Planning & building
Replacing Windows in an Old Kashmiri House, Room by Room
In short
Old windows can be replaced one room at a time while you live in the house. The fabricator measures every existing opening, makes each frame to its own size, removes the old frame and fits and seals the new one on the same day for that room. Arched and uneven openings can be handled; feasibility is confirmed on site.
Many of the houses we work on are older family homes: brick or stone, with wooden windows that were made well thirty or forty years ago and have been fighting the winters ever since. Replacing them is one of the best things you can do for comfort. Here is how it works.
1. Survey every opening
We come to the house and measure each opening: width and height at several points, the depth of the wall, the sill and the condition of the brick or stone around it. Older openings are rarely square, and two windows that look the same are often different sizes.
This is also when we agree what goes where: casements in the bedrooms, perhaps a top-hung window in the bathroom, French doors where there used to be a wooden door.
2. Make every frame to its own opening
Each frame is fabricated to the size of its own opening in our plant. We label every frame with its room so the fitting goes smoothly.
3. Out with the old, in with the new, one room at a time
On fitting day we work room by room:
- Protect the floor and furniture.
- Remove the old frame carefully to limit damage to the wall.
- Set the new frame, pack it level and plumb, and fix it to the wall.
- Seal the gap between frame and wall.
- Check every sash opens, closes and locks.
The room is closed up again before we move on, so you are never left with an open hole in the wall overnight.
Arches, balconies and heritage fronts
Kashmiri houses often have arched openings and carved wooden balconies. We can fit a door or window in the rectangular part of an arched opening and fill the arch with a shaped fixed light, or bend frames to the arch where that is feasible. Woodgrain finishes keep the look close to timber.
What it changes
Most people notice the difference the first cold night: the room holds its heat, the curtains stop moving in the draught, and there is much less water on the glass in the morning.
See more: new builds and renovations gallery and uPVC vs aluminium vs wood.
Questions people ask
Can I stay in the house while windows are replaced?
Yes. We work room by room, so each room has its new window fitted and sealed before we leave it.
My old openings are not square. Is that a problem?
No. Older openings are often uneven. We measure each one carefully and make every frame to fit its own opening.
Can you keep the arch on an old brick front?
Usually, yes. A new door or window can fit the rectangular part of the opening with a shaped fixed light to fill the arch, subject to an on-site check.
