Look at this before upgrading windows on your properties

[Geezah]

At last, what you need to make an informed decision!

I've done some digging after I received some eye watering quotes for replacing my perfectly serviceable Victorian sash windows with replacement double glazed sashes. Made even more eyewatering if I included Low E glass. I've found this: Results of testing by boffins at Glasgow Caledonian University on the efficacy of various ways to reduce heat loss through windows. It is an absolute eye opener. It proves that cheap secondary double glazing is more effective than ridiculously priced double glazing.

For about £3k, I can secondary double glaze the whole of my 4 bed Victorian villa as opposed to £25K for low e Victorian sashes with worse performance! Frankly I am gobsmacked by their findings.

It never did sit easy with me that in order to save money, I had to waste money by ripping out pefectly serviceable 150 year old windows to replace them with ones which would never last that long, with a stupidly ridiculous payback time.

http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/gcu-technical-_thermal-efficiency-traditional-windows.pdf

This is the information you need when deciding if its worth spending daft amounts of money on double glazing, I know which route I'll be taking.

[Richlist]

An interesting article, although the math was a little difficult for me.

I would just say that for me there is often more to double glazing than just installation cost vs efficiency vs fuel savings. There is the small matter of how it looks and I don't think all secondary glazing installations look particularly good. It often looks like a cheap alternative......which of course it generally is.

As for shutters (insulated or not).......very few people are going to bother closing and opening them on a daily or even a regular basis.....and again, in addition to the practicality there's the aesthetics to consider.

Not sure I agee entirely with some of the conclusions:-

"Measurements of the U-value of a traditional sash and casement window
showed that there was no significant difference before and after draught
proofing of the window.".....that seems unlikely.