Birmingham homeowner Jack Griffiths is looking forward to lower electricity bills now he has had secondary glazing manufactured and supplied by Granada Glazing to improve his property’s thermal efficiency.

In March 2021 he moved into his two-bedroomed apartment in the Jewellery Quarter, one of six apartments in a Grade II listed converted factory. The spacious, light-filled dwelling retains many of its original features, including six large arched singled-glazed windows.

"The property is all-electric, and it was still quite cold when I moved in," said Jack. "When I received my first electricity bill, I realised how expensive it would be to heat and that's why I had secondary glazing installed on all of the front-facing windows to improve the insulation."

Due to the building's listed status, the period windows were retained to preserve the character and external appearance of the outward-facing elevations. For heritage and listed buildings with single glazed primary windows, installing secondary glazing is often the preferred option for creating a warmer, quieter and more secure environment with the original windows intact.

Aluminium frames with narrow sightlines are virtually invisible, maintaining a building’s charm and character while bringing the glazing system firmly into the 21st century.

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Granada Glazing supplied six arched lift units stacked on top of their horizontal sliding units. All were face fixed and powder coated in an Anthracite Grey finish to match the existing windows. Four windows were treated in the living/kitchen area and two in the guest bedroom.

Commenting on the difference secondary glazing has made, Jack continued: "It looks amazing! The team did such a good job and the bespoke units fit exactly to the huge arched windows. The colour match looks really impactful."

As for his heating bills, Jack thinks that the secondary glazing will make a 'pretty significant difference', and said: "As soon as I realised how much it was costing, I turned all the heating off. I'll really see the impact in autumn and winter, and how much better insulated my apartment is with the secondary glazing installed."

As well as improving insulation, secondary glazing also reduces external noise and Jack has already noticed the acoustic benefits: "In the guest bedroom, I could really notice the reduction in the noise from the road. It's not a busy road, but I could definitely tell as soon as the units were fitted.

"The secondary glazing is easy to operate. The units slide to one side for extra ventilation or can be removed for cleaning. In the summer, I removed a couple in the living room to let more air in and I could immediately hear the difference in sound from outside."

Thrilled with the result, he added: "I'm really delighted! I thought I’d be a bit stumped and not be able to do anything (due to the listed status), so the fact I’ve been able to have secondary glazing is great."

Suitable for all property types, Granada's slimline aluminium secondary glazing frames can be powder coated in over 200 RAL colours. Virtually invisible, they blend in with any interior décor. The Granada Glazing product range encompasses hinged, sliding, vertical sliders, including tilt back, and lift-out options. Full training and marketing support is available to installers across the UK.

For more information about adding the Granada Secondary Glazing range to your business, please call 01909 499899, visit www.gsecg.com or email [email protected].