Dronfield Woodhouse Hall - Derbyshire
INSULEAD® FIXED - STEELYTE® OPENING CASEMENTs - Applied Square Leading
The Building
Woodhouse hall dates back to the late 16th century with remodelling taking place in the early 18th and 19th century. Further alterations were also made in the 20th century. The grade II* listed property sits in a designated conservation area of special architectural and historic interest. Although the property has been dated to the late 16th century, there has been evidence discovered that it could be even older and existed during the reign of Henry VI (1423-1471).
The Brief
After initial enquiries were made from the client, a full site survey was conducted which discovered 3 main window types throughout the building. A mixture of wood and metal windows had been used and changed throughout the history of the building but none matched the originals. The majority of the stone mullions were in good order and little remedial work was needed. It was discussed with the conservation officer that the new windows would need to have smaller sightlines than the existing white wooden windows and were to be made to match traditional leaded lights.
The Solution
Fortunately, Touchstones double-glazed Insulead units can incorporate special slumped glass to create a distorted effect. This appearance reflects the same as a traditional leaded light and is a great solution for period properties such as Woodhouse Hall. Touchstone was also able to match the same lead pattern as the originals. Due to the Insulead’s unique ability to glaze directly onto the stone, the overall sightlines were to be a maximum of 20mm, significantly lower than the current wooden and steel windows. To overcome the problem of rotten wooden opening windows, Touchstone’s Steelyte system was used. Made of stainless steel, the opening casements can be powder-coated to any RAL colour. By choosing black to match the original steel windows, the new opening casements would blend into the building and would be in keeping with the history of the building.
The Response
Following on from positive comments from the conservation officer and the client, Touchstone was proud to have completed work on such a prestigious building with a rich history. The results demonstrated that Touchstones Insulead and Steelyte window system can overcome the problem of single glazing in historic buildings and listed buildings.
“Touchstone have been a pleasure to work with, and I would thoroughly recommend them as a company to anyone wishing to enhance their home with beautiful windows.
Right from the start, they were helpful, well informed, and clearly passionate about their product.
I was kept well informed, everything stayed on schedule and it was undoubtedly less messy that I’d worried about.
The final effect is exactly as I’d hoped for, and has transformed our home. I’ve had numerous comments from friends, neighbours and passers-by. Thank you Touchstone.”
