1. Material Used to Make the Window Frames
A good place to start when shopping for windows is the material used to make the window frames. When choosing frames for your windows, make sure that the material you choose provides adequate insulation and is hard-wearing for increased longevity. For this, mother nature provides the perfect solution – timber!
Timber is an organic and durable material that is capable of outliving manufactured products such as uPVC by double. Apart from its stunning looks, its standards far exceed Britain’s regulatory building standards. For a long time, hardwood was considered to be the best timber product for constructing window frames, however, with advances in manufacturing techniques and technology, that’s no longer the case.
Today, we have engineered timber, an environmentally-friendly material that’s great for window frames and whose performance is far superior to that of solid timber. Engineered timber gets its strength and durability from its manufacturing process – sections of timber are layered together before being compressed and bonded. The next step involves laminating the wood with hard-wearing materials like Accoya for increased longevity.
2. Window Fenestration
The positioning of your windows could considerably change your home’s exterior and interior aesthetics. When planning on where to have your windows installed, there are a couple of things you need to consider. Beyond planning on which way your windows look (something that’ll affect how your home will look) is how they’ll affect the way light enters different rooms and if the lighting suits the purpose of the room.
Once you’ve established how you want your windows arranged, the next thing you need to consider is the design. If all your windows are uniform in size, consider applying different features and styles such as changes to the finish, glazing, leading, or glazing bars for maximum impact.
For older structures that require Georgian windows and replacement sash, take notice of the minute details as they could end up ruining an otherwise sympathetic restoration of the structure’s historic exterior. We have in stock a specialist product that features a slightly deeper glazing bar and slimline glazing. This product makes it look like you are using the traditional single glazing, while in the real sense, it is a double-glazed unit that provides all the benefits associated with modern windows.
3. High-Performance Glazing
The quality of glazing used plays an essential role in window design and there are lots of contributing factors that help define this. It is a well-known fact that both double and triple-glazed windows are energy efficient and can help lower energy costs. If you are still using single-glazed windows, it is high time you considered replacing them.
If thermal efficiency matters to you, then consider working with low-emissivity glass as it drastically reduces heat transmission by reflecting interior heat into the house. Solar glass is another popular option thanks to its ability to keep heat out during hot summer months. Apart from that, it also reduces UV light and glare.
There’s also laminated glass, which is quite popular in urban areas thanks to its ability to reduce noise and improve security. Another option that’s popular amongst homeowners is toughened glass. This glass is 4X stronger than regular glass and is a lot safer when broken since it shatters into small glass cubes rather than sharp pieces of glass. If outside noise is leaking into your home and disturbing you then you might want to consider Soundproof Windows.
4. Sustainable Wood Frame Windows
The sustainability of the product you get is another thing you need to consider when buying new windows. Environmentally-friendly products lower carbon footprint and keep wastage at a minimum, two qualities that help add value to any property. One material that’s recently proven to offer exceptional sustainability is Accoya, a fast-growing type of wood that offers unique environmental benefits over scarce, slow-growing hardwoods and carbon-intensive, non-renewable materials such as steel, concrete, and plastics.
