When choosing how and where to buy aluminium windows, the retail supply and installation route still provides an easier process, better guarantees, and less for you to organise.
However, there are other ways to buy aluminium windows, save money, complete your property renovation faster, and, for those who love to project manage, have more control.
Buy aluminium windows to replace old, for a new build or extension
When replacing existing windows, how and where to buy aluminium windows can differ from windows for a new build or extension.
Replacing windows where no builder is involved is the most straightforward route. Often, the project involves a like-for-like replacement of the existing windows, which is usually a simple window installation. Slightly more ambitious could be deciding to change the look of your home with a new window design and colour.
Choosing windows for a new extension or new home is a more complex task. It’s not just about creating the window openings, there are other factors to consider.
- Ensure your selection suits your home and lifestyle in the long term.
- Arriving at the right window design or specification.
- Compliance with Building Regulations for energy efficiency, ventilation, and safety.
- Working with an architect, builder and carrying out research.
- Timing your windows purchase and installation with the build and other trades.
Where to buy aluminium windows when replacing windows
Our advice for a simple out-in replacement of your existing windows is the supply and install route offered by your local home improvement company.
The primary reason is to get a professional survey and establish the correct manufacturing sizes of the new windows. A trained window surveyor also spots details such as the condition of any existing timber or stone frames. A survey establishes the window frame depth and the trim size required to create a finished look inside the room.
In addition, going down the supplier and installer route addresses potential installation issues and building regulations. For example, perhaps the new windows are above a conservatory or glazed roof – the installer can’t stand on the roof as most windows are fitted from the outside. You may need scaffolding to access hard-to-reach windows. What size of window cill or internal window board is best? You’ll need to consider first-floor windows as a means of escape or an easy cleaning facility. What about child restrictors? Do you need trickle vents? All of these considerations and many more are familiar to your window installer.
Where to buy aluminium windows for a new home or extension
When you need to buy aluminium windows for your new extension, renovation, or building project, you’ve got more choices. However, the supply and installation route remains the best option for simplicity.
The benefits of the retail supply and installation service
Work with a good installation business, and you get many benefits:
- Access to product expertise, saving you time researching
- A professional surveyor working out the required sizes for your glazing
- The longer guarantee, up to 20 years with some products
- After-care service with optional routine maintenance of your new windows and doors
Moreover, the retail route works best when you buy aluminium windows for a new extension together with patio doors with a low threshold; otherwise, your door provider, builder and/or architect would need to work collaboratively to give you the desired flush look. Similarly, you may need to work out the positioning, opening modules, and how any shaped windows will work, such as an apex window above a bifolding door.
Your builder buy aluminium windows and fit
You entrust your builder with building a safe structure, so why not get them to fit your windows and doors? Here are the pros and cons!
PROS
- In most cases, you’ll save money vs the retail route with access to trade prices
- You already know your builder and trust them vs an unknown window firm
- Delivery dates on the windows or doors are usually faster
- Most builders with experience fitting windows do a good job
CONS
- If your builder has a supplier, you may be limited in the choice
- You won’t get the 10 or 20-year product guarantees of the retail route
- Your builder may not have the expertise in establishing manufacturing sizes, leading to mistakes
- Construction firms generally don’t take as good care of window frames, leading to damage
Buy aluminium windows, and your builder fits
Homeowners can buy aluminium windows directly from some suppliers and their builder installs them; this provides all the advantages of the builder supplying and fitting as above. Even better, you get to research the style and manufacturer you want rather than what the builder dictates. However, here are cons:
- You’ll need to find a window supplier who will sell direct to the public or let a non-trained builder install their windows
- You won’t get a longer product warranty
- You will be expected to supply the correct order details, sizes and specifications
- You will need to manage and resolve any product delays or mistakes
The hardest part of this route is probably establishing manufacturing sizes, openings can be irregular across the width and height. Does your builder have the expertise to do the window survey? Any measurement mistakes will be very costly.
Whilst all of this sounds daunting, good direct-to-public suppliers of doors and windows have worked hard to make it easy. Some will provide a survey service for an extra cost, and many will provide information for builders about how to measure and install the doors and windows. A few even offer an ‘assisted-fit’ service for more complicated glazing. For further advice, we’ve created a full explanation of potential pitfalls with buying direct versus getting someone else to fit.
Buy aluminium windows direct from the manufacturer
You or your builder can buy fully fabricated windows and doors directly from the manufacturer. Many manufacturers have excellent showrooms where you can view the products and discuss your project. Some even offer a survey to take the measurements and assisted fit service. Whilst this route still places responsibility on you, if you’re confident managing this process, this process can save money.
Buy aluminium windows online
There are the usual precautions to buying anything online, but with windows, it can get more complicated.
First of all, it’s worth establishing whether the online supplier is a manufacturer of these or buying in via the trade route and then selling online.
The biggest risk to buying online is getting the right product and that the windows advertised are those you’ll get. For instance, are the images representative of the product? Windows aesthetics are frequently governed by sizes. You may see a slimline aluminium window image online , but what you get is thicker in profile because it’s larger than the sizes possible with slimline profiles. Unless your online supplier provides absolute clarity on the dimensions you’ll get, this is by far the riskiest route, even if the cheapest.
Overall, online places a larger responsibility on you. Of course, all the considerations with the builder or trade route above still apply to buying online.
Window guarantees when you buy aluminium windows
When you buy aluminium windows, the best guarantee is the one you get from the retail, supply and installation route.
Many window installers provide long product and fitting guarantees that actually exceed what they get from their suppliers. An excellent example is glass. It’s impossible to find a glass unit bought from a glass manufacturer with a guarantee longer than five years. Some installers pass on this same time period to you. Others choose to take a risk by offering you a ten year guarantee.
Similarly, there are products available from specialist manufacturers who honour their products for up to 25 years, but only when bought through an approved and trained dealer. You’ll miss out on this extended warranty and peace of mind guarantee when buying anywhere other than through the retail route.
Whether you buy windows and your builder installs, or leave the windows sourcing to your builder. Check the warranty you’ll get both with the product and the installation. Wherever you buy aluminium windows, the warranty and guarantee you’ll get won’t be the same.
Ongoing maintenance after you buy aluminium windows
No window or door is a fit-and-forget product. Modern aluminium and PVCu materials are widely marketed as low-maintenance, giving the impression that your new windows, once installed, never need anything but a routine clean. This is not true.
Over time, all windows will require routine maintenance and adjustment. Many retail suppliers and installers offer such a service either free, as part of a service package, or at a one-off cost.
Still looking to buy aluminium windows and looking for more advice? We can help with details of brands and installation companies in your area.
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