Sash window repair in Beckenham and South East London
Sticking, rattling or draughty sash windows can usually be repaired rather than replaced. From our base in Beckenham, we take on sash window repair across South East London, from broken cords to rotten sills, and our own team repaints the windows afterwards.
- Broken cords, stuck sashes, rotten sills and rattles repaired
- Repair before replacement for historic windows, as Historic England advises
- Repainted afterwards by our own team
- The visit is free, and so is the written quote
- Planned work only: no emergency call-outs
4.9 out of 5
From 38 MyBuilder reviews
Get a quote for your sash window repair
Why owners of period windows call us
Repair first
Historic England advises that for historic windows, repair is a better option than replacement, and that repairs usually cost less.
Mended and repainted in one job
Once the sashes run freely, our own team repaints them, so the windows aren't left half-finished waiting for a decorator.
On record since 2007
Company number 06178781 at Companies House, listed on Checkatrade, verified on MyBuilder and covered for £5 million public liability.
Sash window faults we repair
A sash window usually has two sliding frames (the sashes). Each hangs on cords that run over pulleys to weights hidden in the box frame (the hollow timber casing around the window).
Strips of timber called beads, including the parting bead between the sashes, keep them in their tracks. The bottom rail is the lowest bar of each sash.
Broken or frayed sash cords
The sash drops or won't stay open. New cords go in and the weights are re-hung.
Sashes painted shut
Paint has bridged the gap between sash and frame. We free the sash and take the paint back; repainting it so it still slides is on our exterior painting page.
Rotten sills and bottom rails
Decayed wood is cut out and new timber joined in, or the sill is renewed if it's too far gone.
Rattles and draughts
Worn sashes and loose beads let the cold in. Re-fitted beads and draught-stripping (flexible seals fitted into the gaps) help.
Cracked glass and crumbling putty
The pane is replaced and the putty renewed.
Old paint on period windows can contain lead: see interior painting.
Repair or replace? What to weigh up
Historic England says complete replacement of historic windows should be a last resort, for example when they're beyond repair, and that the sashes of sash windows can usually be removed for repair without damage.
For a warmer room, it recommends repairs with draught-proofing, or secondary glazing (a separate inner window). With secondary glazing, it advises leaving the original window without draught-proofing, to prevent condensation and mould. Slim double-glazed units may also be possible in some historic buildings.
In some conservation areas, Bromley and Croydon councils ask owners to keep their original windows rather than fit uPVC, and to repair them (in Bromley, where practical): see painters and decorators in Bromley and painters and decorators in Croydon.
New glass or a new window: Building Regulations
According to GOV.UK, most repairs, replacements and maintenance work don't need building regulations approval, but glazing units (sealed double-glazed panes) are an exception.
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GOV.UK lists replacing windows among the work that might need approval. The Planning Portal calls an external window a “controlled fitting”: when one is replaced, the new window has to meet standards set by the Building Regulations.
An installer registered with a competent person scheme can fit the new window without involving building control; otherwise, building control can check the work.
Our builders page covers Building Regulations more widely.
In a listed house, the law requires listed building consent for works that would affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest, so ask the council before you replace a window or its glass.
How a sash window repair runs
- 01
Tell us about your windows
How many, which floor and what's wrong, with photos if you have them.
- 02
Each window checked at a free visit: sash, frame and sill, with the price sent in writing afterwards.
- 03
We book the work in on a date that suits you.
- 04
Repair, then paint
Once the windows work, our own team repaints them.
- 05
We finish and clear up
What a sash window repair is priced on
How many windows
one rattling sash or the whole house.
The timber
a sound frame needs less work than a rotten sill.
The parts
cords, weights, glass or putty.
The access
upper floors may need a tower or scaffold outside.
The finish
repainting inside, outside or both.
Request a callback
What customers say
4.9
out of 5 from 38 reviews on
“They were on time and did a fantastic job. I would most definitely come to them in the first instance for any other decorating jobs!”
“We’re really really impressed with the level of finish and found them to be extremely courteous and respectful. We’d highly recommend them and would definitely use them again next time we need some work doing.”
“Such high quality work, very impressed Helped sort a few other issues as well when they were there”
Where we repair sash windows
We're based in Beckenham and take on sash window restoration and timber window repairs within about 20 miles: Bromley, Penge, Chislehurst, Orpington, Croydon, Crystal Palace, Sydenham, Forest Hill, Catford, Lewisham, Dulwich, Blackheath, Greenwich, Eltham and Sidcup. Our home patch has its own page: Beckenham.
Questions about sash window repair
Call 020 8249 7303
Can a rotten sash window be repaired?
Usually, yes. Decayed timber in a sill or the bottom rail of a sash can be cut out and new wood joined in, so the rest of the window stays. We tell you after the visit if a part is too far gone.
Can one sash be replaced on its own?
Yes: if one sash is beyond repair, a new one can be made to fit the existing frame. Often, though, a damaged sash can be taken out and repaired instead; we tell you which after the visit.
Do I need permission to repair my sash windows?
Usually not. Most repairs don't need building regulations approval, except for glazing units (sealed double-glazed panes), and Historic England says repair will not usually need consent. Replacing the whole window might need building regulations approval.
Do you repair a broken pane in an emergency?
No. We plan every sash window repair after a visit and don't offer emergency or same-day call-outs. Until we come, keep everyone clear of the broken glass and close the opening off from inside if you can; then we quote for the pane and the sash.
How much does sash window repair cost?
It depends on how many windows need work and what each one needs. We visit free of charge and send a written quote.
Plaster, paint and bigger jobs around your windows
Cracked plaster around the window: plastering, repaired by our own team before we paint.
Every room or the whole outside: painters and decorators.
Windows as part of a bigger project: home renovations.
Keeping an older house in order: property maintenance.
Tell us about your sash windows
Send us a few photos and tell us what's wrong with your windows. We reply to every enquiry within one working day.