WhatsApp has become our go-to tool for this; it’s easy, quick and almost ubiquitous. So, we thought why not allow the good folk of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and surrounding areas contact us via WhatsApp straight off the website!?

And why wouldn’t you want to chat with us. Colin’s quite the raconteur when he gets going!

The observant amongst you will notice our website now has a big green WhatsApp button on each page. No doubt you’ll have some questions about how to use it.

If you’re on a PC, Laptop or tablet, (you might want your mobile phone’s camera to hand to take photos of windows, doors, exterior joinery etc) click on the button and follow the 3 easy-peasy steps.

If you’re viewing the website on your phone, well that’s even easier-peasier. Head to the Contact Us page and just click the WhatsApp button. Like magic, you’re chatting with us.

You can of course still contact us via email or on the “dog and bone” in exactly the same way as before. If you email, just remember to include your phone number as it’s helpful to talk things over.

After removing the fixed sidelights, it also became clear the Mullion was also kept damp and had started to rot into the sill.

We began be replacing the tenons of the mullions and jams.

Next, we moved onto the side lights and doors themselves. After ensuring everything opened and closed correctly, we re-puttied were necessary before giving everything a coat of breathable primer.

An honorable mention goes to the owners of the property who kept us fueled with a fine selection of biscuits! For those who haven’t tried the traditional way of enjoying a TimTam, you don’t know what you’re missing!

To replace the sill requires 7 precise measurements to be taken in a very specific way. A new sill can then be made which will fit perfectly. We opted for Accoya acetylated pine for this sill, for its dimensional stability and supreme 50+ year rot resistance.

With the new sill in place, we check the sashes open and close perfectly.

We removed the sill from the previous repair which had been glued and screwed in place. The previous repair re-used the original oak sill but the frame behind had rotten to the point where it would no longer support the sill. The oak sill was still in great condition, so we tidied it up to re-fit later.

We traced the rotten timber up the frame to good timber so that we could form joints for the repairs that would be carried out in Accoya. Using most of the clamps we had, the glue up for this job was worth a photo.

While the glue set, we go to work on the sashes, repairing the bottom rails and stiles and re-glazing and puttying where needed.

We try to identify the root cause of rot to windows where possible. In this case, the home owner had already identified and fixed a leaking gutter joint and had also noted the wooden lintel above the window was allowing rain into the brick work. We finished the window repairs by forming an Accoya drip the would keep rain off the timber lintel and help direct driving rain away from the window beneath.

Also clearing away some of the render, it became clear that the original porch had been replaced at some point with one of a shallower pitch. As a result, the rafters met the wall below the timber ground which had provided a good fixing point for the top of the original rafters. The timber ground itself had rotten fairly badly so there was very little holding the porch back against the wall.

Rather than replace all of the rafters or move the timber ground down a course and risk disturbing the gallows brackets and soft red rubber bricks, we chose to fix sprockets to the top of the rafters and then fix those to a replacement timber ground. The ground was dovetailed and chemically anchored into the wall.

As the sprockets were fixed back to the ground, the whole porch started to pull back against the wall into position.

After replacing a few broken tiles with reclaimed ones, we re-rendered and pebble dashed the wall, ready for the decorators to finish their work.

As a result, the sill they shared and parts of the frame were rotten and needed repair.

Once the side light was de glazed, it was possible to see the full extent of the rot, which was quite severe.

One of the more challenging aspects of a job like this is finding ways to clamp the joinery together while the glue sets. It took a bit of creativity but we managed a very successful repair in Accoya with a new hardwood sill.

What appeared to be a typical repair soon revealed itself to be a comprehensive rebuild of the sash.

After a quick assessment, it was still better to go ahead with the repair. The home owner, a dedicated conservationist and enthusiast for Amersham Old Town’s architecture, was also keen to preserve as much of the window as possible.

It took a little while to get back to good wood, but once there we were able to create a good joining surface for the rot-proof Accoya replacement sill to joint to.

Benefits include; improved light and ventilation. Rot-proof wrought iron. Unbeatable security prevents people getting in (or out). Amazon drivers find it very convenient.

Our customer, Danny, had this to say; “I’m over to moon, it’s really made the most of the view. I’ve got everything I need in here. Kettle, toaster. It suits me down to the ground. Urrrmmm, when does someone bring me my porridge? “

Traditionally, this cladding detail, often associated with late Victorian and Arts and Crafts styles, would have been fitted before rendering. By cutting a chamfer onto the planks, the render effectively forms a dovetail with the cladding, helping stop cupping and fixing it in place

After carefully removing the cladding, we needed to tidy up the wall behind to ensure we had a good fixing medium and made the decorators job a little easier by giving the render a coat of white paint.

We could then fit the replacement cladding, ensuring a solid fixing using stainless screws.

For this job, we were also asked to replace the existing casement windows, which we did in pressure treated pine with hardwood sills.