Listed Homes
At Firths we have been involved with work on listed buildings for many years and when the company was first started in 1935 we were actually manufacturing windows in the style of traditional sashes and cottage windows, although the buildings we fitted them to were not at that time listed buildings.
This tradition has continued and we now find ourselves making sliding sash windows with single glazing and Victorian or Georgian bars to meet the stipulations of the local council planning departments and the Historical and Conservation officers.
Cottage style windows are also very popular and these are typically flush and supplied with butt hinges and traditional furniture again with single or multiple glazing bars, we also have a stepped flush frame which allows us to use Stainless friction sliding hinges and Espagnolette locking mechanisms.
Double glazing was not initially permitted on listed buildings but is now becoming much more common as Planning Officers allow its use to both reduce energy losses and help protect old buildings, condensation in the winter months is a particular problem not just for the window frames but also the reveals and internal sills which become damp and this encourages decay.
Various types of glazing is available and goes from simple 4mm single glazing, to an 11mmm wide slim light double glazing which when fitted looks like single glazing to 24mm (4/16/4) Available with Low “E” (1.7 u value) to Planitherm or Optitherm (1.1 u value) . Various fillings such as Argon is used to achieve these low u values. Crown glass which mimics the old style uneven finish is available on both single and double glazing options.
All our products are bespoke and we will mimic the exact style required to replace your windows and doors, a bevelled glazing bead is typically used to mimic the old glazing method of putty and we can offer square, chamfered, bevelled and Ovolo mouldings to both frames and openers.
Window furniture comes in a range of both traditional and modern styles to suit each individual application and also various finishes, there is often much more freedom on the choice of handles and stays as your local Authority and mainly interested in the finished style of the frames and rebated depth from the front brick or stonework.
There is a vast range of colours available again to match the existing finish and Sikkens our supplier of Micro porous finishes which protects the timber but allows it to breath can match up to any BS or RAL colour code.
With regard to the types of timber used we typically offer Joinery grade Redwood, Saplele which is a durable hardwood and European Oak but there is also a full range of oyher types available for specific applications. A popular choice on painted frames is Redwood with a Hardwood sill as this tends to take the worst of the weather.
