At the first glance, choosing windows for your home seems like quite an easy task, but there’s way more to this “simple” choice than meets the eye. The wide range of window types and models that are readily available on the market usually does not help in any way, leading to serious problems with making an optimal, rational and well-thought decision. How can you avoid unnecessary costs and stress associated with selecting windows for your home? Well, the answer is simple: find professionals and ask them for help! Below you will find some advice from Paweł (CEO), Agnieszka (Sales Manager) and Marcin (Fitter) – the real specialists working at Fenbro, one of the most renowned providers of high quality joinery to the European market.
What factors are the most important when choosing windows?
For Paweł, CEO of Fenbro, it is obvious that there is nothing wrong with not knowing something – and that’s exactly the moment when professionals come into play. You don’t have to have extensive knowledge about windows and doors. Instead, you just have to know where to look for real help and expertise. And so it happens that Fenbro is one of those companies, where you will get all the professional help you need when it comes to the windows and doors. Paweł, when asked about the crucial factors that you should always take into consideration when choosing windows, listed the following:
- your real needs and expectations – let’s use an example here: if your main concern is the thermal efficiency of your home, then you definitely shouldn’t consider replacing your old windows with the ones that are twice as large, isn’t it? That’s why it is highly recommended by Fenbro experts to write down a list of expectations and needs before contacting them. Thanks to this you will spend significantly less time looking for those perfect new windows for your home.
- window technical parameters – this is a natural consequence of the above mentioned needs and expectations. According to Paweł, it would be best if you come to Fenbro at least a bit prepared: try to know beforehand what material for windows you look for and find some information about the importance of U-value (Uw, the window’s heat transfer coefficient). That’s the absolute minimum of what you should know – and if you do, you will have a much easier time choosing your new windows. And for all those who think that it’s just some boring technical stuff, Paweł suggests visiting the Fenbro blog, where all these terms and parameters are explained in layman’s terms.
- all the other small details that are extremely important – for example, the direction of a window opening, a glazing package that is optimal for the given weather conditions, type of handles, type of the glazing unit, the number of panes in the glazing unit, the number of window chambers etc. These apparently small details will have a huge impact on the overall energy efficiency of your house, so you shouldn’t take them lightly.
Of course you can’t also forget completely about the style of your home – even the most expensive and fancy windows won’t help if they aren’t perfectly matched to the style of the building. This is especially important when it comes to older buildings, where even the slightest stylistic mistake may result in the look that’s far from what you’d want. Try to match the style of your new windows to the overall style of the building – believe us or not, but a huge Victiorian mansion just doesn’t look good with the modern aluminium windows fitted.
Agnieszka, Sales Manager at Fenbro, points out one more important matter: your available budget. While it may seem obvious that you should always take into consideration your financial abilities, it is also a well-known fact that sometimes we tend to spend too much money just because we want to have something that’s fancier or better-looking. And while there’s nothing wrong with the fancy stuff, rationality should take precedence. All in all, the windows you chose will most likely stay with you for the next decade (or four!), so there’s no reason to pay for something that you could possibly dislike in the future.
Windows replacement – what material is the best?
According to Marcin, a window fitter working for Fenbro, and contrary to some popular beliefs, there is no such thing as the best material for windows. The reason is very simple: every building, every house is different, just as different are the expectations and needs of all the people living in that given building. That’s why you should always take these expectations and needs into consideration when deciding about your new windows. Below you will find what Marcin says about some of the most popular materials for window frames.
uPVC windows
Without any doubt uPVC is the most popular choice when it comes to the material for window frames. While their look may not fit every building, there are many advantages of uPVC windows from Poland: they are lightweight, weatherproof, durable and cheap, not to mention very good thermal efficiency and well above average noise reduction potential. And last, but not least, uPVC windows are available in a wide variety of designs and styles.
Wooden windows
Wooden windows are without any doubt beautiful to look at, natural and durable, but these are not all the fine qualities of them. There’s also a considerably high level of resistance to harsh weather conditions (when properly varnished), high thermal and insulation level and the possibility to paint wooden windows to any colour you like. Thanks to the availability in various styles, shapes and designs, you won’t have any problems with finding wooden windows for your home regardless of the style of the building.
Aluminium windows
Windows with aluminium frames are often considered practically maintenance free, extremely durable and dimensionally stable, but this comfort comes at a price – and frankly speaking, quite a steep one. When compared to uPVC windows, the price of aluminium ones can be as much as 70% higher, which makes them a bit less popular than windows made from other materials. Nonetheless, when it comes to the thermal efficiency, security level and durability, they are pretty much unbeatable. Aluminium frames are so sturdy that it is possible to make really large windows using them – about 20-40% larger than the ones made from uPVC. That’s why aluminium windows are mainly chosen by people who are looking for non-standard solutions or by owners of modernly designed buildings with large glazings. Another advantage of aluminium windows is the fact that they are available in a large selection of colours from the RAL palette.
Fenbro – your reliable partner
Fenbro sells Polish windows and doors to B2B and B2C customers worldwide with the focus on the European market. The offer is specifically tailored to the needs and expectations of the European customers and the range of products available at Fenbro is very wide, including all top Polish joinery brands. What makes Fenbro unique is the company’s way of conducting business: Fenbro provides a complete service: the product, delivery, installation, guarantee and after-sales support – and all that done in a professional way, with the focus on offering real help to the customers.
More information about the available products and services can be found at the Fenbro website: https://fenbro.com/
