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| uPVC Windows |
A curse on the environment
Debate in the UK is growing concerning the installation of uPVC windows - in
both old and new houses. While many people favour them as a less expensive
alternative to timber, others regard them as a ‘curse on the villages, towns
and cities of our blessed Blighty.’ (Design Guru Naomi Cleaver writing in
the Telegraph)
In short, here is a ‘who said what’ on the disadvantages of the windows:
uPVC windows seriously detract from the value of a property. In an informal
poll, UK estate agents agreed that ‘the majority of buyers find uPVC windows
a turn-off and typically when making an offer on a property with uPVC
windows will reduce it by the several thousand pounds it will cost to
replace all those ‘ghastly windows’ with ‘nice timber ones’.’
uPVC windows are aesthetically inappropriate in both old AND new properties.
English Heritage, the arbitrer of taste for traditional properties says ‘…
the so-called facsimile windows available are no real match for Georgian and
Victorian detailing.’ The Commission for Architecture in the Built
Environment (CABE) is the guardian of quality in the buildings of the future
(new builds). In a recent publication, it advises: ‘Make sure that the
windows and doors avoid energy-inefficient materials such as uPVC.’
uPVC windows are NOT easier to maintain than timber ones. Research by
English Heritage has revealed that it is cheaper to maintain and repair
historic, timber windows than to replace them with uPVC ones. More research
by EH has found that 40 per cent of all uPVC double-glazed sealed units are
already failing. ‘Gaskets and mastics fail within 5-8 years’ and that ‘the
plastic (finish) yellows, chalks and loses strength.’
uPVC windows do not offer the only option for a draught-free house.
Double-glazing and draught-proofing systems are also available for timber
windows. Furthermore, in Corfu, uPVC windows do not insulate against the
sun’s heat like timber windows do, increasing the cost of air-conditioning.
uPVC windows have a detrimental effect on the environment. Greenpeace
confirms that six of the 15 most serious industrial pollutants identified by
15 European states are employed in the manufacture of unplasticised
polyvinyl chloride (uPVC).
uPVC windows, according to Naomi Weaver, are ‘not that much cheaper’ than
timber ones to justify their many disadvantages.
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