Every external glazing solution combines a glazing product and a window. With the latter, you’re generally looking at a choice of wood, aluminium or plastic.
It’s fairly obvious when a window needs replacing – if there’s water ingress or a draft, chances are it’s failing. With wooden windows, we usually recommend leaving no more than five to seven years between decorating programmes. If you decorate or touch up your windows every five years, you’ll probably never have to change them.
The problem is that people don’t, with the risk that they’ll start rotting. If your school is in a conservation area or housed in a listed building, you may need to look into repairing or replacing the timbers, rather than going with a cheaper plastic replacement.
Aluminium lasts longer than wood, is more robust than plastic and can lend a building a more ‘commercial look’, but is more expensive. In most schools, the windows don’t tend be opened and shut all that regularly, and will often barely be touched, making the issue of durability less important. Something that more schools are starting to do is look beyond standard white finishes when it comes to installing plastic windows, opting instead to have them sprayed in custom colours.
The tell-tale sign of a double glazing unit needing to be replaced is visible condensation. That occurs when the seal on a unit has broken down, letting in moisture that causes condensation to form as the temperature changes. That means the unit is no longer providing the thermal properties it’s been designed for, but it’s simple to change a double glazed unit if the windows are sound – just make sure the right glass is used in the right places. Windows facing out onto playgrounds should have laminate or toughened glass.
Procurement
If you want to compare prices between suppliers, you need like-for-like quotes. It’s best to approach established contractors who are used to doing work for the commercial sector, as you’ll get a more professional service and the order will be designed to the right specification.
Something to watch for when obtaining quotes are exclusions. Many contractors will exclude the removal of obstructing cabling, decorating works and attending to awkwardly-placed heating pipes. It might seem at first like you’ve agreed a great deal, but if it turns out there are issues that the window fitters haven’t allowed for, you may need to hire a plumber, electrician and/or decorator and watch your quote jump from £10k to £15k.
Make sure that whichever contractor you go for, you check their terns and conditions. Sit down with the contractor before the work starts and plan how the job is going to be completed in terms of logistics. The contractor should carry out a full visual inspection both internally and externally. Forewarned is forearmed – the more information you have, less likely you are to encounter problems.
Someone who comes to you recommended is even better. Schools talk to each other, and if they’ve recently had windows replaced, may well be able to recommend a reliable contractor. The primary objective for any school will be to provide the best possible environment for their students and staff. If the school is drafty or looks shabby, that’s not ideal. We’ve found that schools that are warm and look good will have overall better attendance and outcomes because of their learning environment.
Steve Waller is the managing director of Waller Associates; for more information, follow @BuildingOnTrust.
