At Barnet Window Company, we’ve been providing top-quality sash window installations throughout North London for over 35 years.
Sash windows, which first appeared in the 17th century, have remained a favourite for their functionality and enduring elegance.
For centuries, these windows have left a lasting mark on architectural design, with many buildings crafted to enhance the elegance and proportions of sash windows.
Whether you have a period home with original timber sash windows or a more contemporary property that incorporates the traditional sash window style, we offer a variety of options that can be customised to suit your specific requirements. Our sash windows combine classic design with modern standards for security and energy efficiency.
We’re here to support you in selecting the perfect bespoke sash windows for your North London home. Understanding that your home is one of your most valuable assets, we welcome you to focus on every detail—we believe that every aspect should meet your vision and expectations.
Our sash windows come in a wide variety of styles and shapes, making it easy to match your existing window designs. Whether you’re looking at our Bygone or Authentic ranges, we offer a range of Georgian bar designs and can even create more unique styles to suit your preferences.
While single sliding sash windows are the most commonly requested, we often design coupled or multi-light sash windows. Our slim mullions allow us to replicate the traditional size and proportion of sash window ‘boxes,’ making this easily achievable.
We also specialise in crafting windows with arched heads in various styles. A ‘true arch’ features a fully semi-circular top, while a shallow arch, also known as a ‘swept head,’ has a softer, more subtle curve.
In some cases, customers in North London request sash windows that are square on the interior but have a swept head on the exterior frame. This design is known as ‘The London sash,’ and we are proud to be the only timber alternative sash window company offering bespoke London Arch sashes, perfectly replicating original designs.
All our sash windows are designed to meet modern building regulations, but our primary focus is on creating windows that blend seamlessly into your home’s aesthetic, maintaining its period charm, character, and unique style.
While we specialise in supplying and installing new timber-alternative sash windows, we understand that you may want to explore the repair or restoration of your original sash windows.
Fixing and improving sash windows can be a precise and intricate project. Since the balance mechanism is built into the frame, fixing issues like snapped sash cords, broken glass, or decaying frames requires carefully dismantling the window. This also means the frame will need to be redecorated afterwards.
If you have original sash windows, there may be additional challenges. Many of these windows are traditionally single-glazed, so restoring them to modern standards may involve reconditioning the frames and possibly adding secondary glazing to improve insulation and prevent heat loss.
By opting for our timber-alternative sash windows, you’ll benefit from superior thermal insulation and enhanced security, as recommended by the police. Plus, you’ll avoid the ongoing maintenance and costs typically associated with repairing or replacing original wooden sash windows.
The cost of restoring sash windows can be quite different from replacing them due to the varying materials, labour, and time involved in each process. It really depends on what you’re comparing. Replacement sash windows, whether made from timber or alternative materials like timber-alternative UPVC, can differ greatly in terms of quality and traditional aesthetics, which also affects the price.
For new timber sash windows, prices can range significantly. Softwood windows, which are often seen as a more short-term solution, may start at around £1,000 each. On the higher end, top-quality hardwood sash windows can cost as much as £5,000 per window. Mid-range options, often using engineered softwoods like Accoya, typically fall around £3,000 per window.
In the timber-alternative market, there’s also a wide range of options. These sash windows can be customised to meet both your style and practical needs, as well as your budget. Prices for timber-alternative sash windows usually range from around £1,500 for simpler models to £2,500–£3,000 for premium options like the Bygone sash range.
If your home is located in one of North London’s many Conservation Areas, it’s important to consider this when planning your sash window project. In some cases, you may need to apply for planning permission, depending on the specific regulations of your area. This often hinges on whether your property is subject to an Article 4 Direction.
Most Conservation Areas in North London don’t have Article 4 Directions, meaning you can replace your traditional sash windows without needing planning permission, as long as the replacements match the original design.
With over 35 years of experience, we’re here to guide you through the process, whether planning permission is required or not. Our extensive knowledge of North London’s Conservation Areas ensures you’ll make the right choices. You can relax, knowing we’ll help you select the perfect product that complies with regulations while preserving your property’s character.
Barnet, Totteridge, Whetstone, Mill Hill, Muswell Hill, Crouch End, Finchley, Golders Green, Bounds Green, Wood Green, Winchmore Hill, Palmers Green, Hampstead, Enfield, Highgate, Archway, Finsbury Park, Kentish Town, Camden, Islington, Hornsey
When choosing windows for your period home, the decision can come down to two main options.
Investing in high-quality windows is crucial for enhancing your home’s charm, efficiency, and value.
Investing in high-quality windows is crucial for enhancing your home’s charm, efficiency, and value.
Here are answers to our most frequently asked questions
A vertical opening window associated with Victorian and Georgian architecture
The cost of a restoration can be very different from the cost of a replacement. This is because the materials, labour and time involved in each process is very different. But it really depends on what you are comparing. Replacement sash windows in timber or an alternative material like timber alternative UPVC can range hugely in their approach to quality and traditional looks, and the costs associated will also vary accordingly.
The cost of new replacement timber sash windows can vary massively, from softwood examples for a more short-term solution at around £1000 each, to top quality seasoned durable hardwoods at as much as £5000 per sash window. There are then mid-range products, often using engineered softwoods such as Accoya, which will likely be between those figures, typically around £3000 per window.
In the timber alternative market, there is again a large range, but it would usually be possible to specify a sash window to suit your aesthetic and practical requirements, as well as your budget. Timber alternative sash windows typically range in cost between around £1500 for a more simple product, up to around £2.5-3k per window for top quality premium products such as the Bygone sash range.
Painting timber sash windows can be done in the conventional way, but modern timber-alternative sash products can now be factory sprayed in hard wearing acrylic coatings.
Cleaning techniques for sash windows depend on the material. For timber-alternative and PVC-u products a non-abrasive alcohol based cleaner like isopropanol works great on the frames and the glass.
Sash windows slide up and down and are held open or closed by a mechanism. On original windows this was a pully and a lead weight, but on modern window this is often a spring, called a ‘balance’.
If you are fortunate enough to live in a listed building you must comply with English Heritage (EH) recommendations when making modifications to your home. EH “preserve” important structural elements from destruction, on behalf of the country, for future generations to come.
Local conservation officers, however, often apply the same draconian rules to unlisted properties that happen to be a in a conservation area. Authorities have a duty to “conserve” the general appearance in these areas, but they should be far less stringent.
We urge you to take your time, if you make a poor decision now, the odds are you will always notice it while you remain at your property. Worse still, it might cost you dearly should you feel the need to change the windows again!
In contrast, the best replacement sash windows will go unnoticed, blending seamlessly with the existing facade, being well balanced and correctly proportioned and harmonising with their surroundings.
It’s about so much more than just the material the window is made from!
Although the Bygone sash window is our most popular sash product we also offer other sash windows in our range.
Ask us about our Authentic sash windows, we can usually custom design a window spec to suit all tastes and budgets.
Call us on 020 8449 4747
Email: info@barnetwindowcompany.co.uk