Reinstalling windows

Ever wondered what a bedroom looks like standing on one end? Well, I can help.

I've been strangely remiss about letting the world know the flat has stood empty for a week with large gaps in the walls where the windows used to be. Must have slipped my mind. Anyway, it's the end of an era. Out with the old, and in with the new. Newish. Actually exactly the same as the old. Reinstallation rather than an upgrade. We moved out, Ventrolla moved in. The original wooden frames (and I think they are original) have been taken out and rubbed down, the sashes repaired, the windows reputtied, and most important of all removable beading has been put in so that in future the windows can be taken out internally and cleaned.

I'm glad we went this way rather than the PVC double glazing, because (a) the original wooden frames have a certain elegance to them that deserved to be retained, and (b) it's a lot cheaper.

"Cheaper" being a relative term, you understand, but hey, who needs a savings account?

This has also meant the retirement of Old Faithful ...



... the sheet of laminated cardboard that has masqueraded as a window pane since December when the old one decided to snap in two all on its own.

The Boy's bedroom used to have just one window that opened - the bottom half, and it had to be wedged. When it was my room I used an old floppy drive casing for the purpose and the window had four settings: floppy drive lying flat, floppy drive lying on its edge, floppy drive standing on its end, or a large metal waste paper bin for really warm weather. In what is now our room, only the top half of one of the windows would open and it helped if you muttered a small prayer to keep Old Faithful's already dodgy predecessor in its frame.

But now all our windows open! Top and bottom! And they stay there! And so does the glass! It's unprecedented. And sound proofed, thanks to draught-proofing in the frames. Shut the windows and you can hardly tell you're on a main road.

Of course, we sleep with the windows open which completely loses the benefit, but come a busy day on the A415 in the depths of winter and we'll hardly notice.