The Sliding Sash Window, or Double Hung Window as its called in America, is showing a massive upsurge in popularity.
It’s an fantastically successful design. A 100 or 200 year lifespan is proven. Compared to around 20 years for uPVC windows, the timber sliding sash window is a winner.
In these days of energy conservation the traditional Double Hung Sliding Sash is unsuitable as a replacement window. Unfortunately the tradition design is unsuitable for fitting the double glazing units that regulations stipulate.
Many companies now manufacture alternative designs, some good, some in my opinion, very bad. It’s obviously a highly profitable market, with strong demand and high margins.
A couple of years ago, I embarked on project to build my own double glazed sliding sash windows. No suitable plans where available so (as a trained designer) I set about researching the subject in great detail.
An understanding of historical window designs to inform 21st century developments
I’ve analysed the construction details of the Box Sliding Sash. (Available soon.) This has allowed me to fully understand the tried and tested construction. It highlights where, in the light of modern developments, the design can be evolved. I’ll be publishing construction details and plans for an evolved, traditional sash window shortly.
The final part of project will be available as a set of plans, details and explanations for a 21st century fully evolved sliding sash windows. Combining technology with craftsmanship, these windows can be built in a shed with a minimal investment in tooling.
Any comments or thoughts or INTEREST ? Please give me you feedback below.
A Friend from Ireland has spent about 700 hr’s of hard labour to win a £20 bet from me. He had to build his fantasy wooden bike before I finished my trike.
An amazing amount of fantastic craftmanship and inginuity has gone in to the build. The result is stunning.
You’ve seen it here first. Expect to see it featured elsewhere very soon!
A proud but insane man
If only the engine was running, I’d have handed over the winnings.
Making a Door isn’t the average DIY job but with the right woodworking tools and the right information its not too difficult. I’ve made my own timber front door and recorded how I’ve done it.
Have a look to see if it’s something you fancy tackling. I’ve included all the design and dimensions for making the door. Written and videoed the processes for a step by step, how to make a door guide.
Follow these plans for victorian style door and the ‘how to make a door guide’ to end up with a door like this.
If it’s been a lack a available traditional style door plans that has put you off in the past, my appologies, now you have no excuse not to make you own door.
A new year and fresh resolve to get some jobs finished. I’ve bought the timber for making my sliding sash windows and got pressed in to another job.
Whilst I was getting a big order for timber together, the wife asked me about the front door I said I was going to make. So I added a few extra length to order and now I’ve got another job on the list.
Never mind, I’ll enjoy it when I’ve started. The trouble is starting, I’ve spent hours trying to get my head around Sketchup and only managed a visual representation.
Sketchup of Front Door
After spending ages creating this I literally went back to the drawing board. Within half an hour I had got all the proportions right and all the dimensions for the timber sections. Paper and pencil, a fantastic combination.
I detailed my search for a mortgage a few months back. At the time I applied for NatWest mortgage.
NatWest ended up refusing me. Not sure what the real reason was as they gave me conflicting answers when I asked. I think it just boiled down to them not wanting to lend.
Next I tried the Bank of China mortgage option. This would have been good, it was only after I had applied that they told me they don’t do interest only. So another dead end.
After another few hours searching I found that the Post Office mortgage offering looked attractive. The information on their website is quite exceptional. All the criteria is laid out so you can asses your chances before applying. The Post office mortgages are arranged through Bank of Ireland, another source I had investigated. The only problem was an exclusion for re-mortgaging within 12 months of purchase.
The 12 months are now up so I’ll need to do another search to see if the market has opened up with any better deals. If I can’t find a better deal then I’ll be going with the Post Office.
* Extreme DIY Warning * This is project not for the faint of heart.
I have already built one sliding sash window as a working prototype. It’s been installed now for for over a year and I’m happy with the basic design. For more details of the prototype build please visit my Sliding Sash Blog.
The next step is to have a bit of re-think on some of the details and make five more for the rest of the house. At the same time I’ll be recording, photographing and possibly videoing how to make them.
The intention is to provide the resource I was looking for when I started out on designing and building sliding sash windows a couple of years ago. I would have been quite happy to buy the plans at the time but could find any. Details are available of traditional single glazed windows but double glazing means quite a re-think.
The cost of purchasing modern sliding sash windows from a manufacturer or skilled joiner is way out of my budget. I’m also not convinced that all the design details they incorporate are appropriate. It seems to be a booming market at the moment and I think there are some poor designs being manufactured and sold for a lot of money. I want design that will work for many years, that looks right and doesn’t cost the earth.
This leaves me with the only alternative to design and make my own sash windows.
I have spent hours and hours researching and testing various ideas to come up with a near perfect design. I’m hoping it’s going to be worth it. For a start instead of paying around £1000+ per window I should be able to build my own for less than £300 each. On Six windows thats saving me more than £4200. Certainly more than enough to pay for the extra woodworking tools I’ve had to buy.
On top of this I intend to sell the plans as a e-book to those who appreciate the effort I’ve put in and fancy benefiting from the time I’ve spent.
When I’ve finished this batch I will have the plans, construction details and methods completed. These will be formatted as a step by step guide to building your own Double Glazed Sliding Sash Windows.
I’ll also but some articles together that covers the subject of sliding sash windows, double glazing in timber and the rational behind the design that I’ve put together.
Well to start with I need to pull my finger out. So far I’ve only place 1 advert – NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
I’ve been accepted for others but not done anything about it yet. It’s time I had a serious think about the best way to proceed. There are a few options.
1. Place the adverts carefully and leave them to it.
2. Design and write content to deliberately and shamelessly promote the advertisers.
3. Review various products, services giving an honest warts and all account of my experience.
Number 2 is not for me and not the impression I want folks to get from iDoStuff. When I’m surfing for info I come across these kind of sites and immediately click off.
If I’m writing about something its going to be about my experience or based on my in depth research. I do have standards you know!
That leaves 1 and 3. So suppliers and products I know, I’ll write about. If I mention others it will in the context of, “These might be worth a look at”.
To help me keep focused, I’ve set a target. To get £10 a week in Adwords revenue.
This doesn’t seem like much but if I achieve this it’ll add up to £520 in a year. It’s also an incremental target, an additional £10 per month. Adding up to £3376 per year. Subsequent years this effort will add up to – £6240 for very little additional input.
I feel it should be a realistic target although I’m sure it’s not going to easy. I need traffic and I need good clicks. To achieve this I’ve got to put effort and time in to three areas.
1. Traffic for AdWords revenue – I need good quality content and links to it from good relevant sites. With quality content, not selling anything in particular, sites and forums tend to be willing to carry links. It’s very involving and time consuming on forums but informative. I keep getting ideas for content from the questions folks ask.
To get sites interested it a bit hit and miss so far – More work to do on this side.
I also need to look into the world of feeds and ways of encouraging links to be passed on.
2. Content for AdWords revenue – More writing but making sure it will attract good high paying ads. These adwords need to be relevant to subject and the readers. Before I go in to any subject in depth I’ll be looking in to what adverts and interest potential there is.
3. Format for AdWords revenue – Although I’ve done some work on this I’m sure I could do better. I might be overloading the pages at the moment. It’s hard to tell with the traffic I’ve got but as the traffic builds I’ll be able to see which placements and styles work best.
At moment half way through January 2010 I’m averaging £6.22 . I’ll see how I do.
After writing about using a wood-burning stove and looking at how much gas we are saving , I realised some simple steps were needed to stop some of the heat loss from our house.
Draughty door
I’ve draught proofed our problem front door. I had tried in the past without much success due to a wonky door, frame and floor. After putting my mind to it, I came up with an easy and cheap way of draught proofing.
It might not be for everyone, some simple wood work is required along with access to a router.
