24/11/06
Finally locked down the glazing. We got a quite a few quotes and they varied, but not as much as we were expecting. At a trade show last year we saw Velfac wood/alu windows and thought they looked pretty neat. Architect also recommended them but caveated they weren’t cheap. Which they’re not - more mid range? But they did come around the same, or even cheaper than other aluminium brands. Not sure why, but maybe something to do with the fact we have a lot of casement doors going in. Their system makes casement doors in a way identical to their windows, that perhaps keeps costs down compared to more complicated aluminium patio doors. The aluminium route tended to really increase in price when factoring in around 6-7 pairs of casement doors. There were also one or two companies blatantly trying to take the piss with pricing making the most of the inflation of late.
Finally locked down the glazing. We got a quite a few quotes and they varied, but not as much as we were expecting. At a trade show last year we saw Velfac wood/alu windows and thought they looked pretty neat. Architect also recommended them but caveated they weren’t cheap. Which they’re not - more mid range? But they did come around the same, or even cheaper than other aluminium brands. Not sure why, but maybe something to do with the fact we have a lot of casement doors going in. Their system makes casement doors in a way identical to their windows, that perhaps keeps costs down compared to more complicated aluminium patio doors. The aluminium route tended to really increase in price when factoring in around 6-7 pairs of casement doors. There were also one or two companies blatantly trying to take the piss with pricing making the most of the inflation of late.
They’re chunky, pine timber framed on the inside, and a slim aluminium exterior Triple glazed. We’ll keep the timber plain lacquered rather than painting it. All equal sightlines from the exterior so about as minimal in appearance as is possible. The frames can be stacked, meaning the stairwell glazing should look pretty nice from the inside with lots of visible timber on display. Their main downside is they take a bit more work to install. The render around the insulation on the window reveals needs to be complete prior to install, and we’ve been told they’re a bit less forgiving for the fitters.
We recently spotted them at the local medical centre (below). Seems they’re often used in new build apartments and commercial spaces. We had some aluminium framed windows at our last place and they always seemed to attract condensation on cold days and felt hot to the touch in summer. Hoping wood is a decent step up. Time will tell. Still to decide on exterior colour which will be informed by the render colours we select.
