NOT fit in with the majestic, and occasionally creepy, gargoyles that flourish on the rooftops of many Victorian buildings.
Here is a short list of just a few reasons cheap plastic is making more of an appearance in London these days – along with some alternatives for mixing affordability with original quality:
Although it definitely helped their sales, double glazing manufacturing companies aren’t lying when they tell consumers that the new plastic product is much cheaper to install and replace when needed, especially when compared to the only other option, which is spending through the nose to fix the original antique wooden ones.
But the owners of landmark homes are taking the manufacturer’s advice, and opting to install the plastic – despite the other camps arguments that in the long run, it’s more cost-effective to repair the wooden ones. It seems many people these days, however, would rather put out pennies first, and worry about coming up with quarters later.
In addition, environmental committees are extolling the virtues of double glazing in stopping carbon emission leaks from inside heat that can get through openings between the frames and wall, and further pollute the air.
So from their end, historical landmark groups are suggesting some alternatives that are less expensive, and act just like double glazing in retaining what needs to be retained, and allow the owner to keep their wooden sash windows at the same time. The first suggestion is the use of draught stripping on the window frames to make a seal against air seepage. For those who will inevitably complain about the prices still being too high, there are also extremely cheap sealants like rubber and silicone that work quite well.
Another good way to seal and proof is to install shutters that completely cover the windows. If you can’t afford them, you can substitute some very heavy curtains to drape over the windows instead, and this does wonders in containing the heat to the house – as long as the windows remain completely closed. And still another workable choice is an actual secondary glaze – provided by a unit on the inside window – that performs like double glazing.
So while there are two different sides to the plague of plastic windows in London saga that continues on, and each side disagrees with the other – it’s most likely that the one point on which they do concur, is the importance of finding a solution that is low-cost, harmless to the environment, AND allows the beautiful Victorian buildings to keep their antique wooden sash windows.
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