ᐅ Window Quote Evaluation – Is This Acceptable?

11ant schrieb:
The only thing all truths have in common is that none of them is the only one ;-)

Please don’t misunderstand me; I didn’t mean to imply that your viewpoint is “wrong.” I simply understood your post to mean that PVC windows (technically) have a shorter lifespan, which in the long run results in a higher investment despite initial savings. I offered my “risk analysis” in response to that.

Regarding the question of appearance and wear, aluminum definitely has an advantage. Whether that justifies the extra cost is, of course, a personal decision.

Dr Hix schrieb:
I compared that with my own "risk analysis."

Which, in my view, also "applies" (since no structural failure is expected) and is therefore reasonable. My different conclusion comes from another "calculation": with aluminum, I expect the replacement time, mainly motivated by appearance, to be around forty years, and with plastic around fifteen. From this perspective, I consider it outrageous to charge only twenty percent less for a product that requires replacement almost three times as often.

A second major difference between my view and the majority opinion is that I do not assume the ideal scenario of keeping a house forever and even passing it down. One might face the alternative of moving or career stagnation; or a divorce reorganizes finances, or similar situations. Therefore, I always consider the value of a house from the standpoint that it could be put on the market at any time. In that context, windows that appear "cheap" are just as effective at ruining home staging as tiles that are high-quality but unfortunately dated in 1980s style.

Aluminum and plastic windows target different types of buyers with different understandings of "cost awareness." Hardly any manufacturer would install a "premium" sliding mechanism in an "economy" product—cost savings are easiest with hidden components. Therefore, I recommend aluminum for large and heavy elements (for a guest bathroom window, you can’t really make a mistake) even to those builders who otherwise favor the plastic group's definition of cost awareness.

The perceived visual quality weighs very differently depending on whether you’re talking about an architect-designed house or a one-and-a-half-story "flair" home. Even I wouldn’t consider leather seats in a Dacia :-)

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11ant schrieb:
with aluminum, I expect the mainly visually motivated replacement time after forty years, with plastic after fifteen

Hmm, my plastic windows actually still look quite good after almost 30 years. That also matches estimates I found online. I agree with you on 40 years for aluminum, but only 15 years for plastic? I’m not so sure about that...

Who says that only “premium” hardware and other small components are used in aluminum lift-and-slide doors? Just because the frame material is different doesn’t mean that no manufacturer has technically inexperienced or at least unscrupulous business managers in the executive suite. In my experience (and I see a lot of windows professionally), there are good and bad models across all materials. Recently, without a lighter, I wouldn’t have believed the date stamp showing ’92 because the plastic lift-and-slide door looked so new. But I rarely come across plastic windows that are 15 years old that I would replace—usually only when they are damaged by external forces.

11ant schrieb:
Aluminum and uPVC windows target different buyer types with different interpretations of "value-consciousness"

There is certainly some truth to that. The same applies to pairs like "furniture store and carpenter," "department store clothing and tailor," "discount store and organic farm," or "laminate flooring and oak parquet."

I can understand the underlying idea, but I also consider it purely theoretical. What is the essence of this (fundamentally valid) observation? That it’s better not to buy anything if you can’t afford the premium product? But what if you will never be able to afford it?

Especially in housebuilding, you constantly face these kinds of decisions: external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) or ventilated façade? Roof covering with concrete tiles or slate? Stringer or cantilever staircase? Air-source or ground-source heat pump? Interior support column or load-bearing structure? Textured paint or decorative plaster on the ceiling? And so on.

Wouldn’t it be much more effective to consider where to invest a generally limited budget most strategically, rather than overspending just because of window profiles that cover about 4% of the façade surface?

Particularly when considering better resale value, focusing on window profiles seems shortsighted unless you have the funds to carry that standard consistently throughout the whole building… and who really does?

You could also say, “The buyer targeted by aluminum windows does not give up their standards at the front door.” So if you cannot financially meet these preferences throughout the rest of the house, it might not even be worth trying with the windows, right?

dertill schrieb:
Who actually says that only “premium” hardware and small components are used in aluminum lift-and-slide doors?

In the high-end segment, even more expensive lawyers are complained about ;-).
And above all, I said the opposite: those targeting bargain buyers want to offer low prices and definitely don’t use top-quality parts for invisible components, because who would thank them for that?

Dr Hix schrieb:
So if you can’t financially afford to meet those preferences in the rest of the house, you shouldn’t even try with the windows, right?

And the other way around. So no PVC for Jette and no aluminum for Flair ;-)

And don’t forget: you can also mix materials, for example only the front door and patio door in aluminum. Aluminum is also cheaper than ordering extremely expensive external blinds just to protect the foil finish.

Dr Hix schrieb:
as long as you don’t have the necessary money to consistently maintain that standard...

Consistency is unfortunately a foreign word in German new-build neighborhoods. It’s not just that the oversized sectional garage doors, loudly operated by a struggling cheap motor, reveal a beaten-up Mondeo estate to the mocking observer. Even more often: Bauhaus Tuscany style with fir-green muntin windows and terracotta imitation Halloween decoration.

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