Choosing the right material for your house windows can be difficult and while the visual differences are easy to spot, the practical differences are arguably more important.
Windows are an integral part of your home, so you will need frames that will keep your home safe, secure and energy-efficient all while meeting your style expectations. However, knowing which frames can provide this, can be a lot harder than simply picking out a set that looks good.
One window frame material that will give you many of the practical benefits you need is aluminium. Here are the main advantages you can expect when you pick aluminium casement windows:
Strength
Perhaps the biggest benefit of aluminium window frames is their strength. While all metal windows are strong, the aluminium alloys used to make window frames are incredibly strong which makes them perfect for large windows.
If you’re looking to make an unusually big feature window, aluminium windows have the strength to hold a large pane of glass, without the need for mullions or anything to reinforce them.
Aluminium is also the best choice for triple-glazed windows. The extra layer of glass in triple-glazing can be too heavy for uPVC and even timber as the added weight can shorten the lifespan of the whole window. Naturally, this is not ideal when you’ve paid extra for this energy-efficient glazing. Unlike its counterparts, aluminium frames are more than up to the task of holding triple-glazing for many decades.
The strength of aluminium frames is useful even with standard double-glazed windows. It lets you have much narrower profiles, meaning the frames are narrower giving you more glass, more light and a cleaner look.
Durability
As well as being strong, aluminium window frames are robust and durable, their powder coating is resistant to corrosion and their strength makes them hard to damage.
With aluminium windows, you don’t have to worry about the exposure to the elements damaging your frames because the powder coating will prevent water from getting into your frames and causing them to rot, which can happen with timber. You also don’t have to worry about extreme temperatures causing them to warp or crack as you would with uPVC. Even steel windows can weaken over time in the cold but that is not an issue with aluminium windows either. They will actually increase in strength when exposed to chilly temperatures.
The powder coating is so robust you won’t even notice much colour fading over time, as you can with uPVC and timber windows. Even when they’re under direct sunlight, aluminium windows will hold their colour well.
In fact, high-quality aluminium framed windows will last around 40 years, giving them the longest lifespan of all window frame materials.
Low Maintenance
As they are so durable aluminium windows are also very low maintenance.
They won’t need regular coats of paint to keep them looking smart and they won’t need annual layers of stain or oil to keep them weather resistant. In fact, a high-quality set of aluminium windows should need nothing more complicated than regular cleaning.
And the tough nature of their powder coating should even make cleaning quick and simple too. Dirt won’t work it’s way into the surface or become ingrained unless the powder coat gets damaged. Wipe aluminium frames down regularly and they should only need a quick wash with soap and water on ‘deep cleaning’ days.
Great insulators
You might be surprised to know that aluminium windows can be among the most thermally efficient available, though the important part to notice here is ‘can’. Aluminium alone can transfer heat easily, which makes it a bad insulator and no good for keeping your house warm.
However, if your aluminium windows have a thermal break, their thermal performance shoots up. This is because the thermal break acts as an insulator, like the space between double glazing panes, it stops the heat from escaping and stops cold air from getting in.
It is important to make sure you get thermally broken aluminium windows and your windows will provide excellent energy efficiency. They can easily meet and even exceed UK building regulations. Another advantage of aluminium frames of course is that they are also strong enough to hold triple-glazed glass to help you get maximum energy efficiency from your windows.
Environmentally Friendly
If sustainability is at the top of your priority list, then aluminium window frames are an unbeatable choice. Most of the benefits we listed above contribute to their impressive sustainability performance.
- Their strength means less aluminium needs to be manufactured per frame, compared to thicker timber or uPVC frames.
- The lovely long lifespan created by their durability means you need to replace your windows less often. This seriously shrinks the carbon footprint of each frame compared to those with a much shorter life.
- As fantastic insulators, they will help make your home as energy-efficient as possible, reducing the need to use your central heating and lowering your carbon footprint too.
However, the final sustainability benefit of aluminium is how easy it is to recycle. As little as 5% of the energy needed to manufacture the average aluminium window is needed to recycle it, and it can be recycled indefinitely to make sure less waste is created.
In fact, 75% of aluminium that is currently used in the world today has already been recycled, showing just how durable and reusable it is.
Are Aluminium Window Frames Worth It?
If you’re looking for windows that are strong, durable, easy to maintain and highly sustainable, then aluminium windows are definitely worth the investment.
On top of all their practical benefits, they also have striking looks, creating crisp clean lines that sit beautifully in contemporary buildings. They even look great in period properties, creating an exciting contrast and distinctive feature.
There really is plenty to recommend aluminium frames as a choice for any home. Here at Windows and More, we stock a wide range of high-quality aluminium casement windows that tick all these boxes and more. Please take a look at our aluminium windows range to find out more.
