What are some facts about aluminium windows? Firstly of all, modern aluminium windows have advanced significantly in recent years. Gone are the days when an aluminium window suited only commercial buildings. Therefore today, the discerning homeowner has a choice of materials for their windows.
Aluminium windows provide a complete home solution.
What you may not know is that there is an aluminium window for every type of home. Aluminium windows meet every kind of design, shape and style. Look at any architect-designed home, contemporary property or any current home extension. All these modern buildings often use aluminium for windows and doors.
Gone are the days when buyers of double glazing had limited choices. Previously aluminium windows came with a silver or a white colour and typically only with a hardwood subframe.
Our range of modern aluminium windows suits a new extension. Furthermore, they replace old timber windows and even offer slimline solutions, also replicating old metal windows.
When shopping around for new windows, it’s important to separate the facts from the fiction. There are a lot of common myths surrounding aluminium windows, and some PVCu companies may try to discourage you from buying them.
At Open Living, we offer you a choice of both PVCu and aluminium windows. There is no good or bad product – each offers you different options depending on your budget, your home and your requirements generally. You may be aware of the many benefits PVCu windows provide but what about aluminium?
Aluminium windows are thermally efficient.
Study a PVCu window, and you’ll see several chambers inside the profile. These chambers give the frame strength but also energy efficiency.
An aluminium window also has chambers but relies less on these. The structural strength of an aluminium window comes from the metal itself as it’s inherently strong. The thermal insulation comes from what’s called a ‘thermal break’. Thermal breaks are designed into aluminium windows to create a bridge between the inside and outside faces of the window. This is what insulates the frame of a window.
Just like PVCu and with our high specification glass you can now have aluminium windows with Window Energy Ratings of A, B or C.
Our Origin Twin Flush window as one example is a super energy efficient window and comes with an A rating. Enhance this window with the Aerogel option and the performance is even better.
Aluminium windows for traditional properties.
One of the advantages of aluminium windows is that they come in a choice of frame depths. This makes them ideal for either new build homes, new extensions and of course for the replacement of old windows.
There are also many properties that have stone window surrounds, stone mullions or hardwood subframes. Often homeowners want to retain these as a feature of the home.
Aluminium windows work with all types of stone or hardwood surrounds. You not only benefit from a slimline aluminium window but also one that will blend in with any character property.
Our entire window range is custom designed. Choose from a direct fix window, as an odd leg window for hardwood frames or intended to work in any stone mullion or stone surround.
Other facts about aluminium windows.
By their very nature, aluminium windows are stronger yet thinner. This means an aluminium window gives you greater design options.
Perhaps you want to construct a modern home extension with large glass panels. As aluminium windows come larger than PVCu, this means you create a large span window without needing mullions or transoms for support.
A large colour choice can be found in both PVCu and aluminium windows today. However, aluminium windows lend themselves better to colour. Aluminium windows are powder coated, and this process has been proven for nearly forty years to be far better than any wet paint process. The foiling of pvcu windows while of great quality doesn’t give as big a colour choice.
Aluminium also lends itself brilliantly should you require an authentic wood effect finish. Called ‘sublimation’ and found on our Origin range of windows, you can enjoy all the advantages of slimline, strong and thermally efficient aluminium with a highly authentic wood-effect finish that is great to see and touch.
You can have a choice of over 200 colours, different colours inside and out, wood effects, metallic colours, textured granite or sandstone type finishes and much more.
Where we recommend, aluminium windows.
An aluminium window will provide you with:
- Huge colour choice
- Larger windows
- A solution for stone mullions or hardwood subframes
- High security thanks to multipoint locking
- Excellent window energy ratings.
At Open Living, we offer a complete range of aluminium windows, complemented by a vast array of bifolding doors, sliding doors, lantern roofs and much more. If you’re currently in the market for new windows and would like more information, contact us for a no obligation quotation. Or why not visit our showroom?
