Windows for Main Door & Colony Flats Edinburgh

Colonies · Main Door · Tenement Ground Floor · From £1,295 per window

Edinburgh's colony flats — Stockbridge, Abbeyhill, Restalrig, Leith and Hawthornvale — are unusual: two-storey terraces with separate upper and lower flats, each with its own external door. Many sit in conservation areas. Main-door tenement flats share similar quirks. The windows are often smaller than tenement parlour sashes, with mixed casement and sash patterns, and need joiners who recognise the typology before they quote.

The colony typology

Built between 1860 and 1911 by the Edinburgh Co-operative Building Company, colony flats are stone-built terraces of two-storey blocks, with lower flats accessed at street level and upper flats accessed by external stone stairs. Windows are typically a mix of two-over-two sash and case at the front and smaller casement windows to bathrooms and stairs. Many are now in conservation areas (Stockbridge Colonies and Abbeyhill Colonies both designated).

Main-door tenement flats

Main-door flats are ground-floor tenement flats with their own street entrance rather than a shared close. Window challenges include security (street-facing ground-floor glass), retained heat (often the coldest flat in the stair due to less neighbour insulation) and access (we can work from outside on a street-facing main door without scaffold). Common upgrades: laminated security glass, slim-line double glazing for warmth, brush-pile draught-proofing.

Conservation-area scope

Stockbridge Colonies, Abbeyhill Colonies and Restalrig conservation areas all require prior approval for replacement windows on principal elevations. Timber, original astragal pattern and matching paint colour are standard requirements. We handle the prior-approval paperwork as part of every quote. Rear elevations (the gardens behind the terraces) usually fall outside the requirement.

Typical scopes we deliver

Sash cord renewal £185 per sash; brush-pile draught-proofing £245 per pair; slim-line double glazing retrofit £445 per sash; casement window replacement £695-£995; full sash replacement £1,295-£1,695 per window. Most colony flats need a combined scope across 4-8 windows; expect £4,000-£8,500 for a full upgrade.

Security glazing for ground-floor flats

Main-door and lower colony flats with street-facing glass benefit from laminated security glass — a clear plastic interlayer between two panes that resists impact and stays in place even if shattered. Adds £85-£145 per pane over standard glazing. Insurance discounts often available with proof of installation.

Where we work

Stockbridge Colonies (Reid Terrace, Hugh Miller Place, Rintoul Place, Bell Place), Abbeyhill Colonies (Maryfield, Albion, Lyne, Moncrieff), Restalrig Colonies, Leith Colonies (Hawthornvale, Trafalgar Street), and main-door tenements across Marchmont, Bruntsfield, Newington and Leith.

Frequently asked questions

What's special about colony flat windows?
Colony flats have a mix of small sash and case windows at the front and casements to bathrooms and stairs, often in conservation areas. They need a joiner who recognises the typology — quoting a colony like a standard tenement leads to wrong scopes and refused planning applications.
Do colony flats need prior approval for new windows?
Yes if they sit in a conservation area (Stockbridge Colonies, Abbeyhill Colonies and Restalrig are all designated). Timber, original pattern and matching paint colour are standard requirements. We handle the paperwork.
Can main-door tenement flats have security glazing?
Yes — laminated security glass adds an impact-resistant plastic interlayer between two panes. Adds £85-£145 per pane and often qualifies for insurance discounts.
How much does a full colony flat window upgrade cost?
Typical 4-8 window scope: £4,000-£8,500 fixed, combining cord renewal, draught-proofing, slim-line glazing where appropriate and casement replacement. Always quoted itemised before work starts.
Do you need scaffold for colony flats?
No — colony flats are two-storey and accessible from a long ladder or internal sash-removal jig. No platform licence, no scaffold cost.
Will draught-proofing make a noticeable difference in a colony flat?
Yes — colony flats have more external wall per square metre than mid-tenement flats, so air leakage matters more. Brush-pile draught-proofing typically cuts heating bills 10-18% in a colony.

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