A lot of our customers come to us asking for aluminium windows and doors as they want zero maintenance and slim lines. Aluminium products are great and work for many projects. However, if you are trying to get low U-values, aluminium doesn’t perform as well as aluclad and often means you have to triple glaze it to get to the U-values you want, which is a costly thing to do. The alternative to this problem is using an aluclad system instead.
What is Aluclad?
In simple terms, it is a timber window at heart that is clad externally in aluminium (aluminium clad) to offer you zero maintenance. Switching to aluclad can help you reduce your U values to around 1.2, with even lower U values being achieved with triple glazing. Aluclad is a great option if you’re wanting to achieve Passiv levels but there are also many other benefits.
Benefits of Aluclad
o Dual colour at no extra cost
Current trends are showing us the most popular colours for doors are windows are dark greys and blacks, but what if you want a different and lighter colour on the inside of your doors and windows? With aluminium you can have dual colour, so you have one colour outside and another colour inside. But to do this is an additional cost and often means longer lead times. With aluclad, you can have a different colour inside to outside at no extra cost or increased lead time. The reason for this is the timber is painted or stained to the colour you want inside and the aluminium is then painted to the colour you want on the outside. Both these elements are done separately and then put together once dry. With aluminium, there is only one component – the aluminium. So to create a dual colour window in the factory, they have to tape off one side to paint the other side, wait for that to dry, and then tape off the now painted section to paint the other side. This is very labour intensive and why there is an increase in price.
o Thermal properties
Timber is an inherently warm material and is great at keeping the heat inside your home, rather than the heat escaping out.
o Zero maintenance
When customers think of a timber window they think about the maintenance and upkeep of keeping the timber looking like new for many years to come. The beauty of aluclad is you get all the benefits of timber on the inside, but with the zero maintenance of the aluminium outside. If you love the look of timber inside, you can finish the timber in a clear lacquer or stain. You even have the option to upgrade to Oak internally. Alternatively, if you want even less maintenance and like the look of aluminium rather than timber, the timber can be powder coated to any RAL colour which will last for many years to come.
o Concealed trickle vents
If you’re building a new home you will know you either need a ventilation system in your home or you will need trickle vents in your windows to help circulate air. While trickle vents are sometimes a necessity, you don’t want them to be the feature of your window.
With some of our aluclad windows we can conceal the trickle vents within your windows so you don’t see them from the outside. This gives you a nice clean detail and allows your windows to be the feature, not the trickle vents. If this appeals to you, make sure you tell us this so we can suggest the right system to achieve this for you.
o Matching products
If your project consists of windows, glazed doors, entrance doors, sliding doors and folding doors all in one, we can do these all in aluclad for consistency around your home.
Price
Aluclad seems to give you the best of both worlds, so what does it cost? Our aluclad windows and doors are very competitive in price and can sometimes even be cheaper than aluminium. We have several different aluclad systems we can choose from, with some being more expensive than others. Just let us know your budget and we will help you find the best system for you while always keeping the quality of the product high.
Summary
Aluclad windows are a great option for anyone who is looking for low U-values combined with zero maintenance. They give you ultimate flexibility with colours, timber types, gives you better thermal properties and can save you money by not having to triple glaze aluminium.