Should I replace my windows with UPVC

If your house is a period property, upvc windows may reduce the value. Have you considered white soft wood.
As regards mess and upheaval, it is surprisingly mess and fuss free, we didn't need to redecorate or repaint when ours were replaced.
I know what you mean about dark wood frames, we made the same mistake and I really dislike them.

Why can't you have the wood treated and then have the dark
wooden frames painted white?

You can get dark brown upvc windows

Dark brown pvc windows.
There was a long thread on MN from a woman who couldn’t sell her house. To a man/woman everyone agreed it was the brown pvc that would put them off.

Replacing windows is usually done quickly and is quite straightforward. I would just do it if you can afford to and aren't in a Conservation area.

You can get an epoxy resin to use on rotten wood
This is something you and your husband could do and then paint.

You don’t have to have the same colour inside as outside if you have UPVC windows, so they can be mahogany or oak effect outside and white inside,
Mine need replacing too, so I’ve done a bit of checking up. I think a composite front door is the way I’m going to go, as they don’t warp but look nicer than UPVC.
It’s really offputting to buyers if windows and doors need replacing, so I would get them done.

We’re replacing, slowly, old doubled glazed windows, there’s been no mess at all.

I had most of mine replaced - and don't like the UPVC. It's impossible to repair any frame damage (unlike wood) and they need adjusting for winter/summer as they shrink in the cold and expand in heat.

The conservatory (very old) windows are dark wood on the inside (giving a better view of the garden) but I painted them with white ranch paint outside.

If your house is a listed property you will need consent from planning authority to change the windows, and they often insist on wooden - indeed single glazed - windows. If your house is in a conservation area you also need consent to change the external appearance.

If none of these considerations apply I would seriously think about double glazed PVC windows. Good insulation and no painting.

We have aluminium replacement double glazed windows, black on the outside and white inside. Its more expensive than upvc but is slimmer than upvc and allows more natural light indoors. Looks very nice.

Hetty58

I had most of mine replaced - and don't like the UPVC. It's impossible to repair any frame damage (unlike wood) and they need adjusting for winter/summer as they shrink in the cold and expand in heat.

The conservatory (very old) windows are dark wood on the inside (giving a better view of the garden) but I painted them with white ranch paint outside.

You can have your UPVC windows at standard setting so you don’t have to do anything Hetty58? If you do want to maximise their effectiveness you don’t need a handyman to set them to winter mode or summer mode, you just open the window and locate the screw on the side mechanism where the handle is and set it with an Allen key, it’s really easy and only takes seconds. I take your point about not being able to repair them easily if the frame is damaged, but that’s quite unlikely. I’ve got mainly double glazed wooden windows at the moment, and I’ve found the UPVC ones far better from a maintenance perspective.

MerylStreep

Dark brown pvc windows.
There was a long thread on MN from a woman who couldn’t sell her house. To a man/woman everyone agreed it was the brown pvc that would put them off.

They were fashionable once but no longer. An otherwise perfectly nice house nearby took forever to sell, even after price reductions. The dark brown windows were so off putting. No guesses as to the first change the buyers made. It would have sold for much more, and much more quickly, without those windows.

Maybe70, it doesn’t sound as though you’re in love with your house these days. If it represents a lot of problems and worry for you, and as you’re considering downsizing, it might be a good idea to sell it (as is). Depending on the age, period and style of the house, some people would rather buy a house with its original character intact, to work on themselves as they wish. Aesthetically a lot of people would be put off by plastic replacement windows.

The latest fashion is grey UPVC, I’ve seen quite a few of those around me being done lately, they look nice, but will probably also date.

MerylStreep

You can get an epoxy resin to use on rotten wood
This is something you and your husband could do and then paint.

Some of them have been repaired. When the glass replacement chap came out he wouldn’t replace the glass because ants had eaten some of the wood ( it was a large window with a glass door next to it). But my decorator repaired it for me. There are so many windows and it would look awful if some of them were white and some brown. They’re stained not painted so quite easy to maintain. But I also have a problem with the putty inside which goes mouldy every winter. It’s one of those horrible 1970’s houses with huge windows. My partner and I don’t live together so it’s pretty much my problem. I think I’m going to ask my kids for advice especially as the reason why I’m pondering on what to do is because I’m thinking of the future. The house needs rewiring as well! Then there’s the problem of the pigeons poo’ing all over the windows. I wonder if pigeon poo damages UPVC? I wouldn’t buy a house with brown windows!

It does sound as if the house is a real headache and you need to consider moving somewhere easier to maintain and less expensive to heat. Replacing windows before you do that may not be money well spent. I would suggest consulting a local estate agent.

I’ve got a friend who’s an estate agent and he’s just retired so I’m going to ask him for advice.

Our house in France, where we are now, has had pvc windows for 15 years now and we have had absolutely n problems with them at all. All are still as good as new. This is DD's experience as well - and she has had pvc windows for nearly 20 years.

I think you must be unfortunate Hetty.

maybee Cut your losses, sell as is and keep the money to get your next home fitted out to your taste.

If you are keen to move I'd look to do that and get 3 estimates from estate agents.
Ask each one what their thoughts are about the windows as the state of them will almost certainly come up in surveys.

I have to say, I loathe upvc windows. If we had spare cash I'd have ours out in a trice even though our wooden ones take more maintenance.

We had pvc windows installed in our house in France, a friend who visited regularly was horrified. When he and his family visited, he said it was only when he went to open the French doors he remembered because otherwise the windows looked completely unchanged. Identical glazing patterns and window rofiles as the windows they replaced.

I certainly wouldn't put plastic windows in our 555 year old house or the very stylised late 19th century house we had before. The main problem is that most people exercise no sense of style or appropriateness when putting pvc windows in and do the most dreadful things to houses. About 10 years ago a developer built a row of large terrace house in a style that distinctly reflected the older houses around the site. The pvc windows had a glazing pattern and sashes that fitted the design, and again the area.

I went down this road last week and one of the owners had removed all the windows the house came with and replaced them with frames with just one huge piece of glass that seemd to swivel on central(horizontal) pivots. It looks abolutely awful and devalues the whole terrace.

MayBee70

I’ve got a friend who’s an estate agent and he’s just retired so I’m going to ask him for advice.

Totally agree - and if you're thinking of downsizing, it may be better to sell it as it is

I’m not planning on moving. I just want to get everything in place for the future in case I do develop any health problems etc. I think it was because I was staying at a house that had just been renovated and was all pristine and lovely and my own house was getting to me. I’m feeling a bit more in control today.