Safe Clean from Inside · 4m Compliant · From £745 per window
Tilt-and-turn windows are the right answer for any Edinburgh window more than 4m above the adjacent ground or floor level — Scottish Building Standards require these windows to be safely cleanable from inside, and a tilt-and-turn rotates inward on its hinges so both faces can be cleaned without leaving the room. We supply timber and uPVC tilt-and-turn for upper-floor flats, tenement top floors and high-rise blocks across Edinburgh.
Scottish Building Standards (Technical Handbook Section 4) requires windows more than 4m above the adjacent ground or floor to be cleanable safely from inside — without leaning out, standing on a sill, or using cleaning aids. The two compliant options are tilt-and-turn windows (the window rotates inward 180°) or fully reversible sash windows. For Edinburgh's tenement upper floors (3rd floor and above) and for every flat in the city's tower blocks (Craigmillar, Wester Hailes, Drylaw, Westfield Court), one of these two options is mandatory.
The window has two operating modes. In tilt mode, the bottom of the sash stays fixed and the top tilts inward 100–150mm — providing controlled ventilation without security risk, ideal for bedrooms overnight. In turn mode, the whole sash rotates 90° on its side hinges and opens inward fully — the outside face of the glass is now accessible from inside the room, so it can be cleaned without leaning out. The mode is selected by the handle position.
A-rated tilt-and-turn windows give whole-window U-values of 1.2–1.4 W/m²K with double glazing, 0.9 with triple glazing. The multi-point gasket seal around the perimeter is significantly more air-tight than a casement or sash, so heat loss through air leakage is minimal. Acoustic-laminate glass (6.4mm outer pane) gives 36–40 dB Rw noise reduction — ideal for road-facing flats.
Both comply with the 4m cleaning rule. Tilt-and-turn opens inward and looks like a modern casement — best for post-war flats, tower blocks and modern infill. Reversible sash looks like a traditional vertical sliding sash from the street but the whole sash unit rotates 180° on a central pivot for cleaning — best for traditional tenements and conservation areas where the streetscape needs to read as sash and case (see our reversible windows page).
Every Edinburgh tower block (Craigmillar, Niddrie, Westfield Court, Cables Wynd, Linksview House, Drylaw) needs compliant upper-floor windows. Every tenement 3rd floor and above does too. We work directly with property factors, housing associations (Port of Leith Housing, Edinburgh Housing Association, Manor Estates) and private landlords to roll out tilt-and-turn replacement programmes across whole blocks, including scaffolding-free internal install and full Building Standards compliance certification.
From £745 per uPVC tilt-and-turn (typical 1,200mm × 1,200mm), £1,145 per timber tilt-and-turn, £1,395 per timber with acoustic-laminate glazing. Bulk pricing on portfolios of 10+ windows. 10-year manufacturer guarantee, plus our 10-year workmanship guarantee.
Listed-building paperwork sorted for us, original sashes saved, and the front room is no longer a wind tunnel. Brilliant from quote to completion.
James & Catriona R., Stockbridge EH3 — Sash & case restoration + secondary glazing · 5/5 ·
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 ·