Lift-Out Secondary Glazing

Simple, cost-effective, custom-fit

Best suited to fixed lights, landings and rarely-opened windows where you want maximum acoustic and thermal benefit without the cost of moving parts.

• Any shape or size
• Fully sealed edges
• Toughened safety glass
• Discreet aluminium frame

Removable in seconds

Turn-catches release the panel from the internal frame — one person can lift a standard panel clear in under a minute for cleaning or emergency access.

Perfect for

Landings, hallways, WCs, stairwell fixed lights, awkward small openings and any window that doesn't need to open day-to-day.

• Stairwell fixed lights
• Landing and hall windows
• Awkward small openings
• Retail and office fixed panes

DIY lift-out vs made-to-measure — the honest comparison

DIY magnetic or clip-in kits work on perfectly square uPVC openings and give a modest thermal lift. They rarely deliver meaningful acoustic gain because the perimeter seal isn't compressed and the pane is thin. A surveyed, made-to-measure lift-out uses 6.4–6.8 mm laminated acoustic glass, compression seals and a rigid aluminium sub-frame tailored to the exact reveal — that's where the real 40–50 dB noise reduction comes from.

• DIY: ~£60–£150 per opening, thermal only
• Made-to-measure: acoustic + thermal + neat finish
• Original window is untouched in both cases
• We survey free and quote per opening in writing

How it operates

A made to measure glazed panel sits inside a slim aluminium subframe fixed to the reveal. Sprung turn catches, usually four to six depending on size, clamp the panel against a continuous compression gasket. Turning the catches releases the panel so it can be lifted clear and set down. There is nothing to slide, hinge or balance, which is why it is the quietest performing and the least likely to need any service at all.

What it suits

Openings that are not used day to day: fixed lights and toplights, high level windows, stairwell and landing glazing, cloakrooms, cellar and utility windows, and any commercial opening where the priority is a sealed acoustic layer rather than access. It is also the standard answer for odd shapes, since a single panel can be templated to almost any outline.

• Fixed lights and toplights
• High level and hard to reach windows
• Odd shapes, arches and circles
• Bulk commercial installs on a budget

How it is fitted

The opening is templated, including the diagonals and any sill slope, and the subframe is manufactured to that template rather than cut on site. It is fixed into the reveal, packed level, and sealed to the plaster. The panel then drops in and the catches are set to the correct compression. Because there is no running gear, a shallow reveal that will not take a slider will usually take a lift out.

Cleaning and access to the original window

Release the catches and the panel lifts out in a few seconds, giving complete access to the original window for cleaning, repainting, or opening it on a warm day. On larger panels it is a two person lift, and that is the honest trade off: access is total but it is not casual. For a window you want to open every morning, choose a slider.

• Tool free turn catch release
• Total access to the primary window
• Larger panels are a two person lift
• Panels store flat without damage

Ventilation

A closed lift out panel provides no ventilation of its own, which is exactly why it seals so well. Where the room relies on that window for background ventilation we specify a trickle vent in the panel head, or a small hit and miss vent, matched to the ventilation the primary window used to provide. In habitable rooms we will not seal an opening dead without either an alternative vent or an existing vent elsewhere in the room.

Where it is the wrong choice

It is the wrong product on a fire escape window, where a hinged unit with a quick release handle is required. It is wrong on a window used for daily airing, on a bedroom that needs a fast purge, or anywhere a heavy panel would have to be lifted over a sink, radiator or stairwell. In those cases a hinged or sliding unit costs more and is worth it.

One-panel simplicity

No sliders, no hinges — just a single custom-made panel that sits inside a slim aluminium frame. The most economical way to seal a fixed opening against draughts, noise and heat loss.

Common uses

Fixed lights above sashes, high-level windows, hallway panels, listed property WCs — anywhere that never needs to open in day-to-day use.

• Fixed lights and toplights
• High-level and hard-to-reach
• Listed and heritage properties
• Bulk-order pricing for commercial

Removability

Turn-catch release lets you lift the panel clear for cleaning, redecoration or emergency access — a proper serviceable install rather than a permanent seal.