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With winter here, and high levels of energy efficiency planned for 2025, our enquiries regarding making homes more sustainable continue to increase day by day – which is hardly surprising really, considering new standards for energy efficiency are on the horizon. As part of the Future Homes Standard, these changes will see a revision of Parts L and F of the Building Regulations and a tightening of minimum energy rating standards for windows and doors.
So, if sustainability is on your mind this year, we thought we’d take the time to answer a question we get asked a lot;
Not only do aluminium windows and doors add a slender, modern, and attractive touch to virtually any style of property, they will vastly improve your property’s security and energy efficiency levels too.
Historic metal windows have been around since the 17th Century, but none of them can compare to the modern aluminium windows and doors of today. Before the 1980s, aluminium was seen as a less suitable choice for residential window and door replacements, due to its poor heat-retaining qualities. But that all changed with the arrival of innovative polyamide thermal break technology.
Fixed between the inner and outer frame, these small plastic barriers have a mighty impact on the thermal efficiency of contemporary aluminium windows and doors – making it one of the most thermally-advanced home improvement materials available to date.
For quick reference, here are some helpful comparison tables regarding the energy efficiency of our superior home improvement products:
/ | Aluminium windows | uPVC windows | Wooden windows |
U-value | 0.9 W/m2k | 0.8 W/m2K | 0.8 W/m2K |
Energy rating | A++ | A++ | A+ |
Glazing | Double or secondary glazing | Double or secondary glazing | Double or secondary glazing |
Aerogel upgrade | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ |
/ | Aluminium doors | uPVC doors | Composite doors | Wooden doors |
Energy rating | A++ | A++ | A+ | A+ |
Glazing | Double or decorative glazing | Double or decorative glazing | Double or decorative glazing | Double or decorative glazing |
Aerogel upgrade | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
The predicted minimum energy standard for windows is 1.4 W/m²K and for doors it’s 1.0. So, as you can see, there’s no need to worry about FineLine products ever falling short of future building regulation changes.
Often approved for use in restrictive listed buildings and conservation areas when ‘like-for-like’ sightlines are essential, versatile aluminium windows and doors (like ours!) are guaranteed to enhance traditional and modern properties alike. The superior performance of aluminium makes it an excellent choice for use in contemporary conservatory builds too.
Contact a FineLine expert today to access the very best aluminium home improvement products tailored to homes in Maidstone and Kent.
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