North London
Sash windows in Archway.
Victorian housing on the slopes below Highgate Hill. I repair, restore and draught-proof timber sash windows throughout Archway, with 25+ years’ hands-on experience and the same honest, repair-first approach on every job.
The houses in Archway
Archway sits on the slopes between Holloway and Highgate, and its streets are solidly Victorian: terraces and semis built in the second half of the 19th century, with the Whitehall Park estate a particularly complete example. Box sash windows were standard, and the hillside position means some elevations are very exposed to the weather.
What usually goes wrong
Exposed west and south-facing windows on the hill are where rot in sills and bottom rails turns up first. Elsewhere the usual calls are cords, pulleys, sashes painted shut and worn beads. Houses near the A1 and Archway Road want relief from noise as much as from draughts, and draught-proofing gives both.
Planning and conservation
Whitehall Park is a conservation area within Islington and parts of Archway fall within the Highgate conservation area. Repairs, restoration and draught-proofing of existing windows need no consent. For replacement sashes on street elevations in those areas, check with the council first.
How I help in Archway
Whether it’s one sticking sash or a whole house of period windows, here’s what I can do.
Questions from Archway
Sash window questions in Archway
Usually repair. I cut out the rotten section, splice in seasoned timber, prime, fill and redecorate. It costs a fraction of a new window and is invisible once painted.
More answers on the FAQs page.