Restoring sash windows

Hi,
Sorry I can’t help with company listings for Dublin, I’m sure others can – there’s certainly many of them around nowadays.

But do hold onto the glass – so often people go to all the expense and effort to get the sashes restored, or replaced if necessary, all with the best intentions, but then get new glass put into the sashes.
The original glass is half the charm of original windows; they literally lose their soul with flawless mirrors of modern glass inserted in the originals’ place.

As for the rotting bottom rail – that’s probably the most common feature of deterioration with sash windows, and is usually not indicative of widespread rot. Normally the bottom rail is simply taken out and a new timber spliced into place.
And if the years of paint have caused a problem with causing the windows to stick, they’ve probably saved you from another by protecting the wood beneath!

Hope it goes well for you 🙂

Ventrolla specialises in this work

There is a great Sash Window company called WJ Bolger Conservation in Ardee St. Dublin 8. These guys make and restore all the old Sash windows. info@wjbolger.ie

Here it is: http://www.irish-architecture.com/cgi-bin/igs/register/search/register.cgi

@Woodman wrote:

There is a great Sash Window company called WJ Bolger Conservation in Ardee St. Dublin 8. These guys make and restore all the old Sash windows. info@wjbolger.ie

My understanding is that almost 100% of Bolgers work is now tear out the old windows and make new ones to suit.

@Pot Noodle wrote:

Bolgers are Ventrolla

I’ll give you a quote pm me

I’m well aware of who Bolgers/Ventrolla are and having seen some of their work I have to say as a seasoned craftsman/ window restorer I’m not impressed.

I even understand they now use plastic parting beads, I would have thought the bigwigs in Bolgers should know that plastic expands at a far greater rate than wood and will cause it to split.

If your quote for getting the windows draught-proofed using wooden parting beads and wooden staff beads (matched to the originals), using the best of fittings, re-balanced, and a totally smooth operation is more than €800 then thanks but no thanks.

I’ll just have to keep on doing it for my customers like I always do.

@Pot Noodle wrote:

Eh Hello seasoned window restorer we use a wooden parting bead with a neoprene draught excluder so it does’nt crack if overpainted and in my 28 yrs of doing this i don’t take kindly to your innuendos

I note you have not compared prices nor have denied that restoration is not what Bolgers do anymore.

I had a good look at the website and note they talk a lot about conservation but isn’t conservation is where you keep the old ones in place not throw them out onto a skip or whatever.

Restoration is where you repair the damaged ones and get them back to a sparkling state, this is what I do and very well too:D

I’ve always thought that grants should be available for restoration not for ripping out perfectly good windows and replacing them with sashes that any joinery could make, Bolgers or otherwise.

I also note that you have not understood what I was talking about when I spoke about using plastic parting beads, What I meant was when it expands it splits the side of the frame.

@Pot Noodle wrote:

I’ll give you a quote pm me

Its getting harder and harder to make ends meet isn’t it….

@Pot Noodle wrote:

€ 800 a window are you having a laugh

Remove the sashes from the frame,
Remove old pulleys,
Strip the paint from the frame,
Install new pulleys.
Remove excess paint from the sashes,
make a groove in the top of the bottom sash to allow a pile carrier to be installed for draught proofing.
weight the top sash then install it.
cut and install parting beads with no draught brushes showing.
Weigh the bottom sash then install.
Cut staff beads to length.
Attach ring pulls, lifters and fasteners

Small window €800 on average
Big windows €900 on average

larger orders are less.

completely recondition 4 – 6 sash windows a day ? doubt it. Anyone thats had a go themselves knows it can take an age … what do you charge at that rate? 200 a go ? ye can come down & give mine a good going over in that case 😀

@Pot Noodle wrote:

Thats robbery i could do about 4/6 a day

LOL

@Peter Fitz wrote:

completely recondition 4 – 6 sash windows a day ? doubt it. Anyone thats had a go themselves knows it can take an age … what do you charge at that rate? 200 a go ? ye can come down & give mine a good going over in that case 😀

I have done several restoration projects over the years and I have never heard of any man doing 4/6 windows in 1 day,

Pot Noodle, you still haven’t compared prices nor have answered to whether or not Bolgers/Ventrolla do restoration and repair of old sash windows or not.

Since Pot Noodle isn’t keen to answer my question maybe I should make a new thread entitled

Do Bolgers/Ventrolla restore sashes anymore? If so, what does it cost?