Modern aluminium windows offer the best sightlines, excellent weather performance, security, and colour options. Significantly improved over earlier generations, today’s aluminium window products no longer suffer from poor energy efficiency, limited colour choices, or high-maintenance subframes. Advances in profile technology, construction, hardware and glass now mean today’s products can meet virtually any customer requirement.
Who makes the best aluminium windows?
Find out which aluminium windows are the best in terms of brand, quality, traditional and contemporary designs, opening options and more.
Aluminium windows buying guide
Everything you need to know about buying aluminium windows to replace old ones, a new build home or an extension.
Aluminium windows design and styles
Many perceive aluminium as only suitable for modern, contemporary houses and new extensions. In fact, there is a choice of traditional frames, including Victorian sash and timber-look.
Profiles in a chamfered style work well in a traditional house, with a rounded look to the outer frame and vent and adding mullions and transoms if required. Aluminium windows provide slim, flat or profiled frames for properties with stone or wood surrounds, including glazing beads offering a putty look similar to the original. For the Art Deco, 1920s feel, aluminium steel-look windows are a perfect choice.
The main design and style benefit of aluminium windows over PVCu or timber windows are the slimline proportions of aluminium. With aluminium’s slim sightlines comes inherent profile strength without needing the additional multiple chambers and the aluminium or steel reinforcement that PVCu requires.
In addition, aluminium windows are highly weather-resistant and have low maintenance compared to wood.
Because of aluminium’s strength, fixed and opening aluminium windows can have wider and taller dimensions.
This means larger openings and glass panels are possible elements, providing scope for apex windows and picture windows above doors or floor-to-ceiling glazing, such as used in architectural glazing.
When it comes to opening methods, all are possible: fixed, outward or inward opening, top and side hung, tilting, reversible sliding, bifolding and even parallel opening.
Not all brands offer all types of aluminium window openings. You can contact us for help if there’s a particular window opening you’re after.
Manufacturing and fitting of aluminium windows
The construction of the best aluminium windows starts with aluminium extrusions and profiles that meet industry standards for quality, conformity and type. Then, thermal breaks and insulation are added to make the frames fully insulated and prevent cold bridging.
Aluminium window manufacturing remains largely a hand-assembled process. Machines only cut and prepare machined holes, slots, and drainage. Because aluminium windows are hand-assembled and made-to-order, you’ll rarely find stock sizes and designs.
Available with direct-fix frames, most products fit easily where they’re replacing existing windows. Frames with a depth of 70 mm or 75 mm make replacing old timber or PVCu windows easy, with only routine trims and architraves required internally.
Several types of frame depths are available for new openings, ensuring some of the thinnest sightlines possible. Finally, you’ll find frame options for fitting to existing stone, hardwood frames and other building features.
Energy efficiency of aluminium windows
Very energy-efficient windows in aluminium include triple-glazed Passivhaus products and those with enhanced insulation. Senior Architectural, for instance, offers the PURE suite of windows with a polyurethane thermal break with excellent performance. Origin OW-80 casement windows come with the option of better energy efficiency when specified with Aerogel.
Finally, some of the best performing windows for U-Values or Window Energy Ratings are hybrid windows. These use a combination of wood on the inside and aluminium inside. The solid wood internally creates an excellent thermal barrier and helps lower energy bills.
Powder-coated colours and finishes for aluminium windows
The aluminium window surface, inside and out, comes with a durable powder-coated finish in over 150 different colours. Other options include woodgrain finishes, textured surfaces, metallics, and even different colours on the inside and outside.
Anodised windows create a contemporary metallic appearance and provide even more durability than powder coating but at an additional cost. If you live in a coastal location, you must ask for extra protection from the sea salt spray in the wind.
What finishes you get with aluminium windows depends on several factors. These include available stock, the colour range specified, whether satin, matt or gloss and what the company chooses to offer outside of a special order colour.
Aluminium windows security
The security of fixed and opening windows is excellent in aluminium windows. As well as multi-point locking systems, there are top brand locks such as Yale used with Origin aluminium windows and other brands offering significant protection. These combine with high-quality handles or methods for conveniently opening windows at a high level.
Whether your windows are internally or externally beaded, most good brands are tested to the same stringent security standards, such as Secured by Design, PAS24 or Document Q for new build homes.
What glass is used in aluminium windows?
The glass used in aluminium windows also comes in different thicknesses, such as double or triple glazing. Choosing the right glass in the window ensures the best U-Values and energy-saving properties. Furthermore, windows have extensive options for enhanced security, improved acoustics, privacy or shade.
Energy efficiency in aluminium windows works best with a thermally insulated frame combined with a good specification glass unit. At minimum, most products come with double-glazed units with a soft-coat low-emissivity coating, warm edge spacer bars and an argon gas fill.
Windows for conservation areas and listed buildings
Homeowners with a listed property or those with a home in a conservation area and areas of outstanding natural beauty may find the current range of slimline and heritage windows suitable for their local Planning Authority or Conservation Officer. Â However, every installation is different, and our advice is always to consult with your local authority at the outset.
Depending on the level of work you intend to undertake, we recommend checking the status of your building on the Historic England website to check the status of your building. The site also has information about what grants may be available. Then, working with a professional installer and, if necessary, a planning professional, you should be able to find the right system.
Why choose aluminium windows?
Frame widths and slim sightlines are now one of the most significant considerations for buying aluminium windows. In addition, the choice of style, technical excellence, sustainability, security, energy efficiency and the hundreds of colour options make them a well-considered option.
For further reading, take a look at our aluminium windows buying guide. To start delving into the many brands on offer, our article outlines some of the best aluminium windows to help you navigate all the possibilities.
Contact us if you want personal advice about your window installation; we will gladly help.
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