Most people don’t come to us asking for a specification. They come with a photo.
Usually it’s a rear extension with tall dark frames and thin black bars across the glass. Sometimes it’s an old house where the windows look like they’ve always belonged there. Either way, the question is the same. Can we do that?
Yes. It’s our steel heritage range, and it’s one of the nicest looking things we make.
What steel heritage windows actually are
The look people recognise comes from the steel windows that went into British homes, schools and factories from the 1920s onwards. Slim frames, lots of glass, a grid of bars breaking up the panes. Often called Crittall style, after the best known maker of the originals.
Our steel heritage windows give you that appearance in aluminium. Same slim sightlines, same character, same effect on a facade. Different material behind it, and that difference is the whole point.
Why most people don’t end up buying genuine steel
Original steel windows are still made, and there are houses where they’re the right answer. But when people price them up and read into what living with them involves, most change direction. Three things usually do it.
They’re cold. Steel moves heat straight through the frame. That’s why original steel windows are known for streaming with condensation on winter mornings and for rooms that never quite hold their warmth. Modern aluminium windows are built with a thermal break, a strip of insulating material sandwiched between the inside and outside of the frame, which stops that heat path. Every window we make is A rated.
They rust. Steel corrodes. Original windows need stripping back and repainting, and once rust gets into a frame it’s a job. Aluminium doesn’t rust, and a powder coated finish stays looking how it looked on day one with nothing more than a wipe down.
They cost a lot. Genuine steel is a premium product with a price that reflects it. Our heritage windows land a long way below that, partly because they’re aluminium and partly because we make them ourselves in Nuneaton rather than buying them in.
What the aluminium version gets you
The look does the work here, so let’s start there. Aluminium is strong enough to hold a slim frame, which means more glass and less frame in the same opening. On a period property that keeps the proportions honest. On an extension it stops a big opening feeling heavy.
Then there’s everything the originals couldn’t offer. Modern double glazing. Multi point locking. Hardware that opens smoothly in January and still opens smoothly in July. A frame that doesn’t warp, swell or need painting.
You end up with a window that reads as old and behaves as new. That’s the appeal.
Where they work best
Period homes are the obvious one. Victorian and Edwardian properties, houses that have had ugly plastic frames dropped into them at some point, anywhere the original character has been sanded off and needs putting back.
They also work on the opposite end of the scale. Modern rear extensions, garden rooms, kitchen and dining spaces where a plain frame looks flat and you want something with a bit more presence. Industrial style interiors have made the black gridded window a design choice in its own right, and it sits well against brick, render and timber cladding alike.
If you’re somewhere with an unlisted house outside a conservation area, replacing windows is usually permitted development. If you’re in a conservation area, or the property is listed, check with your local planning authority first. We’re happy to talk it through, but the council has the final say.
Not sure between heritage and flush sash?
Both suit older properties. The difference is the character you’re after.
Steel heritage gives you slim frames and a gridded, industrial edge. Our aluminium flush sash windows sit flat within the frame for a cleaner, quieter, more traditional cottage look. Neither is more correct than the other. It depends on the house and what you want people to notice.
Worth seeing both in person before you decide, which is what the showroom is for.
Why buy them from us
We’re a family run business and we’ve been trading for over 25 years, with 37 years of combined experience between our directors. Everything we sell is manufactured at our own factory on Attleborough Fields in Nuneaton, and fitted by our own installers rather than subcontractors. Making them ourselves is why the price works.
Installations are Assure registered, we’re members of the Consumer Protection Association, and every job comes with a 10 year insurance backed guarantee. We’re rated 4.8 on Google across 139 reviews.
We cover Nuneaton, Coventry, Hinckley, Rugby, Lutterworth, Tamworth and the surrounding Midlands.
Have a look, then get a price
Come down to the showroom on Attleborough Fields Industrial Estate and see the frames up close. Photos never quite do the sightlines justice.
Or if you already know what you want, start your online quote or call us on 02476 350 330.
