There are many possible window and door solutions to suit your needs. It isn’t just configurations of the joinery, but colours, glazing and the range of materials. You really have to think about what you are going to benefit from and choose accordingly.
Factors that you have think about is the long term effect and how you will benefit from it. This could be anything from the glass type and the material used in window frames.
Some different materials that can be used include –
- Aluminium
- Steel
- Wood
Here at Alumax, we believe that Aluminium windows are the best to use. A lot of modern builds have moved to Aluminium as a result of the benefits that come with it. It is abundant, can be recycled again and again and is a natural metal. When comparing cost to steel, it is a lot cheaper and requires less maintenance. If you compare wood to aluminium there isn’t any painting need it doesn’t warp or rot.
How do I choose which aluminium range to use?
There is a huge variety in the quality of aluminium windows available. There are three ranges that we have within Alumax, Residential/Standard, Commercial and Thermal. If you are wanting to find out more on the different ranges, see this blog post which explains it in more detail.
What colour do Aluminium windows come in?
We have many colours available in our Aluminium range. This is a powder coated colour which means that the process if spraying a polyester powder onto the aluminium to give a uniform and vibrant finish. Powder coating is typically considered to be the highest quality finish for aluminium windows as it is low-maintenance and weather resistant. The other cool feature is that all hardware can be colour matched.
What glazing options are there?
Single Glazed Windows
As the name suggests, single glazing is one layer of glass that separate you from the outside environment. As you can imagine single glazing doesn’t provide effective insulation. Choosing another type of glass such as Low-E coatings can slightly improve the performance.
Double Glazed Windows
This type of glazing has a finite life span. There are two panes of glass, which are separated by a layer of air. This provides a layer of insulation for your home, helping to decrease heat loss through your windows.
Low E Glass
Low E glass is a high-tech virtually invisible high-tech coating that lets light into your home while reflecting heat. It improves double glazing to further insulate your home in winter. You may be thinking why Low-E over Double glazing? The main reason is the protective high-tech coating on Low E glass effectively forms a barrier reflecting heat back from the glass to reduce heat loss, while at the same time reducing solar gain. It doesn’t just help you keep the warmth in winter but in summer, the sun’s heat is reflected back outside.
Tinted Glass
This type of glazing has slight colour and can help reduce the glare and fading from the sun. Grey Tinted glass is the most common in NZ homes. The different colours available in this range are
- Grey
- Green
- Bronze
- Blue
Laminated Glass
This type of glazing is classed as a safety glass. Two or three layers of glass are held in place by an interlayer product. It helps to keep the layers of glass bonded to each other even if the glass is broken help the glass to maintain its orginal shape and reduce the likelihood of large sharp pieces detaching.
