Council homes across the UK are in major need of repairs, with features like their double-glazing needing to be replaced so they can be fit to live in.
This has been particularly felt in Stoke-on-Trent, as the local authority revealed it is planning to spend more than £648 million over the next three decades to update and maintain the council’s housing stock.
Although 96.7 per cent of its homes meet the required standard, Stoke Sentinel reported that 3.3 per cent are either “not in a reasonable state of repair” or without “reasonably modern amenities and services”.
The cost of these upgrades is expected to come in at £1,181 per property every year to make the properties liveable.
One council resident who is a member of Tenants’ Voice told the publication her double-glazing has now failed as it was fitted almost 30 years ago.
Double-glazing can last 20 or so years, but often begins to fail after the first ten, according to Which?.
A survey found that 18 per cent of double-glazing owners encountered problems after the first decade, including draughts, leaks, noise pollution, yellowing uPVC, visible damage to the seals, difficulty opening or closing, and condensation.
While 73 per cent said they had no issues with their windows within ten years of installing it, the main cause for concern of those who did encounter problems was that they became difficult to open or close.
This could be due to the mechanism being stiff, the lock or handle becoming faulty, or the hinges having shifted or loosened over time.
Those 14 per cent who have experienced problems with condensation can get their windows fixed by calling our misted double-glazing repairs experts today.