Wombwell · S73
Crittall glazing in Wombwell, Barnsley
If your Wombwell property has slim galvanised or painted steel frames with small rectangular panes and thin glazing bars, this page is the specification we would quote. The local brief in S73 is usually cold terraces and rail noise near the station, and the cold-bridging frame is taken out of contact with room air, which is what stops the running condensation these windows are notorious for. Wombwell is not a conservation area, so the decision is purely technical rather than a consent question. Many of these calls come shortly after purchase, when the first winter has made the window problem obvious. Coverage runs across Barnsley and the surrounding S70, S71, S72 districts, with Wombwell (S73) among the areas we survey most often.
Installs are room-side only, so scaffolding is never needed and the exterior is untouched.
A whole-house residential install is normally completed within a single working day.
We survey with a sound level meter where noise is the driver, so the target is a number rather than an impression.
Cavity depth does more for acoustic performance than glass thickness, and we design for it first.
What we actually fit
| Window type | slim galvanised or painted steel frames with small rectangular panes and thin glazing bars (1920s–1960s, and again in modern conversions) |
|---|---|
| Underlying problem | steel conducts heat straight through the frame, so the frame itself is the cold bridge, not just the glass |
| System we fit | slim-profile hinged or sliding units set to preserve the grid pattern |
| Glass specification | Low-E glass with a wide cavity, because the frame conduction dominates the heat loss |
| Measurement | steel frames rarely sit true, so every opening is templated individually rather than batched |
| Heritage position | original Crittall units are increasingly valued and often retained deliberately; a room-side pane lets you keep the look and fix the performance |
What we find on these streets
Steel frames deflect under wind load on exposed elevations, and a sealed room-side pane removes the whistle that causes.
On a steel window the frame can lose more heat than the glass; that is why replacing the glass alone rarely fixes a Crittall's condensation.
Wombwell stock is colliery-era terraces and the prevailing glazing is sashes with stone lintels, which is why crittall glazing comes up here so often.
Steel frames rarely sit true, so every opening is templated individually rather than batched.
Wombwell carries no conservation designation, so the specification is decided on performance alone.
Recent installs nearby
Cawthorne conservation cottage
Stone-mullioned casements retained with room-side hinged secondary units — listed-building consent achieved without alteration.
Nether Edge Grade II sash retrofit
Six original box sashes fitted with balanced vertical secondary sliders — full listed-building consent secured in six weeks.
Ecclesall Road bay-window sound retrofit
Three-panel horizontal sliders across a 3.2 m Edwardian bay — Rw measured at 47 dB post-install.
Local reference points
- Area
- Wombwell (S73)
- Town
- Barnsley, South Yorkshire
- Housing era
- colliery-era terraces
- Typical windows
- sashes with stone lintels
- Landmark
- Wombwell station
- Conservation area
- No
- Window style
- Crittall & Steel Windows
- Period
- 1920s–1960s, and again in modern conversions
Common questions
Why do my Crittall windows run with water?
Because the steel frame conducts heat out and drops well below room dew point. The water forms on the frame as much as the glass, which is why re-glazing alone does not solve it.
Will I lose the Crittall look?
No — the original stays in place and visible, and we align the secondary sightlines with the existing bars so the grid still reads.
Can you fit to rusted or distorted steel frames?
We fix to the reveal, not to the steel, so frame condition does not limit the install. We will flag any frame that needs remedial work first.
Which windows should we do first?
Whichever room you sleep or work in that faces the noise or the prevailing weather. We will say so honestly at survey rather than quoting the whole house by default.
Is it worth it if we might replace the windows later?
If replacement is likely within two years, usually not — we will tell you. If the frames are staying, secondary glazing is the cheaper route to the same comfort.
Order of work
- Step 1
Send a photo of the window — with slim galvanised or painted steel frames with small rectangular panes and thin glazing bars we can usually tell you the likely system before we visit.
- Step 2
Survey in Wombwell: steel frames rarely sit true, so every opening is templated individually rather than batched.
- Step 3
Manufacture to the templated sizes with your chosen finish.
- Step 4
Room-side install with no external access and no alteration to the original frame.
Crittall glazing in nearby areas
Crittall glazing in Wombwell — the short version
Steel conducts heat straight through the frame, so the frame itself is the cold bridge, not just the glass. We fit slim-profile hinged or sliding units set to preserve the grid pattern with Low-E glass with a wide cavity, because the frame conduction dominates the heat loss, templated to your opening. The cold-bridging frame is taken out of contact with room air, which is what stops the running condensation these windows are notorious for.
Just moved in?
We will tell you which windows are worth treating first and which can wait — no pressure to do the lot. Send a photo of the crittall glazing — with slim galvanised or painted steel frames with small rectangular panes and thin glazing bars in a colliery-era terraces Wombwell property we can usually spec it before we visit.