This article discusses the key legal, safety, and cost considerations when deciding between repairs and older strata window replacement in apartment buildings.
Question: We are deciding on refurbishing or replacing original windows in a 1970s apartment building. What should we take into consideration?
I own an apartment in an old 1970s brick block in Sydney. The windows are original and aluminium framed. They are in need of seal replacement as they are starting to rattle and whistle in the wind.
The owners corporation is reviewing two options:
- Replacing the old window seals with new one at a cost of approximately $12,000.
- Replacing all the windows at a cost of $110,000.
The company quoting for the window replacement told me that just replacing the existing window seals is illegal under current government laws. I’m not convinced that this is the case.
Are you aware of any such government regulation prohibiting the owners corporation from replacing the existing window seals? Any assistance in this matter would be greatly appreciated.
Answer: There may be other issues that need to be addressed for the windows to comply with the current requirements.
In relation to replacing windows seals in a residential apartment building in NSW there is no specific regulation that would prohibit this.
However there may be other issues that need to be addressed for the windows to comply with the current requirements under the NSW Strata Management Act and possibly AS1288 – Glass in buildings—Selection and installation. This is the Australian glazing standard.
NSW Strata Management Act – It is a requirement under the child safety provisions of the act, that windows must be fitted with a complying restrictor and many older window frames can’t be restricted and therefore must be replaced.
AS1288 – If the glass has to be completely removed to install the new seals it could be argued that the glass should comply with the current glazing standards resulting in thicker glass being required that may not fit into the existing frames.
There are other compliance requirements that may need to be addressed if the windows where to be completely replaced depending on the height of the windows from the finished floor level, but this would only apply if the frames were to be completely replaced.
This post appears in the February 2021 edition of The NSW Strata Magazine.
Gary Stevenson Windowline E: info@windowline.com.au P: 02 8304 6400