How to choose window and door styles

Winter is around the corner and your windows need replacing. You also want them to look attractive and in harmony with your home so chances are you are looking for good, professional advice.

Keep in mind the style/period of your house. People looking for a change in windows and doors often don’t realise manufacturing parameters or they may have a style in mind that would not suit the property. My advice is to have windows in keeping with the ones that were fitted when the house was built. There have been trends of styles over the last few decades and all too often you see houses that have been changed and the new windows don’t match the property. And don’t forget regulations such as fire escapes and ventilation which can also dictate designs.

Does it always follow that someone with an Edwardian town house should have Edwardian style sash windows fitted? Well, this kind of house would probably not look too good with ultra modern ‘tilt and turn’ style. So how about PVC-U vertical sliding sash windows to match the original timber ones? However these are a premium window and you might find that a casement one with a 50/50 transom - or other configuration to replicate existing - and mock sash horns, is a better financial option. As budget is another important factor, this may not cost as much as you fear as there are some good alternatives to suit different budgets.

You could also compliment the style of your home with windows and doors that bring in the feeling of fresh air and sunshine, whilst keeping out the cold.

A chat with a good supplier who knows his stuff is worth gold. Ask them to talk these factors through with you and recommend what is best, without taking away your opinion and choice. It’s well worth sourcing out someone who is experienced and knows what they are talking about, rather than just selling to you.

Winter, warmth, winter style, hey, here we come.

It’s a Salford Winner!

So the man in charge of the BBC relocation to the North has said that he will be moving to Salford. Yoo, hoo! Well, he was ridiculed a bit wasn’t he, when he comes from Burnley and was keeping his roots firmly down south in London town.

Well, Peter Salmon is moving, he has revealed, although he hasn’t made it clear...er...when. Still, never mind, the sentiment is there and it’s one up on the scoreboard for Salford.

Furthermore, he knocks all those old stereotypes about the North being a pretty run down, miserable place to live. So, good on you Peter, let’s give it to them straight: Salford has some of the best businesses around and it throbs with the stuff of life.

Now that’s not to knock London and the south or infer any kind of inverted snobbery. But Manchester has a lot on offer and it’s embedded in its genes, for heaven’s sake.
Look at the number of entertainers that hail from Manchester, the literary giants, good old Coronation Street. Wait a minute, wasn’t that around long before Eastenders? It has great people, affordable and some pretty stylish housing.

Hey, look at the fantastic trades people that keep it intact: the electricians, plumbers, bricklayers, bathroom and kitchen people and those that give homes a stunning exterior, installing upmarket windows and doors. Yes, it’s even sunny enough in Salford to have a conservatory!

Well, the list is endless – talking of sunny conservatories, I guess the tiling and furniture people come next...