A well-kept house speaks volumes about your personality and becomes a place to find the ultimate solace for you. Well kept does not mean merely clean and tidy, but also maintained structurally and both indoors and outdoors. Adequately painted walls supported roofing, and well-kept windows all add to the beauty of your house. If you are a fan of Victorian architecture and interior, your home is most likely to have sash windows. Sash windows are vertically sliding windows that are made of two separate frames hanging over each other. Sash windows are a significant design element in old British architecture of the Victorian era. They add another level of reality to your house and look classy and sophisticated.
However, sash windows require a lot of regular pampering and restoration after a few years especially if you have wooden shutters. Timber based sash windows are highly prone to wear and tear since the window is exposed to the outside weather conditions and may come in contact with moisture. A weakened window means you are indoors are less protected from dust pests and cold or hot air from the outside, resulting in additional bills for you. This quick guide will help you keep your sash windows in check.
Daily Care
Even when your sash windows are new and have no visible wear and tear, it is highly recommended that you give them a regular treatment so that they last longer. Moisture is the main enemy of wooden sash windows so make sure that your windows are clean and dry. Wipe it dry and avoid using water during the cleaning process. A glass cleaner with a paper towel would be good enough to clean the glass while you can clean the wood with a dry cloth or a wood cleaning agent. If you see any minor rough area or scraping that requires are polish, a wood spray should help.
Other than the cleaning aspect, keep the pulley system in check. If you see a broken pulley or rope, get it fixed immediately.
See if You Need Permissions
After a few years, even the most well-kept sash windows age and require some structural restoration. You may or may not require special permits for this purpose remember on how much change are you aiming to bring to your structure. Usually, if you intend to retain more than half of your existing window frames, you do not need any permits. However, if you are planning a major restoration or replacement for your windows, you might be required to get a permit before starting the process.
Go for a Reputed Professional Window Restorer
No matter what the Inter tells you about DIYing the restoration process and no matter how tempted you feel to do it on your own, remember that restoring traditional sash windows are not your everyday home improvement project. It is highly recommended that you find a reputed service provider and seek professional maintenance for traditional sash windows who knows precisely what needs to be done and what protocols are required to be followed.