Are PVCu Windows Right for your Home?

Visit almost any street in the UK, and you’re going to see plenty of PVCu windows. They’ve become the industry standard for lots of reasons: they’re inexpensive, secure, low-maintenance and it’s easy to find an installer.

But on that same street you’ll probably also find the reasons why PVCu gets a kicking from certain quarters: chunky frames that have replaced slim, flush timber originals and look wrong with the style of the house; and gleaming white finishes when perhaps another colour would be more appropriate.

Dig deeper for the right PVCu product, however, and it can harmonise with the wider architecture, both traditional and modern, and tick many other boxes, too. “It’s always been considered the cheap option – sometimes cheap and nasty, rather than simply low cost – but in the last 10 years, the industry has really picked up. It’s incredible what they’ve done,” says Build It expert Mike Hardwick.

Thinner profiles, better energy efficiency and improved longevity are all making plastic a viable option. “The majority of people I come across are on a tight budget. They want nice things but they don’t want to have to spend a fortune,” says Mike.

“You could decide to splash the cash on bespoke aluminium windows, but a stock-sized PVCu product from one of the more upmarket dealers takes out a lot of the compromise – you end up with a very good aesthetic that’s nowhere near as chunky as it used to be.”

The advantages

PVCu windows are available in every format, from sliding sash to casement and tilt-and-turn. While white might be the default, many companies offer coloured frames (including different hues inside and out) and a choice of finishes.

So, an anthracite-grey smooth-finish frame can do a very good job of mimicking aluminium, while a foiled woodgrain version in a soft green hue can look right for a rural property. “Colour is much higher on homeowners’ shopping lists now; and over the last five years I’ve seen our wood-grain volumes double,” says Ben Weber, who is managing director of Quickslide, which makes windows in a variety of materials.

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