If you own a period flat or house, chances are that you bought it because you fell in love with the building’s original features. Traditional wooden sash windows can contribute significantly to the historic character of a building, and they are beautiful to behold. However, what do you do if your sash windows are old and draughty? A combination of age, the hollow box of the sash, a warped frame and the sliding mechanism can all contribute to this unsatisfactory state of affairs. The most drastic solution is to fit a new window as a replacement for the ones that are failing. However, replacing a sash window like for like can be very expensive and, if you live in a conservation area or your building is listed, you will need to obtain consent first. Replacing a sash window with a modern uPVC equivalent is, of course, possible (unless listed status or conservation area status forbids it) and considerably cheaper too, but the result will substantially change the appearance of the building – and often not in a good way. If you want to retain the period character that makes your home so special but still improve the energy efficiency of your sash windows to save on heating costs, there are 3 solutions you may want to consider. Curtains and Shutters Your first port of call should be your window dressing. Don’t underestimate the effect of good old pair of curtains; they’ve been serving as a major source of protection from cold draughts for centuries. For best results, use thermally lined and interlined curtains with a heavy curtain fabric. Make them floor length if at all possible, unless there is a radiator underneath the window which shouldn’t be covered up. Thick, heavy drapes in opulent fabrics can look stunning, especially in a large room with high ceilings and period features. Top off with a pelmet or other ornate finish for best effect. Traditional sash windows were often made with accompanying internal shutters that would be closed at night to keep the heat in. Of course, during the 20th century and with the availability of cheap and convenient heating, these were used less and less; many were simply removed or painted over. Luckily, wooden window shutters are now very on trend, so if your sash windows still have original shutters, now’s...