ONLINE DEBATE HAS VENTROLLA SOUTH EAST SEEING GREEN
09 December 2009
The contentious issue of what to do with a draughty period window came to the fore again this month when a Guardian columnist shared his frustrating experiences of trying to develop a listed property.
The local council refused to permit the installation of double glazing due to the building’s listed status, prompting a heated debate on the newspaper’s website.
While opinion was divided as to the merit of listing historic buildings, most contributors believed that period windows were poor performers when it came to energy retention.
Jim Neale, Director of Ventrolla South East, the nationwide sash window renovation and performance upgrade specialists, felt compelled to write an open letter to the Guardian to dispel a few myths about single glazed timber sash windows.
He wrote: “There seems to be a misconception about how beneficial sealed units are in this country.
“The benefits of any insulation come down to temperature differential and ‘U’ value improvement. If there is a large area of glass, as in modern buildings or conservatories, or the climate is very cold then it will obviously make a significant difference. But this is rarely the case with existing windows in the UK.
Many sealed units are argon filled to improve their thermal performance but the seals normally go after 20 years and they mist up, often requiring replacement. To produce a sheet of glass requires a lot of energy and I suspect that in a lot of cases, the energy used for its manufacture will be greater than it achieves through insulation.
The major problem with most windows, especially sash, is that they are draughty. By properly draught proofing an existing window you get most of the thermal benefits of a new double glazed window without changing the appearance or character of a property. It also requires far less energy to refurbish an existing window than it takes to replace it with a double glazed one.”
To renovate or replace is an ongoing argument in the world of property development, particularly when faced with damaged or poorly performing period windows.
The fact of the matter is that significant performance gain can be obtained through effective renovation and use of a special treatment in the gap between the window sashes and the frame, such as the unique Ventrolla Perimeter Sealing System.
Besides better energy retention, a properly draught proofed window will reduce dust ingress and can also reduce noise, but has no detrimental impact on the building’s appearance.
Ripping out the old windows and fitting new double glazed uPVC units may seem like the “green” option but, as Jim Neale points out, a considerable amount of energy is required to produce those units in the first place. Worse still, when they come to the end of their useful life the waste material is often disposed of in a landfill site.
If developers and homeowners really want to “think green” and reduce their energy bills then renovation is a definite option to consider, particularly because it won’t detract from the character and charm of the building itself.
Read the article on The Guardian Online.
Discover more about the Ventrolla Service, call free phone 0800 0277 454 or email us at info@ventrolla.co.uk.
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