A guide to Buying aluminium windows

When it comes to buying aluminium windows, it's easy to assume that these are only for contemporary houses or new extensions. Or they may not necessarily suit your home or your budget. We've put together some advice, tips and information about the various aluminium windows available.

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Advice for buying aluminium windows better

Your choice of what are the best aluminium windows for your home comes down to several factors. Of course, budget plays a big part. Seek out a company specialising in aluminium. Even better with aluminium as their primary product offering. You're more likely to get better prices and products as a result.

The demand and popularity for aluminium windows mean these no longer have the 'luxury' perception with a price to match. You have the choice of excellent mid-range products as well as the high-end contemporary or architectural glazing.

Besides price and supplier, it's worth knowing that aluminium windows come with several styling options. Therefore, whether you live in an older house or a more modern one, there's a choice of frame style that won't look out of place. On the other hand, if you do seek something making a statement, aluminium windows provide a solution here too.

In other words, it's easy to find timber-look, classic chamfered or sculptured frames, or heritage windows for older houses.

Importantly, aluminium windows are the best for slimline or minimalist window frames. Even better you get bigger window sizes and larger opening vents in aluminium. For you, this means more glass, better light and improved views through your windows.

Remember, aluminium windows come designed to integrate perfectly with aluminium bifolding doors. There are also design opportunities, using aluminium windows and gable or apex windows above bifolding doors. In addition, sides of new extensions, where you may not need a door, also suit large fixed picture windows. Furthermore, the sizes of these generally come as large as glass sizes allow. These picture windows work particularly well beside aluminium sliding doors too.

Energy efficiency of aluminium windows

The energy efficiency of windows is a crucial consideration. You want your home well insulated and reducing your energy bills.

Current Building Regulations require windows in new dwellings needing a U-Value of 1.6Wm2K or a Window Energy Rating of C. Of course, the most significant element is the glass and its specification. Our aluminium windows, all meet or exceed the current requirements. They also come with some key features that make up their excellent energy efficiency.

• Insulated aluminium profiles typically with a polyamide thermal break. These prevent heat loss through the frame.
• Minimum 28mm glass units with a soft-coat low-emissivity coating, warm edge spacer bars and argon gas fill. 
• Engineered seals and gaskets and extra thermal insulation, further helping with heat loss reduction.

One excellent example of a highly insulated aluminium window is the Origin OW-80, one of the best on the market. These windows come with some of the best window energy ratings when upgraded with the unique Aerogel insulation. They're even better with triple glazing.

Security of Aluminium Windows

One of the really great benefits of aluminium windows is the strength and security. And, aluminium windows come substantially slimmer than their PVCu or timber counterparts.

There are no security concerns with aluminium windows. As standard, expect to see multi-point locks, internal glazing beads, glass security devices and locking handles. Our windows use locking systems from trusted and familiar names such as Yale

Even better, most aluminium windows come with independent certification. Look for PAS 23 or 24, Document Q, and similar security standards.

Trickle Ventilators. What are they and do you need them?

Trickle ventilators are small components at the frame of your windows. These let airflow into your rooms. Effective ventilation is another Building Regulations requirement.

For new build projects, you must have trickle vents in your windows or provide other adequate methods of background ventilation in your rooms meeting Part F of the Building Regulations.

When replacing old windows the advice is straightforward. If your old (outgoing) windows have trickle vents, when buying new aluminium windows, these must also have them.

Buying aluminium windows. Operation and Functionality

Aluminium windows come as fixed windows such as picture windows or floor to ceiling glazing. However, opening options are also extensive.

• Outward opening windows either side or top hung.
• Inward opening windows.
• Sliding, pivoting or parallel opening windows.

Importantly, these flexible window options let you choose exactly the right product for your home. Different opening methods also provide different functionality and convenience.

For instance, side hung windows come with fire-escape hinges or easy clean hinges. These provide a crucial safety feature and let you clean the outside pane easily.

Of course, there are other options. Bay or bow windows, flat or corner styles and even shapes like gable or apex styles.

Are you interested in learning more about Ultra-slim edge Casement Aluminum Windows? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!

Window designs and styles

Take a look at some of the outstanding styles and types of aluminium windows available for your home. These are just some of the products available in aluminium. Of course, they all come with the same quality, security and excellent weather performance.

Steel-look windows

Both on-trend and highly desirable. They're even suitable inside your home.

Steel-look windows come as Art-Deco, heritage or industrial look. Elegant, slimline and highly distinctive.

Flush casement windows

The Origin OW-80 is unique amongst aluminium windows with a flush casement inside and outside.

No other window looks like an Origin. It's perfect as a traditionally styled timber look or a highly contemporary seamless window.

Slimline aluminium windows

The ultra-slim Alitherm window suite offers lots of options for choosing slimline windows.

Alitherm is ideal as traditional or contemporary looking windows with a choice of square or profiled frames and sashes.

Floor-to-ceiling windows

For bold panoramic or floor to ceiling glazing, aluminium is the best.

We've a great choice of slim or flatline floor-to-ceiling windows, also integrating with doors if required.

Get the best when buying aluminium windows from FGC

At FGC Bespoke Aluminium we offer some of the best aluminium windows on the market. Above all, you're supported by our professional service and first-class installation. We are proud of our reviews from our customers. And we care about transforming your home into a special place too.

Contact us today, send us your drawings or talk to one of our friendly team.

Decide How Much Window Needs Replacing
If the window jambs'the vertical sides of the window frame'are in good shape, you could buy and install just a new 'sash pack,' which includes just the upper and lower sashes that hold the glass in place. The more common 'pocket' replacement includes both the sashes and frame; once the old sashes and the tracks they run on are removed, this type of window fits inside your existing frame. New-construction windows, requiring the removal of the entire old window, sill, and other components, are appropriate when the window frame is rotted or damaged; they're the most costly type of replacement. Windows in Consumer Reports' ratings include both pocket-replacement and new-construction replacement windows.

Read the NFRC Label
Before you buy, look on the window you're considering for a label from the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC), an industry group. It will have a black arch in the top left corner, framing a sun shape. The figures on the NFRC label give you a snapshot of the window's energy performance, which you can use to compare it with other windows on the market. That information includes the U-factor, which indicates how well the window keeps heat from escaping from the house, and the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC), which indicates how well the window prevents heat from the sun from penetrating the house. In both cases, lower numbers indicate greater effectiveness. The sticker includes other information that can have an impact on energy efficiency, too. Check CR's guide to making sense of a replacement window label for more details.

Look for the Energy Star label
The Energy Star logo and zone map you see on a window won't tell you how much that particular model will save you compared with others'as it does with major appliances'but it will tell you whether the window meets Energy Star standards for your area of the country.

As of late October , Energy Star tightened its standards for certification. For example, under the new Energy Star criteria, U-factors must be no higher than 0.22 in the Northern Zone (encompassing most of the upper half of the country) and no higher than 0.32 in the Southern Zone (encompassing Florida and southernmost areas of Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Arizona, and California). The new criteria for the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient was adjusted to no less than 0.17 in the Northern Zone and no more than 0.23 for the Southern Zone.

Find a Capable Installer
Even the best windows won't deliver the look or comfort you expect if they're installed incorrectly. Professional installation is key, especially if you have an older home where, say, window frames have shifted over time and are no longer square at the corners.

Many major window manufacturers train and certify installers for their specific brand of window. Using the same contractor for purchase and installation means that if a problem arises later, there will be no doubt who is responsible for fixing it; the window seller can't blame the installer or vice versa. 

Get multiple bids and look online for certification from the American Window and Door Institute or Installation Masters. Any bid you receive should include specifics such as window brand and model, number of windows, size, and type, plus any add-on features. Installation details should be noted and labor and material costs broken out separately. If your home was built before , look for an installer who knows how to deal with lead paint on the sills and moldings, advises Tom Kraeutler, host of The Money Pit home-improvement radio show. The Environmental Protection Agency offers a database of trained and certified 'lead-safe certified contractors.' A handful of states, mentioned on that EPA page, have their own programs.

While contractors often have their preferred brands, don't rely on the contractor to choose your windows for you. Check out our replacement window ratings for details on which did best in our tests for keeping a home comfortable and dry. 

Mind the Warranty
The window and your installer may each have their own warranty, with its own terms. A typical replacement-window warranty lasts 10 years, though some brands and models offer terms as long as 20 years or promise a 'lifetime' warranty, says Andrii Gurskyi, owner of New York City-based Mr. Glazier Windows and Doors. Installation warranties, covering problems arising from poor workmanship, usually are shorter, from one year to five. Check the fine print carefully for exclusions, such as failure to cover glass repairs after five years or mechanism repairs for 10 years, Gurskyi advises.

Custom Replacement Windows May Take Longer
Replacements for oddly shaped windows or those requiring special features can take 6 to 12 weeks to arrive from the time you order them, says John Kolbaska, owner of Windows & Doors By The Men With Tools in Staten Island, N.Y. That said, a popular style may take less time, even if it's custom-ordered. Michael Wandschneider, director of product management at Marvin, a national brand in Warroad, Minn., says several of his company's top-selling window and door collections are currently available as soon as five weeks from the order date. And very basic windows are likely to be available relatively quickly.  'If you're ordering a stock window right from the manufacturer'a basic white window that comes in a standard size'it should only take about a week or two,' Kolbaska says.

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