What we wish we’d known about.. non standard windows

Non standard windows

Some of these were surprisingly simple, others were a nightmare. Read on for our experience of the various types of window we purchased and the impact it had.

There’s almost an endless supply of options for dormer windows, you can do long / short, narrow / wide, eye level only, juliet balconies.. whatever you can get signed off on planning permission really.

We went for 3 styles in the loft and had very different experiences:

Velux windows (or similar brand)

• These standard sized / shaped opening windows were used at the front of the house into the tiled sloping front.
• They were quick to fit and should have been quick to deliver (Covid delays unfortunately but that was an unforeseen circumstance).

We went for larger ones for as much light as possible given there were no privacy issues.

 

Long narrow windows

• In the bedroom we chose this shape to allow sufficient light in but also for privacy.
• We also didn’t want them to be too big as the back was south east facing so would get a lot of direct sunlight for most of the day so could be a bit of a heat trap.

 

Flat roof windows

• There were two of these. One was over the shower in the ensuite. The other was a long up and over window which went almost floor to ceiling and across the dormer roof. These were difficult to fit and delayed the completion of the loft.

 

Lessons learned

• Be crystal clear with the builders about whether you want top hung or middle rotation Velux windows. We wanted top hung and put this in writing several times and the builders still got it wrong and ordered middle hung ones. It wasn’t worth correcting because any change with them was painful even when clearly their mistake and the delivery times were still impacted by Covid.
• If you opt for, or your architect suggests, non standard windows, be sure of the purpose and the implications for the build. Our long narrow ones were fine to order and fit and we had no problems here and we like the balance of light and privacy (the back of the terrace was rather overlooked so a wider doorway would possibly cause issues). The up and over window however did not serve all its original purpose which was a lightwell into the downstairs (this still about works) and a lightwell into the bedroom. This was negated by the building regulations meaning the proposed doorway between the bedroom and corridor was insufficient OR vastly expensive (over £10k) for 30 minutes fireproof glass.
• The roof windows have more of an impact than you think. We wanted a window over the shower in the loft bathroom as thought this would be nice but then when it came to fit out the bathroom, a walk in shower wasn’t actually going to fit so we had to adapt the shape of the shower and we now had to factor in where the window ended which impacted what we could do and the shape that would work.

2. Non standard considerations

The fact that we included horizontal windows in our build had many knock on impacts that we hadn’t foreseen or appreciated so sharing them now in case you are considering them too:

1. They were more difficult to source
2. They were more difficult to fit
3. Some had cost implications, others not so much
4. They extended the build time to finish and watertight the roof
5. They were easier to get the size wrong (which they did)
6. If other elements later don’t fit, it can cause additional issues

So I wouldn’t say always go standard box shape if you want to inject a bit of personality or something different into your loft conversion windows, but just be aware there are a lot more factors to consider and possible implications that potentially costing more!