Renovation & Draught Proofing
Hidden draught proofing and sash overhauls for Edinburgh period windows. We keep the traditional look, restore smooth sliding, and cut the cold air that makes rooms hard to heat.
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Why original sashes feel draughty
Most Edinburgh sash windows were built to work. Weights, pulleys and meeting rails still do the job when the timber is sound. What fails first is the seal: paint build-up, worn staff beads, slack cords and a meeting rail that no longer closes square. Those gaps dump heat into the street and pull cold air across the floor. Draught proofing treats the gaps, not the whole window as if it were scrap.
Hidden seals, original profiles
Our draught proofing system uses brush-pile and compression seals rebated into timber sections we machine in Canonmills. We do not clip plastic carriers onto the visible face. Staff beads and parting beads are remade to the original moulding so the window still reads as a period sash from the pavement. Once the sashes are refitted they slide on the original weight-and-pulley system, sit tight when closed, and cut air leakage by up to 90%.
What an overhaul includes
A typical visit covers easing painted-shut sashes, new cords, pulley checks, weight rebalancing, timber repairs at cills and bottom rails, hidden seals, and a paint finish that can flex with the timber. We tell you on survey if a sash is beyond this and would be cheaper to replace. Like-for-like repair is usually permitted maintenance on listed buildings. See our listed building notes if you have had a conservation letter.
Heat, noise and condensation
Stopping the leak at the meeting rail is often the fastest comfort gain in a tenement or villa. Rooms warm more evenly, curtains stop moving on a windy night, and condensation on single glass eases because the inner face is no longer washed with cold air. If you still need more thermal or acoustic performance without changing the outside, secondary glazing can sit on the room side after draught proofing.
When repair is not enough
If rot has taken more than about a third of a sash, or the case is distorted, we will say so. Replacement Sash & Case windows from our workshop keep the same proportions with A+ double glazing. We would rather restore original Victorian pine where it is dense and serviceable. The survey is free so you can compare both routes in writing before anyone lifts a sash.
Compare replacement Sash & Case windows and general repairs if the survey splits the elevation. Listed homes should also read listed buildings & conservation.
What We Offer
Draught proofing
Sash window draught proofing
Hidden seals, listed buildings, and how long an overhaul takes.
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Accredited By
- CITB
- Construction Skills Certification Scheme
- Peninsula
- Great Reserve
- Repair Care
- Resource Efficient Scotland Pledge
- SEPA
- Zero Waste Scotland
