A North Yorkshire church was able to retain its original stained glass while improving its thermal efficiency with the help of secondary glazing from Granada Glazing.
The installation was part The Yorkshire North and East District Circuit’s drive to improve its carbon footprint and move towards a Net Zero Carbon District by 2040.
Thirsk Methodist Church was built in 1908 as a Sunday School and converted to a church in 1959. However, its original single-glazed stained glass and leaded lights provided little thermal insulation for worshippers and groups using the facility.
Following an energy assessment report, the church engaged architect Tim Ord, who said: “As the church is in a conservation area, secondary glazing was the preferred option to preserve the original windows and leave the external appearance unchanged.”Granada’s website was good and showed that they do ecclesiastical buildings, which is what I was after.”
A total of 16 horizontal sliding units and lift out units were installed, all with 6mm toughened Low-E glass with a special coating that reflects heat back into the interior to keep the building warmer. The units fitted over the staircase window created a particular design feature as Tim explained: “The sloping bottom rail of the secondary glazing followed the string of the stair and looked very good. The handrail adjacent the window was removed to allow for the new secondary glazing.”
The five-day installation involved some complexity due to the seven-metre height of the main room, which required a portable scaffold system, and shaping to the arched units.
Church Steward and Treasurer Karen Collin said: “The secondary glazing looks excellent, you don’t really notice it. One person even remarked ‘where is it?’. It’s early days, but I’m sure it will reduce our energy bills. As part of our EcoChurch ethos, this project is helping us to lower our carbon footprint and get us nearer to net zero.”
