ᐅ Gray window frames compared to white frames, as well as blinds and motors

Hello,

Our upcoming city villa was originally planned with the typical color scheme: white facade and anthracite-colored windows and roof.

However, I’ve read quite a bit about problems with these windows. For example, they tend to get significantly hotter than white windows (70°C compared to 40°C (158°F vs. 104°F) in summer). They apparently warp relatively often. Also, it seems like every second house has exactly this setup.

Our first alternative was simply to reverse the colors: white windows and a nice gray for the facade and roof. This would save us the cost of window film, but would involve additional expenses for the facade instead. Overall, the savings would be around 1,000€.

A second option would be to have gray windows and roof, with a white facade instead. Does anyone here in the forum have experience with this? How do gray windows perform in terms of heat, warping, and durability (color)?

I have researched the topic of roller shutters many times but still don’t have a clear understanding.

My parents swear by aluminum, while my in-laws have no complaints about PVC. You read conflicting opinions everywhere. We should also keep in mind that today’s PVC roller shutters are probably different from those 20 years ago. This can be either positive or negative.

The price difference is around 2,000€, which I find reasonable given the number of windows. Of course, I would only pay this if aluminum is noticeably higher quality—meaning it lasts significantly longer or simply looks better over the years.

For electric motors on the roller shutters, I would have to pay about 300€ extra per window. Both sets of parents recommend against this, saying it’s not worth it. They’ve heard from acquaintances about negative experiences with durability. What are your thoughts on this?

Thank you!

I used to manufacture aluminum windows and can personally confirm that aluminum windows still look like new after 40 years. The surface quality feels comparable during the first three to possibly five years, but after about fifteen years, people often want to replace PVC windows because the plasticizers become visibly depleted. Roller shutters were never a main concern for us, either installed on site or supplied separately, so I can’t say much about that.

Aluminum windows have a price index of about 120, but they are not price-competition products, whereas discount stores favor PVC. In practice, the price ratio is more like 120:80 rather than 120:100. Therefore, I understand the popularity of PVC but recommend mixing materials: use aluminum on the south-facing side, as well as for large and street-facing elements (lift-and-slide doors, front doors). By the way, with aluminum there is no extra effort to have a different color on the inside. For PVC, the color doesn’t necessarily mean foil coating either, although I only know of one alternative from Gealan, which, however, does not solve the graying issue.

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Coletrickle_7808 schrieb:

There are many reports that these exact windows cause problems here and there. For example, they tend to get significantly warmer than white windows (70°C (158°F) vs. 40°C (104°F) in summer). They also seem to warp quite often.

Yes, that can happen, but it also depends on the window manufacturer. Some also produce loud cracking noises when the windows expand.

So,

Coletrickle_7808 schrieb:

My parents swear by aluminum, while my in-laws have no complaints about PVC windows.

Here it also depends on the slat and its design—whether it is foam-filled or not, etc. Aluminum naturally stays looking “fresh” longer; PVC fades and becomes dull.

Coletrickle_7808 schrieb:

For electric motors, I would have to pay an extra 300€ per window. Both sets of parents say it’s not worth it. They have heard negative reports about durability through acquaintances. What do you think about this?

In my opinion, 300€ is reasonable for electrification. This usually includes not only the motor but also switches, wiring, additional circuits, and breakers.

Especially if you have many windows, you don’t want to keep manually opening and closing the shutters, risking fire hazards by leaving the house unattended.

Electrified systems generally operate almost automatically, either based on sunlight or preset schedules. Central control units are also possible, and in modern homes, automatic shading is quite often necessary to keep heat out.