Issue 40 winter 23 web - Flipbook - Page 30
Myth: secondary glazing isn’t suitable for Listed
buildings
Secondary glazing is accepted, in most instances, by
heritage bodies, such as Historic England, Society for the
Protection of Ancient Buildings, The Victorian Society,
The National Trust, Historic Scotland, The Georgian
Group, The Listed Property Owners Club and Cadw.
Myth: Secondary glazing is crudely designed and
finished
Say ‘secondary glazing’ and many people will think of
cheap frames with basic silver finishes. But while many
old hands from PBC Today may remember the original
1960s designs, more and more designers and manufacturers are offering quality innovative solutions with modern
finishes that are aesthetically pleasing and sympathetic to
the building design.
Because it is a fully reversible adaptation, it can be
removed and the building restored to the original
architect’s vision, with minimal making good.
Advances in materials, designs, manufacturing, fixing and
fitting mean that secondary glazing solutions can be more
discrete – or there is always the option of making a design
feature of it.
Of course, as with any work carried out on Listed and
heritage buildings, consultation with Conservation
Officers is essential - and Listed Building Consent needs
to be obtained.
“All of our units are aluminium, and we can offer a wide
variety of finishes, including any RAL colour, and a number of wood grain finishes. We do a lot of work using
bronze anodising and we can produce unique solutions
such as curved on plan windows.
Says Nic: “Sometimes, secondary glazing is the only way
of properly insulating a traditional or historic building. It
can help regenerate buildings like these, which would
otherwise become dilapidated or redundant, by raising the
performance of the windows to modern standards.
Of course, products and design are one thing; expertise
and precision are another. Craftmanship and application
are vital”, as Nic recognises. “The specific method and
approach of installation is every bit as important. Our
attention to detail makes us stand out from the crowd for instance, avoiding large gaps which require fillets and
silicone that can age poorly is true precision bespoke
installation.”
We are passionate about using our expertise to help
preserve the finest examples of our architectural heritage
- and can even bring them back to life.”
“We’ve spent over 55 years perfecting the art of quality
products and providing sympathetically designed glazing
solutions that offer significant heat and sound insulation.
So if anyone’s going to stand up for our industry, we think
it should be us.”
Myth: secondary glazing is a one-size-fits-all solution
“I’m not sure where this one has come from,” muses Nic,
“but it couldn’t be further from the truth. At Selectaglaze,
we offer a bespoke design and construction service, where
we recommend the most appropriate treatment for each
window opening and take detailed measurements to
ensure the tightest seal.”
And that’s the truth.
Below, secondary glazing has come a long way since the 1960s.
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Conservation & Heritage Journal
28