There is no such thing as the right material in the absolute. There is the right material for your house, your budget and your patience for maintenance. Here is how I think it through when a client asks me the question.
When you ask for three window quotes, you often get three sales pitches: the uPVC salesman tells you wood rots, the aluminium salesman that uPVC yellows, and the wood salesman that aluminium is cold. Each one sells his own shelf. Me, I fit all four. So here is what I tell my clients, with no catalogue preference.
| Criterion | uPVC | Wood | Aluminium | Wood-alu mix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitted price | €500 to €900 | €800 to €1,400 | €900 to €1,500 | €1,200 to €2,000 |
| Insulation | Very good | Excellent | Good (with thermal break) | Excellent |
| Maintenance | Next to none | Stain or paint every 5 to 10 years | Next to none | Next to none outside, visible wood inside |
| Lifespan | 25 to 35 years | 50 years and more if maintained | 40 years and more | 40 to 50 years and more |
| Looks | Thick profiles, limited choice | Warm, can do anything | Slim profiles, large glazed openings | The best of both |
uPVC insulates very well, asks for no maintenance and costs the least. For a recent house, a rental or a tight budget, it is often the sensible choice. Its limits are well known: thicker profiles that slightly reduce the glass area, a restricted choice of colours, and not enough rigidity for very large glazed openings. On an old stone house, white uPVC windows can spoil the character of the façade. It is a point I always mention, even when the client has already decided. In anthracite grey, the look changes: I fitted some on a farmhouse in Fréchendets, and the uPVC works with the stone.
I am a joiner, so of course I am attached to wood. But I will not lie to you: a wooden window needs a stain or a coat of paint every 5 to 10 years depending on exposure. If you accept that, you get the material that insulates best, repairs best and lasts longest. A well-maintained wooden window sails past 50 years without trouble, and a damaged part can be replaced instead of changing everything. On old buildings, in protected heritage areas or simply for the charm, it has no rival.
Aluminium allows very slim profiles and sizes that uPVC cannot hold: sliding patio doors, tall openings. It does not move, asks for nothing, and comes in every colour. Its historic weak point, conducting the cold, is solved on today's frames by the . Just check that the quote mentions it: on entry-level aluminium, that is not always the case.
Wood on the inside for warmth and insulation, an aluminium cladding on the outside so you never take out a paintbrush again. It is the most accomplished solution, and the most expensive. I recommend it when the budget allows and the house deserves the investment: a fine family home, a quality build you keep for a long time.
One last point, and not the least: the fitting counts as much as the window. A top-of-the-range frame badly fitted leaks, an average frame well fitted does the job for decades. The sealing between the and the wall is where everything is decided.
To see how I work on that front, have a look at my window fitting page or the windows and doors service.
No, nothing forces you to. Many of my clients start with the living rooms or the most exposed façade, then do the rest one or two years later. Grouping the windows does, however, reduce the fitting cost per window.
Not systematically. Good recent double glazing, well fitted, already does a remarkable job. Triple glazing makes sense above all on north-facing façades, at altitude, or in a house that is otherwise very well insulated. I price it case by case.
Yes, that is the renovation installation: the new frame goes over the old fixed frame if it is sound. It is quicker and cheaper, but you lose a little glass area. If the old frame is damaged, I recommend full frame removal.
I come and see your house, I measure, and I advise you on the right material. No sales pressure: the quote is free and the decision is yours. I speak English, so feel free to call or write in English.
+33 6 03 57 45 47Reply within 48 hours, or in writing: contact@agencementklein.fr
