One of the great challenges with windows in older buildings is that in a single window you can find yourself working with a broad range of materials; prepared wood for the window frames, structural timber, glass, brick, mortars, plasters, insulation, leadwork, tiles, paint and putty. You often get to see how a building has been adapted over its life.
This repair was to a very rotten window in a building which was originally timber framed. The frame had later been faced with brick which was a common late Victorian practice. Later on, the brick had been rendered and decorative wooden planks fitted to give the impression of the original timber frame. Closer inspection showed that what appeared to be the head of the window frame was in fact the top plate of the timber frame and was integral to the structure of the building. Replacing the window wasn’t going to be as simple as removing the rotten window and fitting a new one.
It was necessary to joint the Accoya stiles of the new window into the existing top plate and then fit a new sill in the same acetylated wood, effectively building the replacement window in-situ. It was then possible to repair the faux timber beams and re-render the outside before finally re-glazing the window.
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