Clearview National June 2017 - Issue 187 | Page 54

HERITAGE
Handling heritage
» » SELLING REPLACEMENT
windows for period properties
requires knowledge and
empathy, insists Mike Derham
of traditional window hardware
specialists Mighton Products
Buying and owning an older
property, and especially one
that is either protected or in
a conservation area, requires
commitment and actually, a
considerable amount of passion.
But in the UK what can and
cannot be done to change the
fabric of many heritage and period
buildings will be covered by quite
detailed legislation. You may own
the building but you will have to
work to some pretty tough rules if
you want to live there.
There are however tens of
thousands of period properties
that are bought and loved for
their aged character and style
but which are also not covered
as listed buildings or within a
conservation area. This means
that any works carried out are
at the discretion of the owner.
However, in my experience that
does not mean that they are any
less fussy and intent on choosing
the right products to maintain
the authenticity of their property
than those who live in protected
stock. Try and fob them off with
something that is not right and
you will be shown the door. And
quite right too: to successfully
market and sell to period
properties requires preparation,
knowledge and actually, empathy.
A shared love of heritage will go a
long way with the customer.
At Mighton Products
we have long specialised in
manufacturing and supplying
products specifically designed for
the heritage windows and doors
market, which inevitably means
timber. We also supply hardware
for PVCu casement and sliding
sash windows and very good it
is too, but we lead the market in
timber products. The purpose of
this article therefore is to provide
advice for successfully selling to
homeowners looking to replace
their windows with timber.
As with anything that is
worthwhile doing, preparation
is everything! Assuming that you
have already ascertained that
there is a significant number of
period properties in your area,
travel around and – discreetly
of course – photograph
properties and make a study
of the building types, periods
and style of construction. Visit
areas with a preponderance of
period buildings and note the
characteristics, learn if buildings
and areas are listed and what
54 » JUN 2017 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M
that actually implies. Also, are
buildings and areas subject to
conservation restrictions?
Inevitably many believe that
the best material for genuine
heritage buildings is timber.
It used to be that timber sash
windows were not as efficient as
their PVCu counterparts when
it came to elements such as draft
proofing and insulation,
but that is no longer
the case. Modern
versions not only
perform better than
ever before on every
level but have evolved
to do so without
interfering with the look or
the operation of the window.
Owners that demand timber
replacements may feel they have
to accept high maintenance
but these days, with the right
finishing treatment this need
not be an issue. Water based
alkaloid paints and modern
stains are readily available and
are highly effective in making
timber window maintenance a
much easier and far less recurrent
task – maybe every 15 years only.
Using wood/plastic composite
beading is also a great way to
guard against the upkeep of wood
windows. These are usually one
of the first parts of the window to
rot or show their age, but using a
wood composite version guards
against rotting and premature
replacement. These can be found
with 20-30 year guarantees and
are a low cost way of maintaining
a quality finish.
A crucial consideration is
the hardware, the cost of which
should always be relative to
the cost and quality of the
window. Some installers might
be tempted to present inferior or
inappropriate hardware but the
hardware tends to be the cheaper
part of any installation so why
do a disservice to an £800 to
£2000 window by installing poor
hardware?
Selling to the owners of period
properties can be most rewarding
due to the commitment and
passion they show. But they are
also the most knowledgeable
of prospects and entering such
a home without intensive
preparation will inevitably result
in a lost opportunity at best; and
perhaps abject humiliation at
worst… Get it right and their
friends and neighbours will also
beat a path to your door.