Capitol wrote:
wrote:
Helen Deborah Vecht wrote:
"legin" typed
Hi all, looking to put new windows in a new build that is in a recently
designated conser vation area. Local conservation officer has stated
that he is looking for timber windows. Given the sash style upvc ones
that are available can he insist on this as I am looking for low
maintenance. I doubt if anyone would be able to tell the difference
unless they got close up. Annoying factor is that only one of the
neighbouring six houses has the original timber windows. 4 are upvc and
one is aluminium.
Any views greately appreciated.
If you have the vaguest interest in buildings at all then plastic
windows can be spotted from half a mile! They may be low (no)
maintenance but they are also highly obsolescent and will need
replacing in from 5 to max 20 years. Lots of studies show that trad
joinery is cheaper and lower maintenance than plastic, in the longer
term. Higher initial cost but lower cost overall over time. Also adds
to house value: estate agents "retaining original features" means
higher value.
Plastic windows are also an environmental disaster - not only spoiling
the built environment but also using oil reserves and creating a waste
disposal problem due to being unrecycleable and short life.
The more conservation areas the better for all of us!
What a total pile of opinionated crap. Do you design for "Changing
rooms" in your spare time?
PVC windows have a life in excess of at least 30 years in the British
climate and designs can be far superior to wood.
Difficult to demonstrate as the industry is barely that old. What is
certainly true is that very many plastic windows aged 15 years or more
have failed and been replaced.
In all probability they
will last for well over a century.
Laughable nonsense - just take a look at the pathetic condition of a 20
year old window if you can find one.
Maintenance is normally only a case
of replacing the sealing rubber when it shrinks.
This is true at about 5 / 10 years. Much longer than that then the
replacement profiles start being un-obtainable, and all sorts of other
things fail - hinges, catches and the surface of the plastic itself.
Wooden windows are
yesterdays technology
True, and todays and tomorrows
and far more expensive when total cost through the
life cycle is considered.
Untrue - there have been many studies of this.
IME they all warp, rot, become draughty and
Plastic windows also warp, deteriorate and become draughty - but are
harder or impossible to repair
The pvc is recyclable, the US does it.
Does it? How?
Anyway, why would you want to
recycle something which is perfectly functional?
When it is scrapped at about 20 years on.
Not many real people want to live in museums,
Period properties, conservation areas, listed buildings are all seen as
highly desireable and this is reflected in higher prices, all over
Britain. Too high IMO - my daughter recently bought a 20s brick house
(with plastic windows) in a pretty village, it was about half the price
of anything similar but old and stonebuilt with sash windows. A snip in
fact.
cheers
Jacob