Aluminium Windows

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amford

92 posts

Master Geek

#88728 22-Aug-2011 15:30

Hi all,

I have recently bought a house. The windows in the lounge and kitchen are aluminium. I was wondering the cost to have the rest of the house upgraded to aluminium or even just the bedrooms? I currently have wooden windows and my house was built in 1965.

If anyone has upgraded themselves or have any other ideas that would be great

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#509988 22-Aug-2011 15:36

What's the motivating factor to go Aluminium?

Technically wood probably loses less heat than aluminium would.

Only comment would be to investigate double glazing options if you're going to all the effort of changing them.

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amford

92 posts

Master Geek

#509992 22-Aug-2011 15:45

Thanks,

That's good to know. I haven't moved in yet so I am unaware of any issue with condensation or whether the windows are draughty or not. I'm just really trying to get some ideas on options that would be feasible in making my house warmer and dryer. From my visits to the house it looks like the windows were in pretty good nick just in need of a fresh lick of paint.

mattwnz

20003 posts

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#509993 22-Aug-2011 15:46

amford: Hi all,

I have recently bought a house. The windows in the lounge and kitchen are aluminium. I was wondering the cost to have the rest of the house upgraded to aluminium or even just the bedrooms? I currently have wooden windows and my house was built in 1965.

If anyone has upgraded themselves or have any other ideas that would be great

?

If you are going aluminum, go for ones that have thermal breaks . However whats wrong with timber. Aluminum windows in old timber houses looks terrible, and can affect the house value. They really only look good in modernist designs.

mattwnz

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#509994 22-Aug-2011 15:47

Jaxson: What's the motivating factor to go Aluminium?

Technically wood probably loses less heat than aluminium would.

Only comment would be to investigate double glazing options if you're going to all the effort of changing them.

I think double glazing in many areas is now a requirement.

amford

92 posts

Master Geek

#509996 22-Aug-2011 15:53

Yes I think if I did go to aluminium that double glazing would be a must.

It is basically going to come down to how much it will cost (roughly)? and what advantages I would get out of it.

amford

92 posts

Master Geek

#510005 22-Aug-2011 16:05

mattwnz:
amford: Hi all,

I have recently bought a house. The windows in the lounge and kitchen are aluminium. I was wondering the cost to have the rest of the house upgraded to aluminium or even just the bedrooms? I currently have wooden windows and my house was built in 1965.

If anyone has upgraded themselves or have any other ideas that would be great

?

If you are going aluminum, go for ones that have thermal breaks . However whats wrong with timber. Aluminum windows in old timber houses looks terrible, and can affect the house value. They really only look good in modernist designs.

The house is a 3 bedroom brick and roughcast and i think it would improve the looks immensely if it had aluminium windows.

I think from the comments that wooden windows aren't as bad as I once thought :).

I think I will paint them and see how they hold up after my first winter.

Maybe the money could be better spent on insulation

timmmay

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#510012 22-Aug-2011 16:17

I have an old house, like 1920s, so I have a bit of experience with this.

I wouldn't make any decisions until you've lived in the house. Only 10% of the heat escapes through the windows, so long as they seal well, so if you put good thermal drapes over them you've solved most of the problem.

Wooden windows do get cold, but probably better than aluminium. The wood doesn't tend to collect contensation though, and you can retrofit double glaze the windows. I did it, it reduced condensation by 95%, from wet windows and puddles on the windowsill to a light mist on the inner double glazing.

The big win for insulation is in the ceiling. Put thick insulation in there and that's 70% of the job done. The cover has to be really solid, no gaps. I initially put in loose fill wool, which was a LOT better than nothing, but when I put thick pink batts over the top a year later that was another big improvement. The wool compacts, and cover wasn't perfect. Make sure there are no holes in the ceiling, downlights are terrible for drafts and having heat go out them. Even if they look sealed they're usually not insulated above them, so much heat goes out them. Most aren't even sealed, so you get a cold breeze blowing in. According to consumer four downlights can increase the heating/power required by 200-300%. Even small gaps in insulation can make a big difference.

If it's a wooden floor that air blows through then underfloor insulation is another big win. I would suggest the foil type that seals, not that one I have, which is like pink batts stuck between the wooden bits under there (I don't know the names of them).

Wall insulation made a small difference to me, and was a lot of effort - drilling holes, filling them, then the sanding, sealing, priming, and painting took ages. I don't know how much difference it made, but I probably wouldn't do it again.

Once you have ceiling, drapes, all drafts stopped, and underfloor done, then a heat pump can go in. Those are awesome.

Jaxson

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#510015 22-Aug-2011 16:21

amford:
Maybe the money could be better spent on insulation

If your intent is to keep your house warm then yes, you are far better off investing in insulation (if you don't have adequate amounts already).

Wood windows are worse conductors of heat than aluminium, so they are better at keeping heat in the room. However, they don't seal as well, so they can be draughty, and if you install new aluminium windows with an insulation gap in them then the aluminium can be better. Regardless of the material, it's the double glazing that will have a bigger impact as it's the larger surface area. You can retrofit double glazing to wooden windows though too....

Draughty windows means you are getting some ventilation/fresh air into your house, which means they can be better from a mould point of view too. So yeah, as always, pro's and con's, depending on what your actual intent/end game is.

amford

92 posts

Master Geek

#510018 22-Aug-2011 16:23

Great this is exactly what I need.

Cheers for everyones input

keewee01

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#510019 22-Aug-2011 16:26

Some people at my work have put in double glazing and they say it costs about $1000 for an average size room.

A better bet if spending money to make the house warmer might be installing underfloor insulation. Could end up cheaper than double glazing the house and making the house warmer...

timmmay

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#510076 22-Aug-2011 18:01

Retrofit double glazing probably is around $1000 per room, based on what I did. That adds an extra layer inside the current glass. Proper double glazing, replacing windows, is more like $5000-$10,000 per room.

amford

92 posts

Master Geek

#510101 22-Aug-2011 19:04

As you say timmmay if only 10% of heat escapes through windows and double glazing is $1000 a room i am way better off not even touching them and investing in roof and underfloor insulation.

mattwnz

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#510102 22-Aug-2011 19:07

amford: As you say timmmay if only 10% of heat escapes through windows and double glazing is $1000 a room i am way better off not even touching them and investing in roof and underfloor insulation.

?

Good heavy curtains will also help, such as thermal ones. But if the windows are large, (eg ranch sliders) you will get more heat loss than just 10% I did have a heat loss diagram showing the percetnage heat loss. Very little is through the floor, most is through the roof as heat rises.

amford

92 posts

Master Geek

#510105 22-Aug-2011 19:24

I think most of the floor insulation is that PE that protects from moisture coming up through the ground.

Its my first house so obviously i have all of these ideas on things i can do to improve it

Jaxson

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#510134 22-Aug-2011 20:26

Underfloor is fairly important too, despite the 'heat rises' concept. You live down near the floor, not up near the ceiling. It's especially draining if you have good ventilation under the house, where you get a lot of cold wind blowing past, constantly sucking heat away from the floor.

PE plastic sheeting is not insulation, it's there to stop moisture rising. It's great to have it, but it's not the only thing you can do under there.

Stick your head up in the roof space and see what you've got up there. Take a photo and post it back here if you want and someone will comment on it. Also, if you haven't been in there long, just check out what it's like and see what the big problems really are. That gives you some direction.

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