Styles of windows common in London
If you live in London and are looking to get your windows re-fitted, then you should always consider double or triple glazed. While the cold smog winters of yore are gone, London still suffers from noise pollution and of course, those cold snaps through December to February. When you’re renovating a property in such an affluent area, you want to ensure that it retains its value.
Sash windows
Sash windows can be found in older, Victorian, Georgian and Edwardian properties. As a result, they can be found in the South West of London, where there is an abundance of properties from these eras.
They slide up and down vertically with two separate sashes that overlap when open. You may flinch at the idea of replacing a sash window with an expensive replica, but know that this is not necessarily the case.
You can now buy modern, double-glazed sash windows, with a uPVC frame. They still use mechanisms to slide the pane up and down with ease but are far more effective at keeping the cold air outside.
Casement windows
London has properties from every era imaginable, but you can almost guarantee that newer properties will have casement windows installed.
These are the basic design of a frame with panes attached with a hinge. The could either have two panes that swing out or a single pane. You can get casement windows in a variety of styles, so even an older build could potentially host these.
Tilt and turn
The biggest fear for many people living in London is having their home broken into. This is why many people, particularly on first-floor flats, feel nervous at the thought of leaving their window wide open despite wanting a draught to travel through.
However, a tilt and turn window provides a happy compromise. Instead of swinging it out (which is still an option) you can prop it open vertically.
By manoeuvring the handle differently you can then easily swing it out if you want to, but the option to keep it open at just a crack is handy for city-dwellers.
Bay and bow windows
As with sash windows, bay and bow windows are incredibly ubiquitous in areas that are densely populated with Victorian homes.
They are perfect in city houses as they add an extra dimension of space. Confusingly, you can have a sash bay or bow window: this refers to the way they open. There is a difference between bay and bow windows, however.
Bay windows are built upon a structure that sits outside of the main building. Bow windows, on the other hand, pop out from the building, with no structure beneath them.
You would be hard-pressed to find a style of window that didn’t exist in London, but one thing is for sure: double or triple-glazed is always preferable.
When you have noise pollution and homes that could sell for potentially hundreds of thousands, the windows must be modern and efficient.