FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT TIMBER WINDOWS

Will your replacement timber windows increase the value of my home?

Fitting high quality timber windows and doors will almost certainly add value to your home. Timber has a look and feel that is superior to other materials - something that is always useful when valuing your property!

Not replacing windows and doors that are in a poor condition or are single-glazed, cold and draughty will detract from a property's appeal and many homeowners are aware that uPVC windows in the wrong setting can ruin the appearance of a property and negatively affect its value.

Are timber windows expensive?

Timber windows will generally cost more than uPVC. It has been estimated that a full set of timber doors and windows will cost roughly 5% of the sales value of the property. However when you consider the life expectancy of at least 35 years*, the fact that timber windows can easily be made to look as-new with a lick of paint, that they can be repaired if damaged and that they almost certainly add value to your property, they look like a very good investment.

* Building Research Establishment Green Guide

Do the windows and doors come ready-painted?

Yes, all of Blackthorn Timber Windows' products are factory spray-painted before assembly and glazing. This ensures that every part of the window, including the areas that you can't see, get a good covering of protective paint.

Is there a range of colour options?

We can supply windows and doors in any colour of your choice – whether to match a RAL number, a BS number or a branded paint such as Farrow and Ball.

How long will the paint last before I need to re-paint?

Water-based, micro-porous paints give a long service life and unlike oil-based paint they won't crack or flake to allow moisture to come into contact with the wood. The actual life of the factory-applied coating depends on many factors, including location (exposure to salt spray, excessive dirt or pollution etc), elevation (harsher conditions on average at higher altitudes) and orientation (exposure to the sun or prevailing weather). Every case is different therefore but solid colours should last for between 5 and 8 years before repainting whilst wood-stains should go for 3 to 5 years.

Is re-painting my windows and doors easy?

Very. Because the paint does not flake, there is no need to get back to bare wood. The coatings manufacturers advise a very light rub-down followed by another application of top-coat.

Can I have my windows unpainted so that I can paint them in-situ?

Blackthorn Timber Windows will only supply fully factory-finished products. This is because it is the only way to protect the unseen areas of the window such as the glass rebate and the outer frame. Any water coming into contact with bare wood can lead to problems weeks or months later. Therefore to avoid this, we only supply fully-painted windows.

How do your windows compare with those from my local joiner?

A good joiner should be able to produce a fine-looking set of windows and doors - on the day they are fitted. However time has a habit of sorting good windows from not-so-good. There are many developments and innovations that have been designed into Blackthorn Timber Windows' products that a small jobbing joiner would be simply unable to replicate. These include:

• working closely with hinge, lock and weather-seal manufacturers to optimise the performance of all of these elements
• continuous design improvements using the latest computer aided design software
• huge investment in rigorous weather and security testing to demonstrate long-term high performance standards
• factory-based vacuum preservative treatment process fully controlled by the manufacturer
• high-specification spray-painting facilities to ensure effective and even covering of all elements of the windows and doors.

Ultimately joiners cannot be expected to be window-specialists whereas our manufacturers only make windows and doors and are very good at it.

How long will my windows and doors last?

Blackthorn Timber windows and doors have a minimum life expectancy of 60 years, provided that they are properly maintained. This is a figure calculated by Imperial College, London, for high-quality timber windows manufactured to exacting standards of quality control.

In fact, there is no reason why they shouldn't last much longer than this. Many of our jobs are to replace old timber windows that have seen 100 years service and more.

Who will manage the installation?

Blackthorn Timber Windows manages the whole job from order to completion. We take a personal interest in the satisfaction of our customers and pride ourselves on staying close to every order whether in manufacture, during installation or after the job has been completed.

Our installers are highly experienced in fitting timber windows and doors and go to great lengths to minimise the disruption to the rest of the house when they are working.

Do you work in our area?

Blackthorn Timber Windows supplies and installs replacement windows and doors across an area spanning from North Derbyshire up to Edinburgh and across into Cumbria. We currently have two operating centres from which to service this region, based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Barnsley.

We may be able to provide an installation service beyond this region depending on the nature of the job. For supply-only contracts we cover the whole of the UK.

Where is your showroom?

Because of the large area that we cover, we would need to have multiple showrooms to cover the region adequately. Instead we prefer to visit our prospective customers first to establish their requirements, take along sample windows and photos of relevant installations. Following that we are happy to arrange either a factory visit or a visit to see a recent installation of similar products. We believe that this latter option gives new customers the very best opportunity to see the finished windows in their natural state and to talk to the homeowners about their experience of Blackthorn Timber Windows.

Can I keep my original handles?

Our windows and doors are made with high-security multi-point locking systems which can only be opened and closed by purpose-made handles. That doesn’t mean you have to have modern handles however – we can supply a wide range of handle designs to suit all tasted and styles of property.