Alu clad versus wood windows

Everyone,

In the next year I will be building my dream home(fingers crossed) and will be installing timberwindows, they are cheaper and if you get them factory finished (presure painted, it new to me) they should last up 6 years with out been touched, after that, every years to two years repaint (perfect for a bungalow/dormer)
 
jaid79, when you go to re-paint your windows after 6 maybe more years do you have to remove the factory finish totally as it is a type of plastic coating or will paint take over it? How do you repair scratches after the builders etc?

I have timber windows which are now in the house over 7 years and we used the "ronseal - it does what it says on the tin" and they have lasted that long no problem at all except for one window in our sunroom which gets the sun/storm and it needed to be touched up about two years ago.
 
Jaid,
Cheaper than what?

Alu-Clad:confused:

jaid79, when you go to re-paint your windows after 6 maybe more years do you have to remove the factory finish totally as it is a type of plastic coating or will paint take over it? How do you repair scratches after the builders etc?

No you can paint over them, also if a following on trade damages the frame you are given a sample sized container of matching acrlic paint to touch up

NHG how much did you pay for your windows?
 
I used Aluwood windows, (Irish rep for a Danish company). The quality of the windows are excellent. My considerations were for a maintenance free outside and a nice wood finish inside and they turned out great. You can get inward or outward opening, side and top hung. You can also get motors on windows which may be in high or awkward to reach places, for switched opening. The lead time was very good compared to other window companies also.

Andyh
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Hi Andy,
In the process of selecting aluclad windows. Could you let me have the name of your supplier as companies like Dansk too expensive for me.
Thanks, Louise.
 
Louise,
I've got a lot of quotes for aluclad windows recently and have found Rationel to be the most reasonable - that's against Dansk, Nordic etc
 
I know of a company that provides Austrian windows, excellent quality with the full RAL range of Alu clad colours.

Hi Jake2000,

I'm looking at alu clad windows at the moment and wondered if the company you mentioned were 'Internorm'? Have just received their brochure and am really liking the look of them, especially the internal blinds and the range of colous too. They claim to be passive house certified also.......I am fearing however that they will be too expensive!

If anyone else would care to share who they are looking at / used at for Alu clad windows and what type of quote / price you paid I would be very grateful.:)

Bats...
 
I have sent my window schedule to a number of companies for quote for Aluclad windows and here's what came back;
True Windows €36327
GQI (Niveau) €64190
Rationel €29255
Nordic €29787
Dansk €38559
Unmentionable nationwide co €30k

Obviously will be different to your windows, but it gives you some idea of how the different Co.s compare. In most cases, pine timber windows were 40-50% cheaper again. Hardwood windows were often about the same as Aluclad.
 
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Hi Ifcjfc,

RE: GQI (Niveau) €64190, can't get over how much higher their quote was! Tried to look them up on the web just to check out what's so special and have had no luck finding them. Do you have a web address for them?

cheers, bats
 
Hi Ifcjfc,

RE: GQI (Niveau) €64190, can't get over how much higher their quote was! Tried to look them up on the web just to check out what's so special and have had no luck finding them. Do you have a web address for them?

cheers, bats

[broken link removed]

I also got a quote from them. They were quite shocked when we spoke after I got their quote that I could buy a passive spec. window elsewhere (very similar to their own) for less than they quoted me for the regular spec.
 
Hi Ifcjfc,

RE: GQI (Niveau) €64190, can't get over how much higher their quote was! Tried to look them up on the web just to check out what's so special and have had no luck finding them. Do you have a web address for them?

cheers, bats

Hi Bats

GQI/Niveau came highly recommended to me from a friend that bought aluclad windows from them about 18 months ago (and felt they got good value at the time). I was shocked when their quote arrived and told them so when I met up with them at the Galway show. Although their range of windows and doors is impressive; in technical/performance terms, I dont thing they were offering a product that was worth twice the price.
 
Hi Bats

The company I was referring to is called Hracho Wina.



I couldn't get on to their web site this evening for some reason, don't know why. They have an agent working in Ireland, I can send you his details if you wish.

(for those who need to know: I have no association with this company or their agent)

J2K
 
Has anyone dealt with or had a quote from Doleta, based in Kilkenny. These are triple glazed, made in Lithuania, and cana be alu clad or just timber.

Had a quote from them which is not overly expensive for triple glaed, but a little nervous about them, as do not seem to have done many houses in Ireland.

Keeper
 
Just a quick reply on the alu clad windows. We have ours ordered from Marvin ( black externally and pine internally). We wanted sash windows and priced around quite a few companies but the marvin were actually the best value. Sliding sash are their standard style of window therefore their least expensive ( only 5k dearer than senator for their PVC version ). They are being fitted next month hopefully.
 
Has anyone dealt with or had a quote from Doleta, based in Kilkenny. These are triple glazed, made in Lithuania, and cana be alu clad or just timber.

Had a quote from them which is not overly expensive for triple glaed, but a little nervous about them, as do not seem to have done many houses in Ireland.

Keeper

Heard reference to them in an older post on aam. They are on the list for the selfbuild show in punchestown this weekend so I'll be getting a look at them.
 
Has anyone dealt with or had a quote from Doleta, based in Kilkenny. These are triple glazed, made in Lithuania, and cana be alu clad or just timber.

Had a quote from them which is not overly expensive for triple glaed, but a little nervous about them, as do not seem to have done many houses in Ireland.

Keeper

I got my windows from Doleta 3 months ago. I went with the aluminium cladded triple glazing as there wasnt much of a difference between the cost of double and triple glazing. Their rep brought me to a house that they did 3 years ago and I met the owner who privately could not speak highly enough of them. The rep said that they had secured orders from the four provinces this year. I heard about them of a fellow engineer who had ordered windows off of them before me. He had done a good bit of research into windows and said that they had a quality product. I had to hand over 35k but I had 3 big sliding doors and my house is 3,000 sq. ft. I am very happy with them and the wife loved their stains. Only for my colleague I would never have heard of them. They since have a website [broken link removed] . Hope this helps.
 
Has anyone else had installed doleta triple glazing windows?
would love to hear opinion on product quality and service as we are thinking of going with them, their quote was competitive for triple glazing.
 
Has anyone else had installed doleta triple glazing windows?
would love to hear opinion on product quality and service as we are thinking of going with them, their quote was competitive for triple glazing.

I saw them at selfbuild in punchestown a few weeks ago and wasn't impressed. They are probably better than the standard pvc window used in developments but they are cheaper than the other imported windows for a reason in my opinion.

They didn't strike me as a particularly polished product basically and given that they were windows that had spent any time getting hammered by irish weather I'd have my concerns.

However, they person above who has had them installed would be a better gauge of them. Why don't you ask Doleta for a list of customers they supplied to so you can ring them and possibly visit if its practical.
 
Hello,
We installed a large quantity of Marvin aluclad windows in our house and have had numerous problems including corroding hardware and rotting window frames. Anyone else had similar problems?
 
Hi George99,

We built sunroom 3 years ago and paid E17,000 on marvin windows. I wouldn't get them again. Haven't given any major problems, door handle fell off twice, had to seal up around window casing also not impressed with acoustic value and I live in the country. At the time we installed them the customer service was terrible but has probably improved since. They are nice to look at but if I was doing it all over again there are now a far better range of windows available for less money.
 
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