uPVC Windows Guide

There are many different types of windows that you can install into your home. Many homeowners will claim that timber hardwood windows are hard to beat if you want to add panache and styloe to your home.  they will tell you that aluminium or uPVC windows simply do not have the same timeless beauty.

uPVC windows have become the market leader in recent years when hard pressed homeowners have had to make a decision as to which window types they should install for financial reasons.  this is because windows made for uPVC are often able to be priced more competitively than those made from timber. Because timber is a natural product the financial vaguries involved in getting it from the forest to the manufacturing floor often mean that windows made from quality hardwood are more expensive to purchase than those made from uPVC or aluminium. 

Timber as a material is very versatile to use and with a window manufacturer that is competent you can produce almost any window style that you could wish for.  Gone also are the days that because you have timber windows installed in your home that you had to be willing to accept single galzing as part of the package.  Modern timber hardwood windows can be fitted with superior glazing, which can be doubleor triple glazed and which will assist your home in maintaining a superb thermal performance.

Some window manufacturers cite the fact that timber needs to be regularly maintained in order to help it to remain weather proof as a disadvantage.  However, while it can be advantageous to not have to paint uPVC windows and doors once they have been installed in your home, it also means that you have to be committed to the colour that your windows are when they are installed for their lifetime.  As you know, all of our tastes can change over time and with wooden windows you have the option to paint, restain or varnish your windows different colours over time.

Timber windows that have been manufactured to a modern standard are going to be every bit as secure as their aluminium or uPVC counterparts.  with modern, quality locking systems and toughened double or triple glazing, would be intruders will not have an easy time trying to break in through properly fastened quality hardwood windows in your home.

So whether yo have an older type residence which is in need of replacement windows or are planning to build a contemporary style residence, you should give serious consideration to installing windows which are manufactured from quality hardwood timber.  They will add quality and style to your home and will help you to avoid the use of non-natural materials in the construction of your home. 

Related articles

• Ten reasons why historic homes are green (telegraph.co.uk)
• Luxurious Window Designs For Your Home (allhome-improve.com)
• Green property: How to keep old properties warm (telegraph.co.uk)

If you are considering purchasing windows for your new home, or replacing your older windows with a more energy efficient type, you might be interested in the following 9 brief points which are made regarding PVC.  A quality PVC window with good double or triple glazing will provide you with a window unit that will raise the thermal capacity of your home, if other factors such as attic insulation are also considered.

As with any product on the market, there are always questions regarding the effectiveness of PVC as a product and its possible detrimental effects on the environment.  The following points will hopefully answer some of the queries that homeowners may have.

1.    Value: The PVC in a PVC window will outlast most of the materials in other windows and performs better than them.  When it comes therefore to getting value for money with uPVC window prices you are gaining on two fronts.  Because PVC windows are long lasting you will not have to change them for a long time and because they are very energy efficient your fuel bills will be lower over the lifetime of the windows and subsequently you will save money.
2.    Durability: About 90% of the applications PVC is used for are what would be called ‘long life’ applications.  This description aptly applies to PVC windows and doors and also to such products as uPVC cladding.  Some studies have shown that in relation to windows and their profiles, 40 years is the projected lifespan.  This is more than any manufacturers will give a warranty for – in fact most will only cover the windows for ten to twenty years – but that is to be expected.  uPVC windows and doors will survive well against corrosion, inclement, prolonged weather and impact damage.
3.    Good for the environment: Advanced production technology has meant that the resin manufacture for PVC now can save a lot of energy in the production of PVC and this means less greenhouse gases are being produced when manufacturing companies are producing PVC.
4.    Part-produced from renewable resources: About half of the ‘feedstock’ required to produce PVC comes from salt.  As salt is abundant and renewable resource, PVC doors and windows are being produced from ‘feedstock’ that can be renewed and the same cannot be said for some other commonly used building materials.
5.    Low maintenance: PVC or vinyl windows will require little or no maintenance throughout their lifespan.  This is a fact that is both beneficial to the homeowner and to the environment, as for example, other window types will require painting every few years, which will produce undesirable paint emissions.  Over the lifetime of a timber window for example, a homeowner could have to paint the window possibly a dozen times.  This can lead to a large accumulation of emissions and leftover paint, brushes and paint tins that all have to be disposed of.
6.    Recyclable: Improvements are being made every day worldwide with regard to recycling PVC.  There have been various initiatives introduced  by governments involving PVC manufacturers and the building industry and these initiatives have seen a dramatic rise in the ability of  PVC recycling.  Vinyl2010 is one such major voluntary initiative taken by the PVC industry, which looks at all parts of the PVC cycle, raises awareness of issues that need to be addressed within the industry and promotes action where necessary.
7.    Tested fire performance: Due to the fact that PVC has a chlorine base, it is an inherently flame retardant material, which does not easily catch fire.  For example the ignition temperature of PVC is circa 390 degrees celcius as against an ignition temperature of circa 250 degrees celcius for timber.
8.    High Standards of manufacture: Manufacturing PVC is a process that, like most processes of production, is strictly monitored to ensure that consumer health and welfare is protected.  Emissions that are produced during the production of PVC have to be monitored by the Environmental Protection Agencies of the various countries involved.
9.    Versatility: PVC is a highly versatile product that can be used to produce a PVC window of almost any style.  Whether a homeowner requires PVC sash windows,  casement windows or bay windows does not matter – all of these window types are easily manufactured and marketed at a competitive price.