Spot the difference

[Steve Maskery]

Ealier in the summer, my friend and neighbour Brian decided he wanted to put double-glazing in his house. I persuaded him that putting plastic windows into an attractive 1930s house was not a Good Idea. Most of our neighbours have done so, and IMHO they have destroyed an important part of the property's character.

So we decided to replace just the casements. We could squeeze a 50mm-thick casement in the frame, and by using a squashed ovolo cutter for the moulding on the inside, we could get a 4-12-4 sealed unit in place.

We started making windows, and then Brian got ill and the project lapsed. I'm delighted to say that he is more like his old self more and more each day, and recently we started to tackle the fitting of them. Of course, after 70 years, none of the frames are square any more, but there was surprisingly little fitting to do. Just one was a real PITA.

Anyway, can you spot the difference? The downstairs bay is the original 1937 window, whilst the upstairs is the original frame with new casements in.

PDG, eh? Warm and cosy and maintaining the character of the house. We've done 21, with just two more to go, now. I'm very pleased. Better still, so is he (and his senior manager).

 

[Paul Chapman]

Great job, Steve =D>

Cheers

Paul

 

[Adam]

Well done. Hope the final couple are easy going as well!

Adam

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Steve

They look excellent.

Cheers
Neil

 

[ProShop]

It's a pity more people aren't wanting to keep the character of these lovely old houses, everyone down our road has gone plastic mad.

Well done Steve,
Now you just have to convert the rest of the street... then the next..... and the ...................

 

[Steve Maskery]

Now you just have to convert the rest of the street...

Funny you should say that...
The neighbours opposite Brian said, "You are doing a good job there, do you fancy doing ours afterwards?"

If I thought they had any idea of the real economic cost of dong it this way I'd take them up on it. It's not making the sashes themselves that is the work, it's all the stuff that goes on around it (like measuring, ordering the glass, knocking a nail through a new DG unit (only once), painting, making a nice square sash fit a wonky old frame, etc, etc, etc.).

If they repeat the interest I'll perhaps pursue it.

I'm doing this with Brian because we are best mates, and a couple of years ago he helped me lay a patio. It was 3 weeks work and he never grumbled once, despite it being heavy work which many retired guys would pass up on. So this is payback, even though payback isn't really needed.

 

[engineer one]

nice work steve,
remember the old tale,
guy makes a chair, woman comes in and says hey that's a nice chair.
how much he thinks and say 500 quid. she says then i'll have a dozen, and he says 10 grand. after picking woman off floor she asks why and he
says one is fun a dozen a pita. :lol: :twisted:

paul :wink:

 

[houtslager]

Engineer said -

guy makes a chair, woman comes in and says hey that's a nice chair.
how much he thinks and say 500 quid. she says then i'll have a dozen, and he says 10 grand. after picking woman off floor she asks why and he
says one is fun a dozen a pita. Laughing Twisted Evil

8) :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[JFC]

Nice one Steve . How did you get on with draught proofing etc ? Or did you just make replacement sashes ? I thought you where making the frames aswell when we talked about it .

 

[Steve Maskery]

Thank you all.

Jason,
We have made just the sashes. and most of them are fixed. They fit well enough not to need draught-proofing!

I do have frames to make for another project - we plan to replace the patio door with French Windows next year.