Having decided to buy new windows, it is worth to think about the material which will be used for manufacture of the whole construction. Modern manufacturers offer a good selection of materials such as aluminium, timber and uPVC (or simply plastic). The first two can be combined to create even more functional constructions. Sometimes, people find it difficult to choose between all these options, therefore we provide an overview of these materials and their characteristic features.
Aluminium is an ideal material for glazing of shop windows (i.e. large areas for glazing), entrance halls and partitions between two rooms (for example in an office). The transparent section of the window is usually filled with traditional double or triple glazing (i.e. two or three glass panes), however it can be also filled with semi-transparent or nontransparent material, also known as a sandwich (aluminium or plastic). The aluminium profile is divided into two groups: “warm” and “cold”. Since aluminium is a good thermal conductor, outdoor glazing is usually performed with the “warm” aluminium (i.e. aluminium profile with a thermal separation that can be described as a thermal insulating insertion made of a special material that is fitted between the inner and outer parts of the profile). Warm aluminium windows are often installed in offices and other administrative buildings. “Cold” aluminium is used for manufacture of office partition walls and other constructions that are used only inside the building. All aluminium constructions are reliable, durable and resistant to environmental impacts.
uPVC windows are most frequently used for glazing of living areas such as apartments, cottages and other types of houses. Like “warm” aluminium, uPVC profiles are very good heat insulators that can be used for manufacture of office partition walls and glazing of hall entrances. However, uPVC constructions place strict limitations on the area that can be actually glazed. Regardless of all apparent advantages, aluminium is very rarely used for glazing of living areas, since the cost of “warm” aluminium constructions is much higher than those made of unplasticized Polyvinyl Chloride (uPVC). This is the main reason that explains the popularity and great demand for uPVC windows among ordinary house owners.
uPVC windows that are manufactured according to all technological requirements and instructions on modern high-quality equipment will definitely serve you for a long time. uPVC windows are not affected by impacts of external environment.
Wooden windows are most frequently used for glazing of apartments and countryside houses. The cost of such windows is considerably higher in comparison to uPVC and aluminium windows, because raw wood requires a lot of processing before it can used for manufacture of wooden profiles. All production stages include complex procedures like protection coating from insects and environmental negative effects, however the end result is certainly well worth its money.
Now, let us talk about advertisements.
Inexperienced customers very often become targets of dishonest advertisers and agitators that want to sell you their products. If you look closely, you can notice that they use a lot of funny clichés that have already become some sort of myths. Here are some of the most common:
Windows do not let cold air get inside your apartment.
Actually, ANY window lets out more heat than ANY wall. This means, that the ideal house with most heat saving efficiency would be built without windows at all. Would you like to live in such a lovely house? We seriously doubt that. Windows and doors (i.e. any openings in your walls) will aalways make up to 80% of all heat losses. There are no windows or doors that would totally prevent heat leaks in your house. However, good modern windows will save twice as much heat inside your house than old ordinary wooden windows. People often say, that uPVC windows often accumulate condensed water inside their glass units. There is nothing bad in this. It is just physics. If you cook soup for a long time with your windows closed, you will notice condensed water vapor not just on your windows, but on your walls as well. Modern windows have a very efficient system of sealing that prevents air drafts. This system also has some side effects. For example, you will need to air your room to reduce the level of humidity.
Windows suppress all street noises.
Firstly, not all windows have this feature and, secondly, the degree of suppression is very often exaggerated. For example, low-frequency noises produced by street trams, rock drills or highway traffic can be considerably blocked by right glass units, nonetheless the noises will still be heard inside the building.
High-frequency noises can be better blocked. If talking from a subjective point of view without any numbers, the noise will not disappear completely, however you can soon realize that you merely hear it. Still, if there is a high-speed motorway outside of your building, it is worth to install triple glazed windows with glasses of different thickness, for example 4 mm + 6mm + 4mm. This will give additional noise suppressing effect due to partial reduction of resonance. Apart from this, it might be a good idea to divide a large window into several smaller parts, since big glasses are more prone to resonance than small ones. Additionally, it is necessary to keep in mind that once you open the window the whole soundproofing effect will disappear, therefore if you really need quietness, you should think about some air conditioning systems that would keep your house fresh even if your windows are always closed.
There is a vacuum inside a glass unit.
The term “vacuum glass unit” is not quite correct. If there was a vacuum inside your uPVC window, then the pressure would crash the glasses inwards. In reality, the space between glasses of all uPVC windows is rarefied in order make those frames stick better to each other. However, this is not vacuum in its usual sense.
Thick triple glazed window unit is the best.
This is not always the case. There are several types of thermal exchange such as radiation exchange, convection exchange and conductivity exchange. The simplest one is solar radiation exchange. In order to make things clear, let us give an example. If you grab the metal handle of your frying pan without the oven mitt you will get a burn even though it is the pan that is heated by the flame and not the handle. Convection thermal exchange is connected to the transfer of heat with air (warm air moves upwards, while cold air moves downwards). In this case the air goes up along the inner (warm) glass and the empty space is then filled with cold air that goes down along the outer (cold) glass. In this way, we have constant circulation of cold and warm air inside the glass unit that helps to transfer heat outside and cold inside. This type of heat exchange is the most wasteful since the rate heat loss is enormously high. Narrow space between the glasses helps prevent the above mentioned circulation. Thus we need to care only about radiation and air conductivity exchanges. Now it becomes clear that the space between two glasses of the uPVC window is very carefully measured and has ideal ratios. Increase of space will inevitably lead to worsening of thermal characteristics of the whole uPVC construction.
Our experience shows that triple glazed windows are one of the best solutions for Melbourne due to their price-quality ratio. In order to enhance the insulating properties, standard glasses can be substituted for the so-called energy saving K-glasses that can reflect thermal emissions back into the house.
Prices for 1m2 of uPVC windows are unreasonably high.
It has been well said that there is no such thing as free lunch. This saying is very meaningful since this principle applies not only to your food but also to any other aspect of your life. If you have decided to change your windows, be ready to open your wallet wide. You should understand that modern uPVC windows cannot be cheaper than outdated wooden windows made by some shady firm. The prices for uPVC windows are almost the same throughout all Australia. If somebody offers you to install new windows for a ridiculous price, you should think twice before accepting such offers. Do not make your choice only because of some abstract sums. Do not be lazy to measure your windows with a simple tape, think over the configuration and layout, amount and sizes of the shutters, frames and other components. Make a call to a specialized company and let them do the calculations (Keep in mind that some tricky business owners try to cheat their customers by giving the total price without the goods and services tax). Do not forget to specify the full price you will have to pay for the delivery and installation of your new windows and other necessary details such as window sills, drip edges, transitional profiles etc.
The thicker the profile of your uPVC window and the more chambers it has, the better.
It is pointless to make your profile thicker and more complex than it should be, since its resistance to heat transfer is twice as large as that in a glass unit. If your window gets frozen in winter, then the frost will definitely stick to the glass and not to the window profile. You should rest assured that Australian winters are not cold enough to harm uPVC profiles in any way. Therefore, throw away your thoughts about all possible “construction peculiarities” and “technological novelties”. Profiles consisting of three, four or even five chambers will not make the difference and will not give additional insulation. The profile can consist even of ten chambers with ten contour rubber sealants, but this is just not necessary. No serious manufacturer will turn to such cheap tricks in order to attract more customers. The standard and most optimal scheme is a three-chamber profile, two or three sealants and a triple-glazed glass unit. All uPVC windows from the most well-known manufacturers are made in this way. Do not believe the “managers” of some firms who claim that either REHAU, VEKA, PROPLEX, KBE or INTERTEC is the best company. They are all equally good, so make your choice and enjoy the best products that modern window market can offer.
uPVC is ecologically unsafe.
We do not want to offend anyone, but such claims often come from people who are out of subject. They are based not on personal experience, but rather on some outdated prejudices.
Indeed, some decades ago people used lead as a stabilizer during production of plastic windows. Later, this element was substituted with other materials, however this was done not only because of ecological hazard (although the amount of lead was within the allowed limits), but mainly due to emergence of cheaper and more efficient stabilizers. Emission of chlorine (Cl) is not supported by any scientific tests at all. Chlorine is present in many natural compounds like NaCl (table salt), however this fact does not scare anyone. Neither we refuse to buy PVC electric kettles that are exposed to boiling temperatures which exceed the temperature of windows on a hot day. Modern uPVC windows do not burn. In fact, in cases of fire, high-quality uPVC windows can help to extinguish it. We all know that if window glasses break, the fresh air makes the fire more intense. So, even if the first glass gets broken due to great temperature difference, the second will allow to hold the fire until the fire brigade puts it out completely. It is also possible to install special glazing which can resist extremely high temperatures to enhance your protection.
The basis for calculating the cost of each construction are the dimensions of a window area and type of an opening. The most popular opening we offer for our uPVC windows are:
- fixed
- tilt only
- tilt turn
- tilt slide
The wider the movable part of the construction and the more openings in one unit – the more expensive it will cost.
Cost of upvc windows is also influenced by a type of profile systems, glass composition, accessories, window sill sizes, the presence of additional accessories and features, the possibility of extra micro-ventilation devices and the type of services added to the window supply – installation etc.
The final price is directly related to the level of upgrades and installation. The more upgrades are added to the window, the more expensive the cost will be.
Let us consider more details, on what particular components lies price of uPVC windows.
Double glazing
It primarily consists of the cost of glass, which is about 20-70% of the entire window depending on configuration. The price of glass depends basically on the amount and type of glass, it thickness and amount of panel installed in double glazed unit. Number of panes mostly addresses energy efficiency, as well as acoustic properties of your new PVC windows. The increase in the number of panels is proportional to the level of sound and energy insulation.
Energy savings
Nowadays it is important to choose energy efficient windows, which can be achieved using two types of low energy glass: hard coated glass and glass soft coated glass. A soft coating is applied to glass by magnetron method. This coating is a more advanced method and gives the glass a higher energy-saving performance. In the triple glazed windows, you can select a configuration with two energy efficient glass panels in the window in full or just it part, which will achieve higher thermal performance of your window and as a result influence energy efficiency of your house. Just to improve the energy saving argon gas is usually used instead of air between the glass panes. Another factor influencing the energy efficiency is the spacer frame between the panes. It can be a simple aluminum or special plastic spacer what will slightly change thermal properties of the whole double glazed unit in uPVC window .
Since the plastic has a lower coefficient of heat transfer, energy saving property of such windows would be higher. Based on the foregoing, we can conclude – the higher the energy-saving and sound insulation properties you want, the higher will be the price for your windows.
Accessories
The next parameter that will affect the price – is the hardware. The cost of hardware depends on the material from which it is made. If you are offended low cost fittings made of plastic or low quality metal – be ready to replace in a couple of years time. Blue Sky Windows only installs high-quality steel fittings with a special nano coating of exclusively European manufacturers. We guarantee that our hardware will last as much as uPVC window itself.
We wish you a pleasant shopping through our product and we are sure we can find the right opening style and specification for you!
The uPVC window is a choice of smart people because these windows guarantee the reliability, durability, quality and attractive view from the house. The uPVC windows and doors will provide you with safety and good thermal barrier between the outside and inside. You can be totally confident in their weatherproofness and energy efficiency. The special improved window covering gives the glass high energy saving property and economizes your annual expenses and this is quite important at the present time.
Do you dream to wake up early not because of the street noise outside the window? You adore falling asleep in absolute silence but shouts from outside can disturb your rest? So, this problem you can decide choosing the uPVC windows which can keep you from annoying sounds every morning, evening and night. The uPVC windows have good soundproof properties and this is one of the most efficient preferences if you live in modern city.
What is more these windows are easy to take care of. They are comfortable and easy to clean. You should just wash your window frames with soap and water and they will become spanking new again. There is no need for painting or sealing them as with wood constructions.
The uPVC windows and doors are being created special for you accordingly to the desirable style, conformation and area. You can choose a profile and colour of windows that you like and that will fit into your home perfectly. Our company offers a broad assortment of stylish high-quality plastic windows and doors for reasonable prices. We use the most modern technologies so that we can make your windows multiform and individual.
Generally, the uPVC windows and doors are white in colour but in our firm it is possible, however, to find alternative colours that will meet your needs at a slightly higher cost. We want to make our customers feel free choosing window style, so for those who do not preserve a traditional appearance of the exterior of their property we can propose a wood grain effect, such as oak, rosewood or mahogany. Of course, such units are likely to be a little more expensive than the standard white.
If you are searching for beautiful and ecologically safe windows you move on the right way because our company ensures that the uPVC windows are safe and don’t contain a place for harmful fungus and mould. uPVC is surely an eco-friendly material. In addition, it can be recycled.
Plastic windows and doors are very popular nowadays and there are a lot of reasons for this. They are also known for their long term and security. Comparing with wooden windows these means can provide you with comfort and cosiness for fifty years and more. The frames of the uPVC windows and doors are strong and sturdy, providing enhanced protection against any potential intruders. Our experts will provide qualitative installation of the windows so you will be sure in their security and reliability.
In our company the customer can freely select wished window construction: blank windows, hinged windows or tiltable-flaps windows. The price varies according to a chosen construction but the cost of the uPVC windows is quite reasonable and moderate. It can depend on the chosen style, profile and size of desirable windows.
So, the uPVC windows and doors are the solution of many problems. We propose you the most economical variant of windows and doors that will improve the appearance of your home and will provide it with energy saving properties and reliability for many years.