Comparing Aluminium / Upvc / Wooden Windows And Doors

[llamedos]

Hi may i say up front i run the leading Aluminium Door and window company here and am asked on a daily basis what is the best option between the 3 choices well here is my opinion,

1. Wooden: In thailand many insects eat wood at an alarming rate so if its not treated regulary you can have problems very quickly.
   
2. UPVC: they are the cheap option in the market some are good some bad you cannot tell how they stand up to UV by looking at them and with some bad profiles imported from China its a problem, added to which they use metal to make the window / door more rigid if the metal and fixings are not all stainless steel you will get a red water leakage from the joints staining the frames.
   
3. Aluminium: provided the profiles are of a good quality and fabricated right they offer many years of use and come in many colors and anodised finishes, to provide extra security they can be fitted with attack proof security screens as an option
   

i hope this is usefull to you all

[citi]

I plan to replace all wooden windows with Al windows with double glazing i.e. 6mm + 6mm(air gap) + 6mm. in my house What is cost i.e. THB/sq.m. for the top quality of Al. ? All windows will be sliding type. The existing iron bars (for security) and mosquito nets will be reinstalled. The iron bars will be repainted to match the colour of Al window frame.

[Khun Jean]

The 'iron bars', how i truly hate those.

I have only seen one system that i actually liked and that was in a small hotel in Italy.

There the windows where made from hardwood, double glazed of course and with a square brass lattice in between the glass.

Only problem is that when opened, the security function is gone.

The problem with any material is quality.

You can have hardwood windows that insects not eat, will come at a premium price.

UPVC depends on type of 'plastic' and what kind of metals are used inside. You will find out later if it was the quality you thought you bought.

Same with aluminum. Only later you will find out if the used aluminum alloy was of the right kind, if not it goes brittle.

Everything looks nice when new.

So , it is actually easier to judge wood (there are no unknown alloys or mixtures) on its quality then the other materials.

If you know the kind of wood, you will know its qualities!

It is also easier to repair, profiles are known to be out of production sometimes forcing you to renew everything, happened to me twice.

With wood you just replace the part that has gone bad. When seen in that light good quality wood and trreatment lasts longer and is cheaper!

Then of course the most important about all windows and doors are the hinges, locks etc used.

Windows that can open in different ways seem nice, but every window i have seen breaks or closes less tight after some light misuse.

Misuse by kids, customers, even owners who do it improperly.

Keep the mechanisms as simple as possible and prevent those that run around the profiles to have some elaborate function. It is the biggest cause for repairs, at least according to a friend of mine that installs and repairs windows/doors in the Netherlands.

Edited January 16, 2013 by Khun Jean

[klikster]

I'm sort of with KJ on this. The aluminum used in most windows is very light gauge. UPVC .. not sure about much besides expensive.

Wood windows biggest drawback besides rot and termites is swelling during rainy season.. I always wonder why they never shave the closing edges of windows .. would mitigate a lot of that problem. The wood windows on my last house were a lot stronger than the flimsy frame that my aluminum slider latched into.

I guess the one gripe I have about wood windows is that you have to open those swing out screens, snagging the heck out of the curtains, before you can open or close the windows.

I also wonder how easy/difficult to put 5-6 mm glass panes in those wood frames.

As an aside, would I sound paranoid if I suggested that posts 1 & 2 were made in concert?

[Payboy]

UPVC: they are the cheap option

Have found UPVC to be more expensive than aluminum or wood.

[Khun Jean]

Aluminum can also have a galvanic reaction with concrete and steel.

Something most Thai installers have no idea about.

The steel bolts that are used to fix the aluminum frame to the concrete will result in corrosion of the aluminum loosening the connection which can then fail.

Of course it will happen once the installers are long gone and the factory guarantee is finished.

Repairing that will also usually result in replacing the whole.

Edited January 16, 2013 by Khun Jean

[topt]

UPVC: they are the cheap option

Have found UPVC to be more expensive than aluminum or wood.

It is certainly more expensive then ali but have never compared to a hardwood that insects cannot munch.

Ali doors/windows I have/had are not sealed with gaps allowing ingress of water and insects and were very flimsy especially the sliding door lock part. I am sure you can get better sealed and stronger ali but then how does that price compare to equivalent UPVC.

It is all relative and you need to compare like with like. I replaced some ali doors and windows with UPVC and have been very happy with that choice once I got over the cost

[Ackybang]

Hello all,

I am slowly self building my house, and trying to source the best materials and find best quality throughout, so I don't have problems, or disappointments later on.

To that end, when I finally come to putting in my windows - after much research, and looking at different examples of different windows in different materials - I'll be choosing a company called Windsor.

I found them through a Homemart.

They are not cheap - I think at least double the price of high quality ali - maybe even a bit more, but they are solid, well fitted and sealed, with high quality fittings too. They do them with mosquito screens built in also if you want - like a discreet roller blind. Really good looking, solid windows - and you can choose how you want them to open / hinge type ( I hate sliding windows ).

They are aluminium, with high quality upvc finish - all the joints are welded properly. Apparently, they come to do all the measurements, and once you've chosen the design / glass type, they are bespoke built in a factory, and shipped down ready assembled with a team of fitters. After the work is complete, a guy comes to check the work, and once o.k.'d, they give a 10 Year guarantee against workmanship - which is the best I've found in Thailand.

I've seen some examples of their work, and in my opinion, it is about as good as it gets. They do doors also, but I'm having hard wood doors throughout.

They also do proper guttering, which isn't cheap, but is very solid, and looks really nice too. I don't care for their fencing.

I think I'll wait for a sale before I commit - as I'll be looking at quite a lot of money for my house, as the windows are massive and many. I've seen them have one already, in the last Year, offering 20 percent off, and Homemart said they have them frequently.

I have no vested interests in the company, even though my post sounds like a sales pitch.

I would encourage anyone interested in windows to check them out - they normally have a display in Homemarts - elsewhere I'm not sure. If anyone has actually had them fitted for a while already, I'd be interested to know your opinions....

[citi]

I'm sort of with KJ on this. The aluminum used in most windows is very light gauge. UPVC .. not sure about much besides expensive.

Wood windows biggest drawback besides rot and termites is swelling during rainy season.. I always wonder why they never shave the closing edges of windows .. would mitigate a lot of that problem. The wood windows on my last house were a lot stronger than the flimsy frame that my aluminum slider latched into.

I guess the one gripe I have about wood windows is that you have to open those swing out screens, snagging the heck out of the curtains, before you can open or close the windows.

I also wonder how easy/difficult to put 5-6 mm glass panes in those wood frames.

As an aside, would I sound paranoid if I suggested that posts 1 & 2 were made in concert?

We all know the choice of material depends on cost and state of your house material. If I build a new house, I shall consider top quality uPVC windows but my house was built 23 yeras ago. The design and materials of my house are not up to modern standard regarding energy saving, electrical and plumbing system. The insulation of my house is poor i.e. single red brick walls, without roof insulation, and wooden windows. Hence it is no point to look for top quality uPVC windows unless I replace other materials of house as well. In fact I am looking for a type of Alu windows called Thermal Broken Alu. window with double glazing (6mm + 6mm (Air Gap) + 6mm) in Thailand. You can visit this website http://www.rightwindows.co.nz/ThermallyBrokenWindows for this type of Alu.window. I installed this type of Alu. windows in my house in Hong Kong, which are manufactured in China. I am very satisfied with the results in terms of energy saving and sound proof. uPVC windows are not popular in H.K. Since OP runs a Alu. comapny, surely he knows different quality and prices of Alu. windows. I like to hear any information from him and other members regarding Alu. windows.

[Kwasaki]

Frankly I do not think it is a case of which is the best option at all it's what you personally prefer, using a good quality product in any of the three is OK.

I went for wood because I like the look of wood windows and doors recently just getting around to replacing the thin glass with 5mm mirror type glass, as for wood rotting, not true if you use the right wood, and occasional maintenance is only require as is decor of any part of a house from time to time etc etc.

I do have a patio type white coated aluminum double sliding door at the front entrance but the two solid outer wood doors have been retained for closing at night.