Window frame replacement in Heemstede
Municipality of Heemstede. What matters here structurally, and what that means for material, glass and permits.
Heemstede is a municipality in its own right with its own design policy document (welstandsnota). You notice that the moment you want to change anything about a window frame on the street side. Along the Herenweg lies the country estate zone, designated as a protected village area (beschermd dorpsgezicht), where the municipality also assesses work that would be exempt from a permit elsewhere.
Most houses around the Binnenweg, the Raadhuisstraat and the Camplaan date from 1900 to 1940. They are recognisable by timber frames with a horizontal transom bar (kalf), a fanlight divided by glazing bars (roeden) and a profile width of 55 to 70 mm. That width decides whether insulating glass can go in without the window starting to look different. The Indische wijk and the Componistenwijk have the same types, usually with slightly wider openings.
Along the Heemsteedse Dreef and the Glipperweg stand post-war houses where the balance is completely different: uPVC on the street side is normally allowed there and price is often what decides.
Have your situation assessed
Calling, sending a photo or filling in the form come to the same thing. With a photo of the current situation it is clear in advance whether this is a repair or a replacement.
What matters in Heemstede
- Protected village area (beschermd dorpsgezicht) in the estate zone along the Herenweg
- Pre-war profiles of 55 to 70 mm around Binnenweg and Camplaan
- Heemstede has its own municipal design policy document
- Post-war housing along the Heemsteedse Dreef with more freedom of choice
Choosing a material in Heemstede
The same table as on the home page. Read it next to what is written about this place above: design review weighs heavier here, or lighter, than average.
| Criterion | TimberRecommended for a pre-war street elevation | uPVC | Aluminium |
|---|---|---|---|
| InsulationU-value of the frame profile itself in W/m2K. Lower is better. The glass counts separately. | 1.4 to 2.0W/m2KHardwood at the low end of that range, softwood at the high end. | uPVC is the best of the three on this point.1.1 to 1.4W/m2KA five or six chamber profile reaches the lowest value; a three chamber profile does not. | 1.8 to 2.4W/m2KOnly with a thermal break. Without one it heads towards 5. |
| MaintenanceWhat you or a decorator have to do periodically to reach the stated lifespan. | Every 6 to 8 yearsrepaintingAllow 60 to 110 euro per frame per repaint on a facade reachable from the ground. | uPVC is the best of the three on this point.Clean, never paintGaskets and ironmongery do wear out; those can be replaced separately. | Aluminium is the best of the three on this point.Clean, never paintA damaged powder coating does have to be made good, certainly near the sea. |
| LifespanRealistic time to replacement under normal use and maintenance. | 50 to 75yearsProvided the repainting interval is kept. If it is not, this drops to 25 or 30. | 35 to 50yearsThe profile outlasts the sealed glass unit and the ironmongery. | Aluminium is the best of the three on this point.50 to 80yearsThe profile barely weathers; the coating and the gaskets decide the moment. |
| Design reviewChance that the municipality approves it on the street side of a pre-war house. Dutch municipalities test appearance against a published policy document; the process is called welstand. | Timber is the best of the three on this point.Approved almost alwaysIncluding in a protected village area (beschermd dorpsgezicht), provided colour and profile width match what was there. | Usually refusedAt the rear it is almost never a problem; the municipality rarely assesses that side. | Case by caseSlim profiles are regularly allowed on post-war houses and on rear elevations. |
| Price per frameTilt and turn window of roughly 1.2 by 1.4 metres, including HR++ glazing, fitting and disposal. | 1,100 to 1,900euroAccoya, or a frame with true glazing bars, sits at the top of the range. | uPVC is the best of the three on this point.750 to 1,300euroWhite profile is cheapest; a coloured foil adds 10 to 15 percent. | 1,300 to 2,200euroExpensive per single window, favourable per square metre of glazed area. |
| Where it is not the best choiceThe case in which you are better off not choosing this material. This line sits inside the table rather than under it, because it weighs as much as the five above it. | Not the best choice if you do not want to repaint and the work is on a rear elevation or a post-war house. There you would be paying for a property you do not need. | Not the best choice on the street side of a pre-war house: the profile is wider and the corner joint is welded rather than mitred. That is the detail the municipal design review committee (welstand) refuses on. | Not the best choice when budget leads, or for individual tilt and turn windows. Aluminium comes into its own on large panes and sliding doors, and on the coast. |
Of the five criteria uPVC wins three, aluminium two and timber one. The recommendation above concerns the front elevation of a pre-war house, where the Design review row outweighs the other four together. If your window is at the back, that weighing reverses.
These figures are ranges taken from current work and from supplier data sheets, not a quotation. What your situation costs depends on the size, on how reachable the facade is, and on whether the brickwork has to be made good.
Which one wins in your case
Three questions, and then this says which material is likely to come out best for your situation. The same weighing as the table above, but for your elevation instead of in general.
Answer the three questions above and this will say which material comes out best in your case.
Questions about window frames in Heemstede
At the rear, usually not, as long as shape, size and layout stay the same. On the street side you do, as soon as the appearance changes: a different material, a different colour or a different profile. In the estate zone along the Herenweg the protected village status applies and the municipality also looks at work that leaves the appearance unchanged.
Heritage green RAL 6009 and off-white RAL 9001 are the most common on pre-war facades. In a protected village area the municipality can prescribe a colour number; that is set out per area in the design policy document.
With a profile of 55 mm or more, often yes; at 40 to 45 mm not without alteration. We measure the depth of the rebate with a calliper and tell you frame by frame. Where it does not fit, thin insulating glass or secondary glazing is the alternative.
What we do in Heemstede
- Window frame repair: Keep the existing frame and replace only the part that has failed
- Insulated glazing and HR++: From single glazing to 1.1: what it gives you and what it costs
- Timber window frames: The one material that passes design review almost anywhere here
- uPVC window frames: Where they are the better choice, and where they are not
- Broken glass and glazing: A cracked pane, a failed sealed unit or new glazing throughout
Nearby as well
Quotation for Heemstede
A photo, your postcode, the year the house was built and the number of frames produce a range. The quotation follows only after measuring up in the rebate: a wrong dimension is the most expensive mistake in this trade.