Baldock's period windows
Historic England lists eight Baldock buildings at Grade II*, including Butterfield House, Halford House and 13 Whitehorse Street, alongside one at Grade I and 95 at Grade II. In listed homes and the conservation area, check with North Hertfordshire District Council before changing colour or detail.
On older sashes the paint is the protection. Once it cracks, rain gets into the joints and bottom rails, and decay speeds up.
What we do, and when the carpenter comes in
Our work is decorative: scraping loose paint back to a sound edge, sanding with Mirka dust-free sanders, filling cracks and open joints, and priming bare timber before eggshell or satin. Older layers of paint can contain lead, so keeping the dust contained matters.
Broken cords, rotten sections and sashes that rattle are joinery, so our carpenter repairs them before we decorate. The outside faces need dry weather and can be combined with exterior painting of the house.
Baldock at a glance
- 30 milesby road from our Landbeach base, about 40 minutesOSRM routing
- 9%of properties were built before 1919VOA Council Tax stock
- 104listed buildingsHistoric England
- 1conservation arealocal council
- 28%are terracedCensus 2021
- 16%date from 1919 to 1939VOA Council Tax stock
How we approach sash window restoration
Graham notes each Baldock window's condition separately, so the quotation shows which are urgent. We prepare and fill, prime end grain and sills thoroughly, and sand lightly between coats. Sashes are worked up and down during painting so they keep sliding, a fine line of paint seals the putty, and every window is eased and fastened before we leave each day. The full method, products and FAQs are on our sash window restoration page.