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        What to choose: Timber, Aluminium and uPVC windows comparison

        uPVC vs Aluminium vs Timber windows

          uPVC vs Aluminium vs Timber windowsWhen it comes to your home it is important to pick the best available material and do a due dilligence in comparing all the pros and cons.

          Windows and doors is an important part of the house that works both as an aestetics feature and weather barrier both inside and outside of the house.

          Let’s  have a look at major profile material and go in a little bit of detail on what those benefits and negatives are and how these profiles are mainly used in practice.

          Wooden windows  are the most traditional profile type and used widely in many residential and commercial applications.  They are  easily available, made in various sizes  and shapes, have a variety of timber they are made from and are very customizable.

          Aluminum windows  are  relatively light  weight and are available in different sizes and types. Cost of aluminum window depends upon the section size and thickness used for the window. Aluminium window frame is further divided in two categories – with and without thermal break what brings the total window cost and performance in two complete different areas. Aluminum standard (not thermally broken) window frames are very poor in energy efficiency and sound resistance but are light weight, low cost and required less maintains and painting compaed to timber.

          uPVC windows  stands for  the  unplasticized polyvinyl chloride. Nowadays uPVC windows are becoming more popular because of high energy efficient, excellent appearance and smooth surface. They are outperforming most of locally made wooden and aluminium windows and create a great value for money proposition whne compared to higher end aluminium thermal break and timber windows solutions.

          Let’s see the suitability and economy of all these three types of windows.

           Wooden windows

          Wood is an organic material,  a  natural composite of cellulose fibers (which are strong in tension) embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression. People have used wood for millennium for many purposes,  primarily as a fuel or as  a  construction material for making houses, tools, weapons, furniture, packaging, artworks, and paper. Wood is a natural  readily available material.

          Windows made from wood are more versatile than uPVC and aluminium windows. In being able to paint, varnish and make wood windows any size and colour that you want, you have greater freedom over the style and overall look of your home. On the other hand, that created further long term maintenance commitments and reduces life span of the windows.

          Wood windows arguably look more refined, sophisticated and ‘tasteful’ than uPVC windows and aluminium options. These days, however, a lot of uPVC and aluminium window profiles have traditional designs and features to match with traditional house designs.

          As wood is considered to be a sustainable building material because it is derived from a renewable source, installing wood windows will mean you are diminishing your carbon footprint.

          Aluminium windows

          Aluminum is now widely used as the first choice for the construction of Aluminum Doors & Windows, Ventilators and Front Wall Glazing at all major construction sites such as Hotels,  Offices, Complexes, Auditoriums, Hospitals, Showrooms etc. The finished aluminum is generally smooth , having bright finish which is highly amenable to further finishing as demanded by application

          Here are the advantages of aluminum windows.

          Aluminium windows are structurally the strongest type of window and are much stronger than uPVC or timber windows. In this sense, windows made from aluminium can be used and are widely used in commercial glazing, have really few size restrictions and as a result are very loved in architectural applications where the low profile framing is able to hold big glass panels.

          The issue with most of common in Australia aluminium windows is that they are not airtight and well sealed for dust and rain water. Even if window is well sealed and this issue is eliminated using double glazing, there is still a problem of poor energy efficiency of the frame that can be only eliminated by using a better aluminium profile system – thermal break aluminium.

          Thermal break aluminium window frame is consisting of two aluminium frame parts with a nylon insert between them what is breaking the conducting aluminium characteristic.

          The aluminum window has good corrosion resistance  and it can resist weathering condition very well in comparison to timber windows.

          It  does not absorb radiant heat and low absorption helps in maintaining the surrounding area cool during summer and warm in winter. (Of course, mainly applicable for thermally broken aluminium window framing).

          The cons of windows from aluminum.

          Aluminum window will oxidate over time. This oxidation appears as white residue and pitting Aluminum can corrode quickly if suitable precautions against electrolysis are not taken. With aluminium windows it is always cost versus performance – low cost aluminium windows have very poor energy efficiency, whereas thermally broken aluminium windows and doors are usually come above and beyond the figure on timber or uPVC windows.

          Aluminum windows are commonly recommended for building where high degree of elegance is required and therefore are used in architectural designs or general building applications driven by low house prices.

          uPVC windows

          uPVC Windows are widely used across the globe, from the deserts of Arizona to the coldest parts of Scandinavia,  from the  hot  environs of Gulf to the tropics  of Malaysia, Thailand as well as very extensively in China, S.  Korea, Taiwan,  and many more Geographies.

          This  is  due to their good aesthetics, durability, noise proofness,  low  maintenance  requirement,  best air & water tightness, and their ability to provide excellent thermal insulation, thereby helping save lots of heating and cooling costs in homes, offices  and commercial centers.

          uPVC Windows come  with a very high quality surface finish, soft contoured profiles and a variety of styles to meet the needs of the most demanding architects, designers and users.

          The environmental benefit of using uPVC Windows instead of wood and metal windows is phenomenal. Due to their ability to conserve energy throughout their life time uPVC Windows are recognized as Green Windows  thereby scoring over traditional wood and metal windows.

          uPVC windows are virtually maintenance free and easy to clean. Apart from the odd wipe down with soapy water every now and then, once your replacement or new windows are installed you won’t have to worry about treating them like you do with certain wooden varieties of windows that can swell and rot. Also uPVC windows will never need to be painted ever again, what saves on maintenance in the long run.

          uPVC is an extremely thermally efficient material and can provide your home with greater heat insulation than aluminium and wood windows can.

          For a modern home that consists of many modern fittings and features, uPVC is likely to be your best option as it will maintain the style of the property.

          Perhaps one of the main reasons that so many people opt for uPVC windows is that they are usually cheaper to buy than compatible in performance aluminium and timber windows.

          However, they are still more expensive than the basic low cost low performance wooden and aluminium windows.