Double Glazing Grants Blog

Best window styles for 2020

If you’re looking to get your windows replaced in your property, you may be considering a shake-up of the style currently in place. The style of window you install in your property can have a profound effect on its appearance, and so you want to consider carefully what you pick.

The style you opt for may be chosen to complement the property’s aesthetic, or you may have the freedom to opt for personal taste. In order to aid this decision, here are a few styles to consider.

Casement

In older properties, the windowsill would be made from stone or brick, and the constituent parts of the window would have to be assembled. Casement windows are relatively compact in that they come mostly as one piece.

The traditional layout of a casement window is a windowpane with hinges down one side. You will see casement windows in most modern-builds, making them a seamless decision for any relatively new properties.

French casement

The principle of how French casement windows are created is pretty much exactly the same as casement windows; however, these have two hinges at either side which enable the windows to unlock down the middle and swing out.

The name derives from the fact that these windows have an almost cottage-like, continental appearance. While they may not be as rustic as a pair of shuttered, antiquated continental windows, they do come with more benefits, such as excellent insulation and soundproofing.

Tilt and turn

If you live in a block of flats or would like to add an extra element of safety to your larger windows, then tilt and turn is one of the best options for you. You may have experienced these before if you have ever lived in student halls (they are particularly popular in modernised communal buildings) or a modern block of flats.

The reason for this is that with one pull, they will open vertically from the top, creating a propped-open gap for air without being able to swing them out. This is the perfect safety feature and gives you the option of creating air circulation in your home without having to fully swing the window out. You do also have the option of opening the window out in full if you wish.

Classic

It is now possible to get more classically-designed windows in double glazed form, which is ideal for someone who wants to renovate their property and keep the original aesthetic. You can buy sliding sash and bay windows that are completely insulated and come complete with modern, uPVC frames.

Even though bow windows are more complex in a sense (they stick out from the property separately, bowing out from the wall without ground support), they can also come fully double glazed.

Whether you want to prioritise higher floor safety, modern aesthetic or classic features, you are more than likely to find a double glazing solution for your needs.

Casement windows are ideal for a property that needs simple sophistication, and tilt and turn could be ideal for a building with tall, narrow windows. Meanwhile, if you have an older property (Victorian or Georgian, for example), you are more than likely to find double glazed windows in a sympathetic style.

Do Double Glazing Grants Exist?

There are lots of reasons why double glazing is beneficial for your home. It can lower your energy bills, make your property more comfortable, and reduce noise levels. However, it can be costly, especially for those on a low income, so you may be wondering whether you’re eligible for a grant or other help to make these improvements.

Alternative grants

Window manufacturer handling the new windows

There are a few grants available through various charities and organisations, mostly aimed at those who are over 60, on benefits, or disabled. For many people, the first step is contacting Citizens Advice, as they can help you apply for schemes such as the Home Repair Assistance Grant, which has been created for small-scale projects. There are additional grants available, however, such as these below:

Help 2 Buy Windows Grant Scheme is one such scheme which was launched in February 2018. If you qualify with regards to their set criteria, Help to Buy Windows can assist you with funding your new windows. H2B windows assist those who are single-parent homeowners, those with critically ill or disabled children, anyone who is a full-time carer, or anyone who is employed/self-employed with an income under £10,000.
Care & Repair England is a charity that helps older people who need improvements to their home. Whether you own your home or rent it and are responsible for repairs, they may be able to help with grants.
If you’re a business owner and have a workspace that needs new double glazing, then Low Carbon Workspaces offers a small number of grants to businesses who are trying to cut their energy costs. If you’re an environmental-focused business or charity, then you have a better chance of getting one of these grants.

Financing your windows

New Double Glazed Windows yet to be installed

If you’re not able to pay for the cost of windows up front, then one option might be to look at financing. As with any loan, it’s essential to think about whether you can afford the repayments and to look at different options for borrowing money. A window company may willingly offer you a loan, but it may be a higher APR than you’d get from a standard loan agreement.

The Green Deal used to be run by the government but is now a private initiative that helps people make improvements to make their homes more energy-efficient. Although the scheme mostly applies to boilers and other improvements related to energy usage, some of the Green Deal providers may be able to offer loans for windows.

It’s worth getting quotes from a few different companies for your windows. Choose both large, national chains and smaller, local firms to see who offers the best deal. Two out of three consumers pay less than £4,000 for their double glazing, so it may work out cheaper than you think. If you can’t afford double glazing for your entire home, you could just choose to add double glazing to rooms you use the most, such as your bedroom and living room.

Look out for discounts and schemes

Some of the larger window installers offer scrappage schemes, which allow you to recycle your own windows and doors and save money, as well as being eco-friendly. You usually then get a discount on the cost of your new windows.

Many window retailers offer seemingly significant discounts, but be wary, as sometimes they’ll artificially inflate the prices, so the deal seems better. However, there are still good deals available. The summer months are often an excellent time to shop for windows, as people aren’t as worried about their energy bills, which means business will be slower.

If you need double glazing but can’t afford it because you’re on a low income, benefits, or a pension, then there are still options available. While there aren’t many grants available, there are options for low cost lending that can help you spread the cost.

Are there Double Glazing Grants Available?

Have you been struggling with a draft coming through your windows, or a lot of noise pollution entering your home? If you’ve been considering replacing your existing windows, then double glazing might be the best option to make the extra expense worth your time and money. Double glazing often comes with an expensive upfront cost, but it is a good investment to protect your home, and reduce your energy costs in the long run. If you’ve been considering double glazing, then here is everything you need to know about these types of windows, and how you can get some help with financing them.

What is double glazing?

Put simply, when a window is described as being single, double or triple glazed, it is referring to the number of glass panes which are placed within a window frame. Each pane is placed parallel to one another, with a small space between them which averages around a centimetre and a half in thickness. This gap is held in place by a spacer bar, and the gap between the panes is either engineered with dead air space installed or more commonly filled with an inert gas such as argon.

Why should you choose double glazing?

One of the most significant benefits of double glazing is that it can help to reduce your energy bills. Whereas a lot of heat is often lost through single pane windows, the space between double glazed windows provides much needed extra insulation, which stops as much heat getting out into the atmosphere. This will help keep your house cool in the summer, and warmer in the winter. As an added benefit, reducing the amount of heat loss in your home will also reduce your carbon footprint and the number of greenhouse emissions produced by your home.

Double glazed windows are a lot harder to break, and therefore a lot more secure than single glazing. Additionally, if you live in an area with a lot of street noise, then double glazing can help to reduce the amount of excess noise that enters your home. This is particularly effective when acoustic glass is used, which has sound resistant layers between each sheet of glass to weaken sound waves. There are many other benefits to double glazing depending on the type of glass you use, such as: increased fire-resistance; safety glass which doesn’t produce the same dangerous glass splinters of normal glass when it breaks; self cleaning glass to reduce the amount of effort needed to maintain the windows; and decorative glass for a more appealing aesthetic, and that can also reduce visibility through the windows from outside.

There are also other benefits of different types of window frame materials. uPVC is one of the most cost-effective materials used for double glazing, and it is also one of the sturdiest materials with very little maintenance required to keep them looking clean. This durable plastic is also heavily resistant to weather erosion, chemical erosion, and pests which can often invade other materials such as wood. However, uPVC is a much more modern-looking material which may not suit period houses, so you might prefer more traditional materials such as hardwood timber frames. Timber is a much more stylised material, but it is harder to customise than uPVC.

Can double glazing be customised?

Aside from choosing the type of material you would like for your window frames, and deciding on the kind of glass which best suits your needs and tastes, there are many other ways you can customise your windows. Double glazing companies are able to create a range of shapes and styles of windows to suit any home. Some of the most commonly chosen window types are bay windows, round windows, tilt and turn windows, reversible windows, cottage windows, sash windows and dual-turn windows.

Additionally, if you choose uPVC window frames, there are many different style choices you can make to change the look and design of your double glazing. While uPVC comes in white as standard, you can decide to have yours manufactured in a range of colours to suit your needs. Alternatively, there are different textural effects you can have applied to your windows, such as the texture of timber to make your window frames look more traditional.

What grants are available for double glazing?

While double glazing is a brilliant long term investment, it can be a struggle to finance the upfront costs. Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of double glazing grants aimed at helping homeowners with these costs, whereas there are quite a few for other energy-efficient measures such as wall and loft insulation. Up until 2015, there was a government-funded Green Deal Scheme which was designed to help people with the cost of double glazing and other types of energy-efficient home improvements, though the scheme had many restrictions. Since then, there have been no other government-funded schemes. Thankfully, however, there are some privately run schemes which are available for those who meet the qualifying criteria, such as the Help2Buy scheme. The availability of this grant depends on the current funding levels of the scheme, as well as whether you qualify. However, if you do qualify, you can expect to have the cost and installation of your windows covered completely.

Alternatively, if you do not meet the criteria for this scheme, there are other schemes available for home improvements, though these do not necessarily cover double glazing specifically. For example, Care and Repair England is a charity which aims to improve the homes of older people to increase the quality of their living conditions. Furthermore, the Home Repairs Assistance scheme helps those with extraordinary needs, such as disability or needs-specific vulnerability, by offering them a grant of up to £5000.

If you are not eligible for any of the schemes which are currently available, then you may wish to consider turning to other means of finance, such as a personal loan from a bank or building society, or try undergoing a crowdfunding scheme.