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THE SCOURGE OF uPVC WINDOWS

There are many reasons for wanting to change your existing windows. The wood may be old or damaged, you might want to prevent draughts or you may be looking at ways in which to make your house more environmentally friendly by adding double-glazing. You may be considering using a plastic (or uPVC to give it its proper name) alternative to the old wooden window frames. They appear to be cheaper, better sealed and maintenance free.

There is, however another side to uPVC windows which you may not be aware of. Over the long term, uPVC windows turn out to cost more in terms of maintenance. They also turn out to cost the environment much in terms of pollution.

Replacing or retaining your windows with traditional wooden frames, on the other hand, will enable you to keep the traditional features of your house. Modern methods of construction using traditional materials such as wood mean that over the long term you can have windows that are kind to the environment, and cheap to maintain. This guide will take you through the arguments as to why replacing your window frames with wood is better for your pocket and for the maintenance of the environment.

Aren't uPVC windows better for the environment?

Up to 25% of the heat energy of the average old building is lost though its doors and windows. Modern materials like uPVC can create window frames that are absolutely airtight and can be moulded around any amount of double glazing to create a window that lets less heat out and therefore less harmful to the environment. However, from its manufacture to its disposal uPVC creates a large amount of toxic chemicals which are released into the environment. Chemicals like Vinyl Chloride Monomer and Dioxin are present in the make up of this plastic which can even leach out of the window frames many years after installation. Both of these chemicals have been linked to acute and chronic health issues. Like all plastics, uPVC is made from oil, a non-renewable material. uPVC doesn't last for ever and will have to be replaced after 15 to twenty years. The old frames will be left to rot, leaching more chemicals into the soil.

The 250 year technology behind wooden framed windows such as Sash windows often leads to them being branded as environmentally unfriendly. It has been claimed that an old, poorly maintained sash can let though the same amount of heat as a 15cm wide hole. These days, however, modern methods of constructing and maintaining wooden windows has minimised these losses. If you want to save energy and keep your wooden windows you can consider any of the following:

• Draught stripping between the window and frame can considerably cut unwanted draughts and prevent heat from being lost out of the house.

• Fitting secondary glazing can help with heat loss as well as preserving your wooden framed window as an original feature.

• You can enhance your house's original features by fitting indoor shutters these have proved to cut heat loss from homes by up to a third.

• You can get modern, wooden framed windows fitted which are specially manufactured to include double glazing and draught proofing. These windows use the same traditional technology to operate, but incorporate all of the best of modern advances to be environmentally friendly.

We can therefore see that environmental concerns do not have to be put aside if you want to keep the original features on your house. In fact, not using uPVC with its legacy of chemical pollution in favour of traditional looking wooden window frames is more environment friendly. This is because the wood used will have environmental Carbon locked up inside.

Surely uPVC window frames are better for my pocket?

No, not in the long term. uPVC frames may be fitted initially for a smaller cost than the wooden framed alternatives, but this is not taking into account that uPVC just does not last. Once uPVC windows are fitted, any benefits in terms of draught protection or energy saving quickly begin to diminish. They will almost certainly have to be replaced after a couple of decades. This is in stark contrast to wooden framed windows which in some cases have lasted for hundreds of years. The price you pay for fitting uPVC frames will have to be paid again and again.

Not only this, but the enhanced value given to a property that is both environmentally friendly and in keeping with its own historic fabric and surroundings is something that should be taken into consideration.

So wooden framed replacement windows are the best then?

In terms of the environmental pollution caused by chemically made, unbiodegradable plastic windows, the cost to both yourself and the planet in the long term of fitting wooden framed windows to your house is undeniable. There are ways that you can keep the character of your house and ensure that heat is not lost through windows made of traditional materials. You might even add to the value of your house by installing windows which enhance your local area and take nothing away from your old home. uPVC windows have had their day. Modern technology has caught up with traditional materials and there is no need to use uPVC any more.

Further reading

UK based companies and organisations offering a wide range of products and advice can be found on the internet. Here are just a few:

http://www.sashwindowconservation.com

http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/informguides-sashandcase.pdf

http://www.climatechangeandyourhome.org.uk/live/content_pdfs/94.pdf

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