Save Amsterdam’s historic sash windows

This may seem like a rather romantic ideal and not really practical, especially from the perspective of people living in Amsterdam’s historic houses. However, please bear with me.

Historic window frames are likely to have distorted to varying degrees over time due to movement in the structure of the building, which is clearly visible in many of Amsterdam’s historic buildings. This may add to the romantic nature of the city but makes living in historic houses with uninsulated sash windows often less so, unless you find cold feet romantic.

Even a small distortion of the frame can result in a sash window not running smoothly, not closing properly and an increased level of draft. English Heritage conducted a study into the thermal performance of typical single glazed historic sash windows (see link below); they found that over 60% of heat was lost through draft alone.

These problems often lead to the window being unnecessarily replaced.

There is an alternative:

Schuifraam Amsterdam offers a cost-effective draft proofing service, which at the same time ensures a smooth sliding, well closing sash window.

The draft proofing service we offer gives an appropriate level of insulation, in terms of warmth and also sound, and most importantly your historic windows are preserved.

The materials we use for draft proofing are of the highest quality and chosen for their suitability and durability.
Sprung bronze strips are central to the system and are always used on either side of the window frame, installed with copper nails at 3cm intervals; traditional bronze strips are very durable, provide a good seal and help the sash window glide smoothly.
Other materials used to insulate the top and bottom rail include silicone O-profiles and felt.