Fixed price · No day rate · Heritage joiners
Sash window repair in Edinburgh covers four faults that come up again and again: snapped cords, seized pulleys, rotten timber on the bottom rail or cill, and rattle from worn parting beads. Heatscape's vetted heritage joiners survey every sash on the window, give you a fixed price per fault, and most flat repairs are done in a single visit with dust contained on site.
We repair Edinburgh sash and case windows to last another century — warmer, quieter, no rattles, no draughts. Call 0800 193 1505 or request a fixed-price survey.
A traditional sash and case window has six wearing parts — the two sashes, the parting bead, the staff bead, the cords and the cast-iron weights in the box. On an Edinburgh tenement that's typically 90 to 140 years old, more than one of these has usually failed by the time you call. A proper survey opens the box, inspects the weights and pulleys, sounds the timber for rot and checks the meeting rail for square — rather than treating the visible symptom alone. You get a written quote that itemises every fault and a fixed price to put each one right.
A snapped sash cord is the single most common Edinburgh sash repair we see. Cord typically lasts 40 to 60 years; once one breaks, the partner cord and the other sash are usually close to failing too, so we always quote to renew all four cords on a pair of sashes. We use 8mm braided polyester as standard, or waxed cotton on listed properties where the council requires a traditional finish. Pulleys are dismantled, cleaned, re-greased and re-wheeled where the axle is worn.
Rot almost always starts at the lower rail of the bottom sash, the cill, or the bottom of the box pulley stiles where rainwater drives in. We never use polyester resin filler on heritage sashes — it traps moisture and accelerates rot beneath. Instead, the affected section is cut out cleanly, a matched-grain seasoned softwood splice is scarfed in with marine-grade adhesive, planed flush and painted with a breathable linseed-oil paint system. A typical bottom-rail splice saves the whole sash from replacement.
Adding brush-pile draught seals while the sashes are out is the single best-value upgrade we offer. Routed channels carry siliconised brush pile along the meeting rail, parting beads and bottom rail. You keep the original glass and timber but lose around 80–90% of the draught — and the sashes glide more smoothly than they have in decades. We almost always recommend adding this to a repair visit because the labour is already in the room.
Repair work that uses original parts and like-for-like materials is permitted-development in most Edinburgh conservation areas and on most Category B and C listed buildings — no consent needed. We confirm the status of your property before quoting, and if the council requires a notice or listed-building application, we handle the paperwork as part of the project. There's no separate planning fee charged to you for a like-for-like repair.
| Item | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Snapped cord, single sash (cord renewal both sides) | £185 | Includes pulley clean & re-grease |
| Full cord renewal, pair of sashes (four cords) | £295 | Recommended once one cord goes |
| Pulley overhaul or replacement (per pulley) | £65 | |
| Bottom-rail timber splice | £165 | Per affected sash |
| Cill section repair or replacement | £245–£420 | |
| Parting bead replacement (full window) | £95 | |
| Brush-pile draught-proofing (per window) | £185 | Add to any repair while sashes are out |
Quietest the house has ever been. Bay windows look stunning, and the survey caught a lintel issue two other firms missed.
Rachel B., Trinity EH5 — Triple glazing — full house · 5/5 ·
Door is solid, locks beautifully, and matched the listed-building colour the council insisted on. Faultless fitting.
Hugh M., Newington EH9 — Composite door + side panel · 5/5 ·