The period between the wars, 1919 to 1939, saw over 4 million new homes built in the UK. For many families, this was the chance to buy their own homes, moving out of large towns and cities and into the suburbs with more green space around and a larger garden of their own to enjoy.
The typical 1930s style semi-detached house with its curved bay windows at the front has fared well over the years. However, after 80 years most of these houses have already had original wooden-framed windows replaced with modern uPVC. Double glazing for bay windows is not cheap. The bay windows of a traditional 1930s semi-detached house will often have five larger plain glass panels with smaller stained glass panels above. Many of these designs are floral in nature and the design may run across all five windows, with the central panel having a different design to the other panels. Some houses may have the traditional sun burst patterns and the front door may also have a stained glass panel to match. For many householders it feels shameful to get rid of such lovely designs which give the house that special 1930s look and character.
There are ways to maintain this traditional aspect. Just about all double glazing companies offer stained glass windows with designs similar to those seen 80 years ago. However, if you can not bear to part with your original windows there are also companies which specialise in taking original panels, cleaning and restoring them and then placing them in double glazed or even triple glazed sealed units. It’s just a case of searching them out and finding them.