Case Study: Randwick

Strata Window Replacement in Randwick: Steel Windows to Double Glazed uPVC

The old steel windows in this Randwick apartment block had stopped opening, and their glass was coming loose above the footpath. We replaced every window in six weeks while residents stayed in their units.

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This Randwick apartment block sits on a busy road. Most of its windows were the original steel frames with single glazing. Over the years some owners had swapped theirs for single-glazed aluminium, so the building had a mix of both, and neither kept out the traffic. The owners corporation asked us to replace every window in the building in one program.

Project at a glance

Location: Randwick, Sydney eastern suburbs
Building: strata apartment block on a busy road
Old windows: original single-glazed steel frames, plus some later single-glazed aluminium
New windows: white Aluplast Ideal 4000 uPVC casement windows, double glazed, with acoustic glass on the windows facing the road
Time on site: six weeks
Access: from inside the units, with a cherry picker for some outside work
Residents: stayed in their apartments throughout

Why the windows had to go

They would not open or close. Rust had seized many of the steel sashes, and others no longer shut properly
Glass was coming loose. The putty holding the glass in the steel frames had dried out and was falling away, leaving panes loose above the footpath and a real danger to people walking below
They did not meet safety requirements. The old windows fell short of the current rules for windows in a strata building. Our guide to window safety devices in NSW strata explains what applies
Traffic noise. Units facing the road had single glazing and heavy traffic outside. Residents said they could not hear each other talk and struggled to sleep
Draughts. Worn steel and aluminium frames let cold air in all year

What we installed

Every window was replaced with a white uPVC casement window in the Aluplast Ideal 4000 system, double glazed and made to measure for its opening. Ideal 4000 is a German multi-chamber profile with steel reinforcement and multi-point hardware, and it does not rust, rot or need painting. Casements suited the building: they hinge at the side and open outward like the original steel windows, so the facade still reads much as it did.

The windows facing the road got acoustic glass as well as double glazing, because those units took the most noise. The rest of the building had standard double glazing. Our page on acoustic windows for apartments explains how the glass is chosen.

How the installation ran

The job took six weeks on site. Almost every window was replaced from inside the units, so the building needed no scaffolding. For the few openings that could not be reached from inside, we worked from a cherry picker in the street. Residents stayed in their apartments for the whole job.

The result

The committee was delighted, and residents could not believe the difference. The draughts stopped, and the road noise dropped so far that some residents told us they could now hear their fridge running. Before, they could not hear each other talk. With double glazing the units also hold their temperature far better, so they are more comfortable year-round and cost less to heat and cool.

Every window now opens, closes and locks properly, and there is no more loose glass above the footpath.

Does your building have the same problem?

Many Sydney unit blocks from the same era still have their original steel windows, or a patchwork of steel and aluminium. If yours are rusting, sticking or letting in noise, we can walk the building with your strata manager or committee and give you an itemised proposal for the AGM. For older or heritage-style buildings, see our guide to windows for heritage unit blocks.

Project photos

Before, during and after

Randwick brick unit block after replacement with white double glazed uPVC casement windows — After: white double glazed uPVC casement windows across the street front.

Windows Factory vans and site sign outside the Randwick unit block during installation — During: our crew on site. Most windows were replaced from inside the units.

Original steel window with rusted frame on the Randwick building — Before: an original steel window, rusted around the frame.

Rusted steel casement sash on the Randwick building — Before: a rusted steel casement sash that no longer closed properly.

Original steel window with textured single glazing in a laundry — Before: original steel window with single glazing, inside a laundry.

Older single glazed aluminium kitchen window in a Randwick unit — Before: one of the later single-glazed aluminium windows.

Worn aluminium window frame and sill above the road — Before: an old aluminium window above the road, its seals and sill worn out.

Common questions

Questions from committees and owners

Yes. In this Randwick building residents stayed in their apartments for the whole six weeks. Almost every window was replaced from inside the units.

It depends on the number of windows and how they can be reached. This Randwick block took six weeks on site.

Often not. Here almost every window was replaced from inside, with a cherry picker for the few openings that needed outside access.

Not usually. In Randwick only the windows facing the road had acoustic glass added. The rest had standard double glazing.

Yes. We replaced the original steel windows with Aluplast Ideal 4000 uPVC casements that open the same way, so the facade keeps a similar look. If the building is heritage listed or in a conservation area, council rules may apply, and we check them before specifying.