4 | DECEMBER 2020
News
Read online at www . proinstaller . co . uk
CAPITALISE ON SIX MILLION UK HOMES WITH ECOSLIDE SASH WINDOWS
Britain ’ s aging housing stock means many of our homes were built in sash windows ’ nineteenth-century heyday . That means there are huge opportunities for installers who can help homeowners return their properties to their former glory , argues Victorian Sliders Group Managing Director Andy Jones .
Did you know that nearly six million UK homes were built before 1919 ?
That was one of the key findings of the latest BRE report – a comprehensive study of the housing stock in England , Wales , Scotland and Northern Ireland . Of the UK ’ s 27,828,000 dwellings , 5,871,000 date from pre- 1919 – that ’ s 20.6 %, or just over a fifth , of the country ’ s homes . Most of those are unsurprisingly found in England , home to 84 % of the total UK population – of 23,272,000 English homes , 4,972,000 were built before 1919 .
But 19 % of Scottish homes , 10.5 % of Northern Irish homes , and 26.2 % of Welsh homes fall into the pre-1919 bracket too .
There are also 4,284,000 UK properties still occupied today that were built between 1919 and 1944 .
Sash is back
So what ’ s the significance of all this ?
It means that over a fifth of Britain ’ s homes are very likely to have been fitted with sash windows when they were first constructed .
They were designed to suit the timeless aesthetics of sash windows – and don ’ t look quite right when they ’ re fitted with anything else .
Of course , as those of us in fenestration know very well , thousands of original timber sash windows have been ripped out and replaced over the last
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given that Britain has committed to reducing its carbon emissions to net zero by 2050 , improving the energy efficiency of the country ’ s oldest properties will be a major priority in the years ahead
’ century – mostly with white PVCu casements that often clash horribly with the surrounding architecture .
But it seems that the people that own those nearly six million pre-1919 houses are now seeking to restore those original aesthetics .
Over the last ten years , interest in modern sash windows – that balance the classic looks with twenty-first-century performance – has soared , and at Victorian Sliders , our business has boomed .
With products like our own hugely popular ECOSlide window , installers can easily break into that highly lucrative market - showing homeowners how modern materials allow them to offer authentic aesthetics , along with easy maintenance and robust security .
Energy efficiency in the spotlight
However , the BRE ’ s findings are important for another reason , too . Their report proves that Britain has one of the oldest housing stocks in the world . That ’ s hugely significant , because the older a building is , the less energy-efficient it is – and given that Britain has committed to reducing its carbon emissions to net zero by 2050 , improving the energy efficiency of the country ’ s oldest properties will be a major priority in the years ahead .
Researchers from German technology company tado GmbH studied the thermal efficiency of 80,000 houses across Europe , and found that British ones lose heat up to three times faster than those in other European countries .
They measured the drop in temperature in homes from several European nations over five hours , when it was 20 ° C inside , and 0 ° C outside .
The British homes tested lost an average of 3 ° C , while German homes lost 1 ° C , and Norwegian homes lost just 0.9 ° C .
Speak to the experts
In the years to come , that means there ’ s going to be a huge market for products that can do two things – provide a convenient and cost effective way of bringing back classic sash window aesthetics to older homes , and offer exceptional thermal performance .
ECOSlide does both . It can be supplied with vintage features like run-through sash horns , and soon , a deep bottom rail – and it comes with A window energy ratings as standard , or A + rated with Argon gas .
In other words , it ’ s the perfect product to drive growth and sales in your business in the months and years ahead – and if you ’ d like to learn more , don ’ t hesitate to call Victorian Sliders on 01269 846200 today .
www . victoriansliders . co . uk