Is pvc or aluminum windows better? Discover strengths, weaknesses, differences, costs. Here is the complete guide to choosing windows.
Serramenti PVC or aluminum? In this guide we will explain what are the
differences between PVC and aluminum frames . We will discover together the pros and cons of each material compared to the other and we will try to answer the fateful question ...
"Are windows made of PVC or aluminum better?"
Let's make a small premise: reading this article you will discover that
there is no perfect material and a poor one, but that it is better to make a window in a certain way depending on where it will be mounted. We will also go to see how important it is to have a correct pose. Regardless, we recommend not to trust the sellers who sell their products to you as gold by denigrating the characteristics of all the other solutions on the market.
The truth is that
if it were that simple, the windows would all be made from the same material. Fortunately, the valid solutions are many and you can choose according to your needs how to have your
ideal window built.
PVC or aluminum window? Whatever the material with which your window was created, Windowo is the right place. Discover now the category dedicated to
hardware for doors and windows .
If you wish you can also watch the video "
Fixtures: better in PVC or aluminum? ":
Aluminum windows with cold or thermal break
In the fateful choice between pvc or aluminum windows, let's start with the latter. Let's start by saying that there are two types of aluminum windows. Those made in the old way, that is the
cold cut aluminum windows , composed of a completely aluminum profile. We can safely say that with aluminum of the cold cut type it is not convenient to build windows.
Why does it have these problems? Aluminum is a metal, therefore an excellent conductor. Therefore it has a high transmittance and therefore is not a good thermal insulator. The main risk is to significantly lower the energy efficiency of the house, forcing you to spend more on heating during the winter and to use the air conditioning often in the summer.
Furthermore, traditional cold cut aluminum frames, having very high thermal transmittance values, do not allow access to tax incentives for energy saving.
Fortunately, the technology in this sector has evolved considerably over the years. To improve the energy efficiency of aluminum
frames, aluminum frames with thermal break were created , which have insulating material
between the internal profile and the external profile.
This zone of plastic material with reduced thermal conductivity, called polyamide, allows to maintain a high thermal insulation and less dispersion. To achieve thermal values comparable to PVC or wood, the internal insulation must be very thick. Therefore the dimensions of the window become more important and affect the costs of the materials and therefore the final price.
Even thermal break aluminum windows may seem cold to the touch, but we know that this is due to the difference in temperature between the human body and the material in question, not to thermal dispersion.
On Windowo you can buy the best accessories for aluminum windows: click here to discover them!
PVC windows: the quality depends on the factory that produces them
Pvc or aluminum windows? Now it's up to the second material of the dispute. PVC, which stands for "polyvinyl chloride", is a
plastic material that originates from natural raw materials. It is a material that by nature does not conduct, excellent for building windows because it is a natural thermal break. In fact, if there are zero degrees outside and twenty inside, if we touch the profile on the outside we will feel it cold but inside our sensation will be of heat.
With PVC there is no risk of condensation as there is no contact between hot and cold (it is waterproof even in the event of very high temperature changes). The window made of this material is also very good at an acoustic level since the frame and the door are made up of several air chambers. If adequate glass is then added, the noise will not easily penetrate into the house.
It does not require any maintenance and is very easy to clean (just hot water with detergent, the glass and the gaskets can be cleaned using detergent products or water with vinegar).
Furthermore, an aspect certainly not to be underestimated is that PVC usually has a
better quality / price ratio than aluminum, provided that its characteristics are the most suitable for your home.
In short,
PVC windows are excellent, as long as they are produced and built by specialized companies with daily quality control and certifications obtained through laboratory tests. For example we know several Italian factories of pvc windows. We know that it takes years to collect certifications and confidently affirm the characteristics of our fixtures, tested and approved by strict and rigorous Certification Bodies. In short, nothing must be left to chance if you want to obtain a high quality result.
From the point of view of
design , considered by many to be the weak point of PVC, in reality this material can satisfy all needs with colors of all kinds. For example, it is possible to achieve a really realistic and high quality wood effect.
Did you know that various
components for PVC windows are on sale on Windowo? If you are interested you can visit the dedicated category.
"Are wooden windows performing?"
Aluminum or PVC or ... wood! As in the case of PVC, wood is an insulating material used for the construction of doors and windows. The
latest generation wooden frames are normally treated with ecological water-based paints and guaranteed for 7 to 15 years (depending on the treatment cycle to which they are subjected). Thanks to these important improvements,
there is no need for complicated maintenance for wooden frames , as we often hear.
What corrodes the paint is the dust which, wetted by water and dried by the sun, creates particles that create a corrosive effect. To avoid this, just keep the window outside and use a specific product that nourishes and revives the paint.
Accessories for wooden windows: click and discover the best ones for sale on Windowo!
So, are windows made of PVC, aluminum or wood better?
Let's summarize in a few words what we have said up to this point:
- No to cold cut aluminum windows;
- No to aluminum frames with thermal break with minimal insulation;
- Yes to aluminum windows with thermal break with excellent insulation;
- Yes to high quality PVC windows;
- Yes to wooden or wood / aluminum frames.
The truth is that there is no better material but the conscious choice must be based above all on two criteria:
- Where the window in question will be placed;
- How this installation will be carried out.
The qualified installation of the windows makes the difference!
So when choosing between aluminum or PVC windows, it is actually the installation that makes the real difference. To give you some data,
installation affects approximately 80% on the real performance of a window. This is because the best badly mounted window remains a window that doesn't work and will always give you problems, whatever the material it was made of. Incorrect installation nullifies all the certifications obtained.
Clarifications on windows: if you have any doubts contact us
Finally, we of the Windowo staff want to leave you with one last important message in the choice of pvc or aluminum windows: we recommend that you
contact an expert who is not interested in giving you one material rather than another . Priority should only be given to your needs. Now that you know the differences between the different materials, you can certainly make a more informed choice.
