Hello everyone,
We are planning to replace all the window panes in our entire house. It is a 3-story building designed for 2-3 families, built around 1970.
The windows are quite old, not energy efficient, and in summer especially the rooms on the top floor heat up significantly due to skylights.
I have no experience with windows. I assume that triple glazing provides better insulation and is therefore better than single glazing. I hope this assumption is correct :-D
There are different materials for the window frames: wood, aluminum, uPVC/plastic, combinations, and others I’m not aware of. Is there a reliable online source where I can learn which material is best suited for which situation? Unfortunately, I haven’t found anything :- Or can someone here on the forum explain it to me?
I’ve heard that uPVC/plastic frames can expand under strong sunlight, making the windows difficult to open and close. But that might just be a rumor. I hope someone can shed some light on this :-)
If it’s relevant: almost all windows will be replaced. This includes standard-sized windows, floor-to-ceiling windows about 3 meters (10 feet) wide, and skylights. One long side of the rectangular house faces south and gets full sun exposure in summer.
I hope someone can help me and thank you in advance :-)
Kind regards,
Fiego
We are planning to replace all the window panes in our entire house. It is a 3-story building designed for 2-3 families, built around 1970.
The windows are quite old, not energy efficient, and in summer especially the rooms on the top floor heat up significantly due to skylights.
I have no experience with windows. I assume that triple glazing provides better insulation and is therefore better than single glazing. I hope this assumption is correct :-D
There are different materials for the window frames: wood, aluminum, uPVC/plastic, combinations, and others I’m not aware of. Is there a reliable online source where I can learn which material is best suited for which situation? Unfortunately, I haven’t found anything :- Or can someone here on the forum explain it to me?
I’ve heard that uPVC/plastic frames can expand under strong sunlight, making the windows difficult to open and close. But that might just be a rumor. I hope someone can shed some light on this :-)
If it’s relevant: almost all windows will be replaced. This includes standard-sized windows, floor-to-ceiling windows about 3 meters (10 feet) wide, and skylights. One long side of the rectangular house faces south and gets full sun exposure in summer.
I hope someone can help me and thank you in advance :-)
Kind regards,
Fiego
H
HuggyLilly5 May 2014 16:49Hello Fiego,
First of all, I’m not an expert or a professional, but I have some experience. I have double-glazed uPVC roof windows from Velux and also ordered the Velux blackout blind at the same time. If I make sure to lower the blind in the morning during summer and only open it again in the evening when the sun is no longer shining directly on it, it insulates quite well. If the blinds are left open all day, there is a noticeable difference, and it gets significantly warmer despite the insulation.
I’m sure professionals will chime in.
First of all, I’m not an expert or a professional, but I have some experience. I have double-glazed uPVC roof windows from Velux and also ordered the Velux blackout blind at the same time. If I make sure to lower the blind in the morning during summer and only open it again in the evening when the sun is no longer shining directly on it, it insulates quite well. If the blinds are left open all day, there is a noticeable difference, and it gets significantly warmer despite the insulation.
I’m sure professionals will chime in.
Modern roof windows usually expand very little, even in extreme heat – this is taken into account during manufacturing. Especially for windows in the attic or loft, effective sun protection and heat shielding are important; I completely agree with HuggyLilly on this. However, such protection can also be added later at a reasonable cost. Over the past few months, we have had excellent experiences with heat protection pleated blinds – their rear coating reflects heat very effectively.
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