Double Glazing - PVCU v WOOD?

wobbley

RedOnRed wrote:

We had Safestyle Windows give us a rough quote for UPVC windows, not that I had any intention of every buying them, but they probably would have set us back about £4,500 - £5,500. Wooden ones were roughly double the lower figure.

Eeeek !!! - dont! The clue with Safestyle is when the fitters turn up on horses wearing stetsons and spurs,,,,

Regarding the original post, all windows need maintenance from time to time. DG seals can go, UPVC can become brittle and/or fade (despite what they tell you). The cheaper less well made UPVC units can sag. And then of course there's the usual - "We will give you a full warranty for 25 years,,, well,, actually for 18 months until our company stops trading then starts up again with a new name."
As for wood, and especially hardwood it does benefit from being treated/painted every 5-7 years but this inconvenience far outweighs UPVC in terms of lifespan. UPVC will last maybe 20 years, 35 if you're really lucky. Wooden frames, treated well and regularly can outlast all of us, and our grandchildren,
I recently stayed at a house in Kent which dated from the 1500's the windows were about 300 years old. And guess what - They weren't from Safestyle !

RedOnRed

wobbley wrote:

And then of course there's the usual - "We will give you a full warranty for 25 years,,, well,, actually for 18 months until our company stops trading then starts up again with a new name."

That's why it's best to go for an insurance backed guarantee.

jennifernil

We had our house built in 1988, we have " H Windows " made to a Norwegian design in Berwick-on-Tweed. They are pressure treated softwood treated with a product called Butinox in a teak colour and we do them over every 3-5 years as required. Because they turn right round it is quite easy to do.
5 years is no age for windows. What is it you don't like about them? Colour can be changed, style is more difficult! Replacing them will not be cheap, and a terrible waste.

Leftynick

I'm not that fussed personally but my partner doesnt like the look of them and the fact that every other house in the street has white PCU compared to these dark wooden ones....

So now i know that Safestyle are a no, no - any actual recommendations for PVCU????

tik33

My thought is that better to reuse than replace. I personally love timber windows - especially old sash windows and it fills me with horror when a lovely victorian property has its 'eyes' ripped out to be replaced with plastic ones... However, you say that your windows look new - you don't mention what style property you are buying or the age of that property that might give you an idea as to which windows would 'suit' the property. In my mind, pvc windows are the dirge of our housing stock and destroy our rich architectural heritage. As someone else has said, we have taken the marketing spiel hook line and sinker and think that they will outlast and outperform timber, but they are environmentally damaging and could potentially knock thousands off the value of your house (that depends on the style of your property)...

Leftynick

Its a 1970's built chalet-style sand coloured brick built semi with an extension on the side in the same brickwork/colour. Think there are 8 windows in total.

George_Bray

eilz wrote:

Can double glazed windows be put into wood, and would it be beneficial to do this, in terms of keeping warm, and keeping costs down?

Last week, as a trial, I replaced a single pane of window glass with a 24mm (normal size) double glazing module. It involved modifying the external wood work very slightly but the overall appearance is now more streamlined than before. I view the trial as a success. My forecast total cost for doing the entire house in this way is less than £400 (plus my time). UPVC would cost around £3000 (supplied and fitted).

I neglect the paintwork on my 20 year old softwood window frames and only re-paint about every 10 years. Yet the wooden windows are still in fair condition and a coat of paint brings them back to looking good again.

I had Argon put in the double glazing module, which should provide better heat insulation than most upvc solutions.

Finally, I understand I don't need any Building Regs approval for this DIY project because I'm not replacing the frames.

In summary, in my case I fully expect this upgrade to be significantly better in terms of keeping warm. I suggest the costs of £400 (superior double glazing due to "K" glass + argon) vs £3000 (lesser spec double glazing) speak for themselves.

Regards
George

RedOnRed

George_Bray wrote:

I had Argon put in the double glazing module, which should provide better heat insulation than most upvc solutions.

You're right about argon making a difference, but the difference is supposed to be negligible and something like 0.01%.

The fact is, the windows U value should already be something like 1.6, adding argon makes the faintest of differences but sounds good.

George_Bray

RedOnRed wrote:

You're right about argon making a difference, but the difference is supposed to be negligible and something like 0.01%.

The fact is, the windows U value should already be something like 1.6, adding argon makes the faintest of differences but sounds good.

Really? Please point to any reasonably authoritative website (science based, not window people, please) which supports your figure of 0.01%, or anywhere near that low. My O'level physics and common sense suggest that Argon should make a much greater difference than that and is well worth doing. The straightforward heat transmission (resistance) of Argon is something like 40% better than air, I believe. A vacuum would presumably be best but I doubt if the glass could take the pressure without breaking.

Regards
George

RedOnRed

George_Bray wrote:

Really? Please point to any reasonably authoritative website (science based, not window people, please) which supports your figure of 0.01%, or anywhere near that low. My O'level physics and common sense suggest that Argon should make a much greater difference than that and is well worth doing. The straightforward heat transmission (resistance) of Argon is something like 40% better than air, I believe. A vacuum would presumably be best but I doubt if the glass could take the pressure without breaking.

Regards
George

An installer told me and not the one that fitted our windows, so he was in fact completely independent.

Here's something i've just found.

Our windows have no argon in the cavity, so for us the U value difference would appear to be roughly 0.3% in the table. So I do stand corrected that I was out slightly, but only marginally.