An Overview Of Woes And Solutions For The Plague Of Plastic Windows In London

| Thursday, April 26, 2012
By David Campbell


No one can deny that plastic windows in London are on the increase, they are showing up in place of the original antique wooden sash kind last century, do indeed, have a negative effect on the physical beauty of landmark homes. The situation is sad, it's true, but at least some of the blame can be placed on an unstable economy's effect on the wallet.

As in many other situations these days, the economy has its hand deep in this one, causing those who normally wouldn't choose value over quality to do so in this case. But in this summary, there are also some affordable suggestions offered that may possibly help some people in keeping their antique wooden sash windows where they belong, while still allowing them to remain within their budgets:

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.

Furthermore, environmentalists have jumped on board, claiming that the new double glazed windows help keep the heat in the house during the cold winter months, therefore preventing the escape and release of carbon emissions into the air - which adds even more pollution to the environment.

However, historical societies, who are lobbying for the return of antique wood sashes to the homes, have named several cost-effective alternatives for weather and emission proofing that work just like double glazing - and can be used in conjunction with the original frames. One way is to draught-strip the edges of the frames with brush stripping to create a seal. And for those who say that's too expensive - tubes of rubber or silicone are available at a very affordable price, and do the same thing.

Putting shutters over the windows, or even draping them with heavy curtains, works quite well as long as the owner remembers to keep the windows shut. And for those who insist on it, there's even a secondary glazing that is cost-effective, has the same benefits of the double glazing, and also works in harmony with the antique wooden frames.

So there you have a few pros and cons of the plague of plastic windows in London. However, no matter which side you ask, it's most likely both will agree that the struggling economy shouldn't prevent a common solution from being found - one that will allow the implementation of a cost-effective insulation fix for the home owner, that's also safe for the environment, and which ensures that the antique wooden sash windows can retain their rightful places on the house, where they belong.




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