Reversible Windows Edinburgh

Traditional Look · Safe Inside Clean · From £1,295 per window

Fully reversible windows look like traditional Edinburgh sash and case from the street but the whole sash unit rotates 180° on a central pivot so both faces of the glass can be cleaned from inside the room. They comply with Scottish Building Standards' 4m cleaning rule and are the right answer for any Edinburgh tenement 3rd floor and above where the council requires sash appearance.

Why reversible windows exist

Two regulatory pressures collide on Edinburgh's upper-floor tenement flats. Scottish Building Standards requires any window more than 4m off the ground to be safely cleanable from inside (no leaning out, no aids, no standing on sills). And the City of Edinburgh Council requires conservation-area tenements to retain a traditional sash and case appearance from the street. Reversible windows solve both problems: from the street they read as vertical sliding sash, but internally the whole sash unit rotates 180° on a central pivot so the outside face of the glass faces into the room for cleaning.

How a reversible sash actually works

The window looks identical to a traditional sash from outside — same vertical sliding profile, same astragal pattern, same proportions. Internally, the sash is mounted on a pair of central pivot pins rather than running in the traditional box-and-cord arrangement. To clean, you release a safety catch, pull the sash inward, and rotate it 180° on its pivots. The face that was outside is now inside, you clean it, then rotate back and re-engage the safety catch. The whole operation takes about 30 seconds per sash.

Where the council allows them

Reversible windows are routinely approved by the City of Edinburgh Council on conservation-area tenement upper floors because they retain the sash appearance from the street. We've delivered reversible replacements in Marchmont (EH9), Bruntsfield (EH10), Polwarth (EH11), Tollcross (EH3), Leith (EH6), Newington (EH9) and across most of the inner-tenement belt. On listed buildings (Cat A, B, C), consent is granted on a case-by-case basis — we handle the heritage statement and Listed Building Consent paperwork.

Thermal and acoustic performance

Modern reversible sash systems carry the same A-rated double-glazed units as a standard sash: 1.2 W/m²K centre-pane U-value, 36–40 dB Rw acoustic-laminate option. Multi-point gasket seal around the perimeter gives much better air-tightness than a traditional box-and-cord sash. Per square metre, thermal performance is comparable to tilt-and-turn — the only trade-off is cost (typically £200–400 more per window because of the pivot hardware).

Who we work with

Property factors (James Gibb, Charles White, Hacking & Paterson, Ross & Liddell), housing associations (Port of Leith, Edinburgh Housing Association, Manor Estates) and private landlords roll out reversible window replacement across whole blocks. We work to factor-led timetables, deliver Building Standards compliance certification per window, and coordinate the conservation-area prior approval as a single package for the block.

Pricing

From £1,295 per fully reversible uPVC sash, £1,695 per timber reversible sash, £1,945 per timber with acoustic-laminate glazing. Bulk pricing on portfolios of 10+ windows. All prices include survey, prior-approval paperwork, manufacture, internal install, Building Standards compliance certification and 10-year guarantee.

Frequently asked questions

How does a reversible window look from the street?
Identical to a traditional Edinburgh sash and case — same vertical sliding profile, same astragal pattern, same proportions. The pivot hardware is internal.
Will the council allow reversible windows in a conservation area?
Yes — routinely approved on conservation-area tenement upper floors because they retain the sash appearance from the street. On listed buildings, consent is granted on a case-by-case basis.
Are reversible windows safe for children and pets?
Yes — every reversible sash has a positive-engagement safety catch that prevents accidental rotation. The sash cannot rotate until the catch is deliberately released.
How much do reversible sash windows cost in Edinburgh?
From £1,295 per uPVC unit, £1,695 per timber unit, £1,945 per timber with acoustic glazing. Bulk pricing on 10+ portfolios for property factors and landlords.
How long does a whole-tenement reversible replacement take?
A typical four-flat-per-stair Edinburgh tenement (28 windows) takes 4–6 weeks from contract signing: 2–3 weeks for prior approval, 2 weeks for manufacture, 1 week for install. Two install teams in parallel for larger blocks.
Do reversible windows comply with Scottish Building Standards?
Yes — they comply with Section 4.8 (safe access for cleaning) of the Scottish Technical Handbook. We issue Building Standards compliance certification per window as part of every install.

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