Would You Honestly Rip Out Your Original Sash Windows?

I have an interesting theory about how we have lost so many original sash windows. In my whole career, I have never removed an original sash and frame that was not totally beyond repair, although I have replaced sashes like for like because I am paid to do so. However, I never rip a window out without good reason, so where have all these windows gone?

Largely, I blame UPVC fans and the many companies that shot up in the 90s and around the year 2000. When I started working on windows twenty years ago, restoration firms were the minority. Now the balance is more even, and London looks all the better for it. Many homes have swapped ugly UPVC for original-style sashes.

People now push hard to cut the price of a home when it has no original or replica sashes. As a result, far more London homes have beautiful windows, and I am pleased about this. There are now around 100 companies repairing windows, against the 10 or so I used to compete with.

That increase comes from the public's awareness and from the rising number of windows being refurbished. I welcome the change, and I welcome the competition. Anyone established in the market should.

The number of UPVC windows in London is declining, while refurbishment is rising. A typical sash window refurbishment is good for ten to fifteen years. Even so, I could never make a dent on my own before the first windows needed refurbishing again. That is why I am happy to see more people repair rather than replace.

It is a great time for London property. Sympathetic restoration protects the character of our streets, so let us hope it continues.