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The old PVC windows in our house are shagged. I'd really like some metal windows which will have narrower sight lines, and look more traditional. Not keen on wood having to be repainted every five years or so.
Has anyone got any experience of them?
Do they still make steel windows ? I thought the poor insulation/high conductivity property of steel plus the high occurrence of condensation had made them redundant ? Have they ever been made in a double-glazed version? And don't they need to be painted regularly ?
A lot of commercial buildings use narrow profile aluminium frames with double glazed units. Think the alu sections are filled with insulation.
I've seen a couple of Grand Designs use them domestically. And bi-fold doors are made of similar profiles, so it can be done.
I'd be interested to price them up against upvc
When you say "metal" I guess that you don't necessarily mean steel? However, Crittall are the manufacturer of steel windows that springs to mind but I wouldn't want them in my house for the reasons above.
Alu composite windows would be a better product and there are a plethora of manufacturers out there. Google is your friend. There are plenty available with 50mm sight line if that is thin enough?
Composite windows are quite competitively priced these days, even when compared to uPVC.
Okay, I'll look up aluminium.
Cheers
I've a customer in Edinburgh who's father had their house built in the '20s. Steel windows were specified as they would be low maintenance; several have since rusted through. Everybody slags off wood but there are plenty of 250 year old sash + case windows still going strong in the Edinburgh New Town.
Google shows that even Everest do alu frames. Should be easy to find someone local
There is a double glazed thermally broken steel window section produced. Crittall is the famous name, but there are plenty of others making similar. Modern windows will be galvanised and last beyond your lifetime.
FWIW you can get PVC now with much slimmer sight-lines than older designs used to have.
Otherwise, Ally is your friend...
There is a double glazed thermally broken steel window section produced. Crittall is the famous name, but there are plenty of others making similar.
Well you learn something new everyday. Can't say I can recall ever seeing them on a new build, certainly not housing - only timber or uPVC. And aluminum windows always seems to be the preserve of older DIY or commercial buildings.
For sure. I work for a Swiss Co called Jansen - we manufacture exclusively in steel. We have some massive "domestic projects" in hand - conversions of the old BBC TV Centre and Battersea Power Station to name but two.
Our Janisol Arte system has very narrow sight lines, is double glazed / thermally broken and usually supplied in a PPC pre galv finish.
Near enough new build - Crittall Windows were used on the Air Traffic control tower on Restoration Man
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-restoration-man/articles/all/hms-owl-suppliers
Steel windows:
http://www.clementwindows.co.uk/residential-clients/
http://www.clementwindows.co.uk/eb24-range/
Having a humm and a haw about these myself. We're in a road where all the houses are similar. Original windows are/were steel, single glazed, leaded lights. We've still got those.
It's interesting looking up and down the road seeing what people have replaced theirs with. Some look great, some really don't. Double glazed jobs from Clement would look great. Would let more light in with the narrow frames you get with steel, too - compared with Alu, UPVC or wood.
highly recommend timber composite windows, ive used them in residential environments and seen them on old housing stock 40 yr + the only significant issue was the fading of the powder coat
Nordan are good http://www.nordan.co.uk/UK/windows/
For composite alu-timber, also look at Velfac and Rationel.