Repairing Wooden Window Frames and Installing DG Units

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Hi we have a 1920s house and pretty much all the windows need either replacing or repairing. Looking for some advice on what best to do. We really want to save the existing windows if we can, but they will all need new sills as a bare minimum as they are totally rotten. We're staring down the barrel of £10k to replace with plastic units or silly money for replacement wooden units.

Assuming that they are salvageable, and that there is enough rebate in the existing frames, would it be possible to fit DG units or do you think that would be prohibitively expensive, due to the fact that they'd probably have to be made to measure?
 
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I have fitted many DG units to timber frames, and haven't found the cost of them prohibitive at all......however, replacing parts of the timber frame and / or filling only delays the inevitable in my opinion and I wouldn't go down that road again.
Upvc every time for me!
John :)
 
Done it myself . On my own house it was more a case of replacing full height windows with a smaller dg unit and a wall but I have repaired wooden windows prior to the installation of units for others. To be fair all double glazed units are made to measure so that cost isn't really an issue. You may find , however , that the rebates will need to be deepened and even after that the unit may need to be slimmer. Again that's not a problem just quote the thickness of unit you require and it will be made to that size using the suitable spacer bar. Only recently I ordered a unit with a 6mm spacer as I recall to fit into a wooden casement and also a couple of units for a plastic frame with a total thickness of only 20mm.
 
Dg units are actually very cheap considering the work that goes into them.

But I wouldn't recommend diy'ing them into old windows. Without the correct rebate/bead depths to protect the edge seals and without correct drainage and ventilation in the frame you will be lucky if the glass lasts 5 years (I have seen them break down in under 6 months when not done properly).
Slimline units also have a much shorter lifespan.

You could have new timber sash's and dummy sash's made to the correct specs but with repairing the windows too the cost is likely to be more than new PVC windows.
Personally I would go for PVC.
 
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Thanks for the replies, having a serious think now. The window style is crucial to the appeal of the house and we have a lot of respect for the original craftsmen who made these. Replacements in wood are about 15k, PVC about 10k.
 
What area are you in and how many windows are there? 10k is a hell of a lot for PVC windows unless its a mansion. Get quotes from local recommended company's rather than the nationals.
15k for timber is also quite cheap, I'm guessing quite a low quality timber? Good quality timber windows are usually 2.5+x the price of PVC.

If you want the best of both worlds look at these http://www.residence9.co.uk/?gclid=CJSx2peBj8sCFcyRGwodFaQDjA
 

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