Window/Door Recommendation.

We moved house and some windows need attention or replacing.

Conservatory windows are pretty fecked and for 6 or 7 year old windows I'm not impressed, the french doors do not close properly and wind comes in with ease. And some other windows in the house are not in fantastic condition, also the installation was poor with air coming in the sils and around some of the windows. Is it so hard to find people who take pride in their work in this country ?

Seals broken, handles broken this is from a well known manufacturer in Munster......

These are Upvc I believe ? I hate them, after 5+ years they need so much adjusting and seals , handles etc that the money is still lost with air getting out, cold in and the cost of repair.

A old neighbour of mine had aluminium windows and doors installed about 20 years ago and they're still as good as new.

So my question is what do I do, repair or replace ? I do not want to have to replace them in 7-10 years and I was having a pain maintaining my old ones too about 4 years old again form the same company.

The doors being the worst with the heat and cold the expansion and contraction had them fecked.

So can anyone recommend a type of window/door that will last ? from an actual reputable company that focuses on quality. And what should I go for , alu clad ? what is that exactly or Upvc again ?

Anyone ?

Staph

Alu clads are wooden frames with an aluminum cladding on the outside. They don't require painting or as much maintenance as typical wooden frames. I am currently getting my single glazed windows replaced with aluclad and new doors. The guys who are replacing are very thorough and I am really impressed by their workmanship.

Would you recommend them for a conservatory ? I'm really not keen on getting Upvc after seeing many windows and doors after 5 + years. I think they're a waste of money.

Staph

I've no idea if they're suitable for conservatories. Suppose you would have to check with suppliers.

Gumbo

Some people believe our climate doesn't lend well to Alu Clad.
Some disagree.

Try go view Alu Clad systems that were installed 10 years ago to work out their current state.

KCross

kceire wrote: »

Some people believe our climate doesn't lend well to Alu Clad.
Some disagree.

Try go view Alu Clad systems that were installed 10 years ago to work out their current state.

@kceire, whats the theory that our climate doesn't suit them?

Did you see some bad examples?

The clad is specifically to keep the moisture off them and obviously to reduce maintenance. I did hear of some manufacturer who had a bad design that didn't let the water drain off and it gathered and rotted the windows.

I've mine in 5yrs so I'll be back to you in another 5yrs with a definitive answer one way or the other!


@Mad_Lad
The well known company from munster (:)) has apparently got better since the crash. Previously they were pushing stuff out the door with poor quality control. I saw it too in my last house with draughts, poor handles etc but I've seen a neighbour put in some of their newer stuff and it looked good to me but it is still early days.

Not sure you have many affordable options if you are hell bent on avoiding uPVC. AluClad and timber are probably the other main options. They are significantly more expensive but the aluclad does look much better than uPVC but thats a personal taste thing.

Whatever you decide, as kceire said, you have to go see real life examples to see what their installation is like as well as the product itself. There are poor installers out there and the install is as important as the quality of the window itself.

Gumbo

I haven't come across any specific examples tbh.
It's more a comment from other guys in the trade stating they wouldn't use them.

That crowd from Munster wouldn't get near any site of mine. They are just as. Ad now, if not worse and before they come to site they have 100% of the payment so the hassle in trying to get them back to remedy problems.

kceire

kceire wrote: »

I haven't come across any specific examples tbh.
It's more a comment from other guys in the trade stating they wouldn't use them.

That crowd from Munster wouldn't get near any site of mine. They are just as. Ad now, if not worse and before they come to site they have 100% of the payment so the hassle in trying to get them back to remedy problems.

I've had no issues getting them out but anything other than seals and glass is 70 Euro's a pop just for the call out, their warranty is woeful and covers glass and seals only.

Perhaps their quality has improved but I simply couldn't recommend them again to anyone, there are so many people that are going to have to replace their windows and doors because of this crowd which should last them years longer.

Ok if the Aluclad is a lot more expensive I might have to give it a miss, I don't think Upvc is bad looking if you don't get white, I think white Upvc looks awful , it's old fashioned anyway.

Can anyone recommend a reputable uPvc supplier ?

My other option is to get them repaired but I think they're beyond that because the plastic that the handles are attached to is broken, hinges and latches are broken. The french door hinges are broken and the doors don't close right, you could fit the but end of a knife through them where they close at the frame, seriously it's amazing there is no come back over their shoddy quality and installation. Some windows have air getting in under Sills etc.

The windows and doors are 5-7 years old !

So it makes me wonder, considering the large number of these poor windows and doors I've seen , what's the point of having them installed ? the best glass in the world means nothing if the frames and seals and overall quality and installation are poor.

KCross

KCross wrote: »

@Mad_Lad
The well known company from munster (:)) has apparently got better since the crash. Previously they were pushing stuff out the door with poor quality control. I saw it too in my last house with draughts, poor handles etc but I've seen a neighbour put in some of their newer stuff and it looked good to me but it is still early days.

See that's the thing, once they're 5+ years old you could be in trouble with 0 comeback. There's too little consumer protection in Ireland.

I had problems with my windows and doors I installed in our old house from day one, particularly the back door seals and it was catching when it got warm from the sun. There about 5 years old.

Gumbo

Where are you based ?

Carlow.

fatty pang

kceire wrote: »

Some people believe our climate doesn't lend well to Alu Clad.
Some disagree.

Some people believe the MMR vaccine causes autism. Some disagree.
There are numerous constructions described as alu-clad and its illogical to put them all in the same category.

fatty pang

KCross wrote: »

The clad is specifically to keep the moisture off them and obviously to reduce maintenance.

The primary purpose of the cladding is to prevent UV degradation of the surface coating therefore reducing the requirement for repainting.

fatty pang

kceire wrote: »

It's more a comment from other guys in the trade stating they wouldn't use them.

I'd take that with a bucket of salt. 'White Gold' currently showing on BBC2 of a Wednesday evenings is a pretty good representation of ‘the trade’.