Hardwood windows in Bexhill-on-Sea

Where Building Regulations require background ventilation, we design it into the head of the frame at manufacture. That looks far better and performs far better than a vent drilled through a finished frame on site.

Regularly. Listed building consent turns on detail — sightlines, glazing bar sections, opening method and glass type. We survey the existing joinery, record the profiles and produce drawings you can submit. We will not quote a detail we know will not pass.

Far less than people expect. Wash the frames twice a year, inspect the finish annually, and expect to recoat exposed elevations every eight to ten years. Sheltered elevations often go considerably longer. Modern micro-porous coatings are a different product entirely from the gloss paints that gave timber its reputation.

It depends on the finish. For painted work, Idigbo and Accoya are excellent — stable, even-grained and superb paint substrates. For a stained or oiled finish where the grain is meant to show, European oak and Sapele are the usual choices. We will recommend a species at survey based on your finish and exposure.

Accoya is timber that has been acetylated — chemically modified so it no longer absorbs water. It barely moves, does not rot, and carries a 50-year above-ground warranty. It is the single best paint substrate available. For exposed elevations and coastal sites the premium usually pays for itself.