Which double glazed windows are the best, uPVC or aluminium?

Double glazing is one of the most important decoration for any home or commercial building. They do not just improve the overall look of your building, but provide an instant barrier against external elements to.

Both uPVC windows and Aluminium windows are available in various shapes and sizes also forms. Double glazed windows are often built in either uPVC, timber or aluminium profiles. Each double glazed material has a variety of pros and cons, so please read the rest of this blog so you can decide which best suits your home.

What are uPVC Windows?

When it comes to double glazing, you have most likely heard of the term uPVC windows as this is one of the most common material used for glazing. UPVC is extremely popular within the double glazing industry as it provides many advantages.

UPVC otherwise known as un-plasticised polyvinyl chloride, is sometimes referred to as PVC. UPVC is an extremely strong, tough and rigid material. As uPVC does not contain any harmful materials, makes it the ideal material when it comes to double glazing.

Advantages of uPVC over Aluminium Windows

If we take a look at both uPVC and aluminium double glazing we need to compare the advantages of each material so we can decide on which material is better.

The first obvious factor is the cost between the two materials, which can be a major influence when it comes to choosing double glazing. Aluminium windows is much more expensive compared to uPVC windows as they cost much more to manufacture.

As uPVC is a more common substance for double glazing and has been mass-produced since the early 70s, this makes manufacturing far less to produce. However, aluminium double glazing has had a rapid increase in sales especially throughout Peterborough, Stamford and Spalding areas. As popularity has increased, this reduces production cost and allows aluminium to become a very strong contender when it comes to double glazing. Especially within modern self-build homes, commercial building such as schools and office buildings.

When it comes to the level of maintenance required for both double glazed materials, uPVC and aluminium both require extremely low preservation. Both window materials only require an occasional wipe down with a damp cloth to keep them looking good.   

When it comes to resilience then aluminium may require a little more attention than uPVC windows. Aluminium window profiles can scratch allowing rust and flakiness to occur. This can be enhanced if purchasing poor quality aluminium including bad colour spray within the manufacturer. This is why we only choose top performing aluminium manufacturers guaranteeing their aluminium windows and doors against these errors. However uPVC double glazed window frames if scratched will not rust or corrode.

When it comes to home security both uPVC and aluminium off excellent resilience and safe guarding all year round. UPVC windows are the most popular choice to local residence due to their attractive and aesthetically pleasing style, while offering high performance. While aluminium security is more common within commercial building such as schools, office buildings and commercial buildings. More sophisticated security systems and be included like digital coding and emergency opening devices.

When it comes to strength of either double glazed material then aluminium comes second to none. UPVC is much weaker than aluminium which makes aluminium the ideal material when installing larger windows and doors.

Aluminium is also a much lighter material then PVC making it a better material for commercial construction. It can also be recycled many times and it is a better conductor of heat than uPVC. However, is can be a poorer thermal insulator and conductivity than uPVC, if you purchase from a pitiable manufacturer.

If you live close to the beach then we would recommend uPVC rather that aluminium as aluminium is more susceptible to corrosion than uPVC. However, all our aluminium windows and doors are fully protected and provide a 10 year guarantee against this issue.

UPVC windows and doors are globally accepted in the double glazing industry as uPVC is 100% water resistant. Which means that they will fully protect all windows and doors from any interior water. Stagnate on other materials could leave a mark or even causing rusting affecting the quality of poor aluminium products.

Advantages of Aluminium Windows

Using our high quality aluminium windows and doors will easily meet or exceed any energy efficiency standards. Installing our aluminium windows and doors will easily improve heat gain and heat loss compared to your existing windows by 60% equalled to other expensive double glazing products such as uPVC or timber windows.

Aluminium could actually save you up to three times the CO2 via its aluminium frames, compared to its contestants, within its first year. Which means that over the life time of the building or home, it could save you well over 100 times that figure.

All of our aluminium windows and doors are corrosion resistant which means that our frames are extremely low maintenance. Our aluminium frames are resistant to all weather conditions even in the extremist of winter conditions. Unlike other company products, these aluminium windows and doors will not swell, crack, split or warp, maximising the life span of these products.

Aluminium double glazing has become increasing popular over the last few years, which is significantly reducing the price of manufacturing. This has now allowed aluminium double glazing to become affordable allowing the average house-owner to take advantage of these savings.

Due to the strength of aluminium this allows flexibility during manufacturing larger windows and doors, or even producing specific dimensions to allow maximum imagination. With endless finishes and glazing options, aluminium offers the best range of designs while delivery an excellent thermal performance.