Just like Alice when she looked through the Looking Glass, there is a lot more to see when you look through Sheen Windows.
They don’t just supply and fit smart new double glazed windows which incorporate the latest technology and security features. They particularly specialise in bespoke timber but also UPVC and aluminium installations which will enhance and keep your house looking good and warm, too.
With their highly trained staff they can even replace windows in historic buildings. Sheen Windows is proud of the fact that it was one of the first firms in the area to offer replacement double-glazed traditional timber sash windows.
Their portfolio also includes building conservatories and extensions and fitting special sound-proofing glass, as well as commercial shop fronts and entrance doors.
“We have the expertise built up over many years to handle all this work,” explains Alan Osborn, one of the directors and original founders of the firm some 30 years ago.
“We have one of the lowest profiles of any of the businesses in Sheen, but we don’t mind because our work speaks for itself. The bulk of our jobs come from recommendations from satisfied customers.”
A key component to the success of the firm located in Sheen Lane is that it guarantees its work to all for 10 years.
“This is a fantastic catchment area where householders are very interested in improving their properties,” added Alan. “Many prefer to do that rather than move.
“Every new house built now has double-glazed windows and also any replacement window in established homes now has to be double-glazed. This is such an important area when you think how much we have to pay for heating our homes nowadays.”
Sheen Windows fitting staff are multi-taskers all with different specialist skills. As new partner Mark Wigley, a builder by trade, explains: ”We really consider ourselves a general property improvement business.”
Sheen Windows grew out of a father-and-son joinery business in Barnes which moved to the Upper Richmond Road in Sheen opposite Waitrose. It located to its current premises 12 years ago which is an ideal spot both in terms of the area and also for catching the attention of local commuters walking to Mortlake railway station.
Alan added: ”If you have a draughty old house you might as well leave the windows open, while the worst culprit for making your home cold is a badly-fitting door which is commonly overlooked. It acts like a sponge, drawing cold air into the house. It is very important to check these things out and do something about them.”
Glazing has become an industry with constant technological changes brought in in the interest of thermal efficiency. Special paints have been developed for wooden frames which reduce the need for repainting and there are aluminium and plastic frames which never need re-painting. Different gases have been developed for injecting into the space between double glazing to act as yet another barrier to heat loss. The drive for improved thermal performance has also led to a raft of new regulations which firms like Sheen Windows must keep abreast of.
Such hard work can bring rewards – the business has been rated by the consumer watchdog “Which” as in the top 10% of double glazing firms. “This is very gratifying because there are more bad builders out there than good ones,” added Alan.
With super-efficient office manager Pauline Rivers and assistant Jean keeping a close eye on things, its staff of around a dozen have a full order book and are currently working flat out to accommodate the property renovation market as the country emerges from recession.
Sheen Windows, 34 Sheen Lane, East Sheen, SW14 8LW
Tel: 020 8392 9196
Email: sheenwindows@btconnect.com
Words by Mark Dowdney – Pictures by Bob Lisney – Project Coordinator Richard Osborne