What is uPVC?

uPVC is fast becoming the most talked about material for windows and doors as we try and economise on energy costs.
uPVC is the shortened version of Unplasticised Polyvinyl Chloride. Sounds nasty, but it is a common derivative of the more usual PVC.

 
Its use in windows and doors was pioneered in cold climates of Northern Europe, as it is highly durable, weather resistant, requires minimum maintenance, offers great security advantages, and when coupled with double glazing, for which it is the perfect partner, provides greatly enhanced thermal and sound insulation. 

In other words, double glazed uPVC will give you greater comfort in your home.

 
Comfort from outside noise penetration

 
Comfort in the easily manageable temperature, and comfort from the knowledge that the power bills you will be getting will be significantly lower than those you are currently struggling to pay. 

How do double glazed uPVC windows and doors reduce noise?
Answer : Double glazed uPVC windows and doors have two glass panes with a layer of insulating gas in between, which acts as a sound barrier. This construction effectively reduces external noise, creating a quieter and more peaceful indoor environment. 

In deciding between the many alternates offered by uPVC, you should seek expert help, as the trade-offs can be complex, and the benefits marginal above the basic cost of standard uPVC specifications.

 
Are you looking for acoustic insulation?

 
If so, the thickness of the glass and the type of gas in the gap will make a difference.
Similarly, if you are looking for energy efficiency, there is a slightly different set of specifications that can be used.
Of course, you can achieve both, which is what most people do, so you must be clear about your objectives and priorities.
Windows factory installed the Windows in a specified room in a house on Sydney's north shore. The room was to be used exclusively as a practise room for the drummer in the family.
Not pleasant for the neighbours if the sound was left 'in the wild’.
Windows Factory advised on the insulation in the walls of the room, and had the windows made specifically to prevent the noise getting out. This was a bit different, as, mostly it is preventing the noise getting in, from busy roads, noisy neighbours, or a train line.
However, when done, and the drummer was working up a sweat, there was no sound escaping louder than a normal conversation across the kitchen table.
The Windows Factory process will help you set the priorities, which in turn have an impact on the type of installation.

• Agree objectives.
• Explain the option including costs.
• Manufacture and install with the guarantee of performance. 

uPVC is certainly more expensive than a standard single glazed aluminum window or door, which is the standard for modern houses, although far below what most people would be hoping for.

 
However, that initial cost is offset by the savings in power costs to deliver comfort to your home. Over time, the maintenance costs will also be lower, especially compared to timber, as uPVC does not require painting or any other sort of maintenance beyond an occasional drop of oil on the mechanisms to ensure they work smoothly delivering both security and insulative performance over the very long life of the units.

 
So, over time the initial cost will be recovered. As well as you are gaining the benefit of the comfort uPVc delivers. 

I live in an 'art deco' style block of 8 units on a bit of a hill in the eastern suburbs. The windows which give me a great view of the beach are the originals and are now well beyond their use-by and need replacing. Unfortunately, given the fact that it is a strata, I need the approval of the other owners, all of whom are in a similar situation, but the sinking fund is not flush with funds, and the majority want to do either nothing, or replace it with very cheap aluminium.  

This is a common situation. uPVC under the circumstances of exposure to salt air are superior to aluminum, as well as delivering the comfort benefits of lower energy costs and acoustic insulation.

 
There is not usually enough resistance from other members of the strata to prevent you doing it independently, although as you have discovered, you do need their approval. However, there are significant economies in doing all the windows and doors at once. We can get the economies of scale in the manufacture and installation of all the units which we are able to pass onto the strata, so it may not be all that much more expensive than aluminum, and you would get all the benefits.

 
You will also all benefit from the increased value of your unit that will come from uPVC windows and doors.

 
Let us help with the strata manager, and perhaps other strata members.

Could also use this for a unit close to a train line.  

uPVC is indeed a petroleum-based plastic, but it is the 'universal recycler' type plastic.
Many forms of petroleum derived material cannot be recycled together, requiring complex sorting grading and cleaning before being used again.
Not so uPVC, which is a bit like Type O blood, it is the universal donor.
Our recycling processes in Australia are not up to where they should be, but are getting better as time goes on. By the time the windows you are contemplating are at an age to be replaced, 50 years and beyond in many cases, those problems will have been solved, and the windows will be easily recycled into any number of current products, and probably many that we have not yet thought of.
uPVC is not biodegradable but is recyclable into a wide range of other products, notably PVC piping. The challenge is the removal of the uPVC from the remaining glass, and steel or aluminium frames that are also used in uPVC windows and doors.   

The short answer is 'No’.

 
However, any experienced carpenter who understands the physics of heat and acoustic insulation is familiar with the techniques required to successfully extract maximum benefit can instal.

 
The challenge is in ensuring an absolute seal between the units and the surrounding 'hole'. Australian building standards, and as a result the standard usually employed by builders are very lax, used as they are to our relatively benign climate. However, any slight failure of the seal will mean the performance of the whole unit will be compromised.

 
You are well advised to ensure that your builder has 'passive house' accreditation, or at least is familiar with the practices of passive house, or you contract a specialist installer like Windows Factory, and take advantage of the guarantee we will provide.  

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