Aluminium has seen a resurgence in the last few years. While we have been uPVC manufacturers for over 30 years, we now offer aluminium products, and use our industry experience to try and ensure you get the best product for your home. We get asked a lot what the benefits of aluminium over uPVC are, and vice versa. Today we will cover those basic points.
Advantages of Aluminium Double Glazing
Frame size
Due to aluminium being a stronger material than uPVC, the physical frame size is smaller. This is a big advantage when you are trying to maximise the light, or have a certain aesthetic you are going for. the same can be said for the physical overall size of windows and doors, we can go much larger on an aluminium door or window than we can safely in uPVC, which again increases light entering the room.
Durability
While this is not as important for domestic customers, Aluminium can withstand more abuse and has a longer life cycle than uPVC. In high traffic areas (for example shop fronts, or a frequently used bifolding door), powder coated aluminium will look better for longer, with an average life cycle of around 40 years compared to uPVC’s life cycle of around 25 years.
Advantages of uPVC Double Glazing
Efficiency
uPVC is an excellent insulator, and there are no aluminium products on the market which can match uPVC for energy efficiency. U-values down to 0.8 are achievable with uPVC, even with thermal breaks and advances in glass, pure aluminium products cannot get close to that figure.
Woodgrain foils
uPVC can be foiled for a woodgrain effect. This allows us to create fantastic windows with the visual appearance of timber, but with none of the maintenance. It also means we can apply a colour or woodgrain to one side only. Aluminium Powder coating is a single colour finish, and to “dual colour” - have different colours on each side” is substantially more.
Cost
uPVC is a much more cost-effective option than aluminium. With good energy efficiency, equivalent security, but substantially less than aluminium, it is no surprise than uPVC is still the #1 choice for replacement windows in the UK
Which is best?
As you can see, it isn't clear cut as to what product is the best. Every project has an ideal product in mind, and we are always happy to answer your queries and recommend what would be best for you.
