To cry over PVC window

[Dongdingdong]

I’ve just had to replace a very old aluminium window in my bathroom, as it was in poor condition and the double glazing was completely shot. I’d wanted to replace it with a new aluminium window but when we were given quotes, the aluminium was almost double the cost of the PVC (about £1K more expensive!)

DH refused to spend that much extra on a window and so we decided to go for the PVC option. It has just been installed last week and admittedly they’ve done a very good, neat job. However, I can’t get past the fact that it’s horrible PVC.

The house is a Victorian terrace with wooden windows at the front and aluminium (plus the new PVC window) at the back.

AIBU for crying about the new window, feeling we’ve made a terrible mistake and wishing we’d gone for aluminium as it’s a better and more historic material than plastic?

Appreciate this really doesn't help you but I have wooden windows in my bathroom which get steamed up everyday and they are perfectly OK.

Been there at least 40+ years.

Sorry, you have been badly advised.

Exactly Venus - I'd rather wait and save to get things done properly any day.

Adobe we didn't install the aluminium windows - they were there when we bought the house. Obviously wooden ones are the ideal!

To those saying aluminium windows are crap - really? I think they're far more stylish and aesthetically pleasing than PVC (which is probably why they're twice the price).

At least your bathroom will be warmer - aluminium is much worse for heat loss. And as pps have said, aluminium was never authentic period style anyway.

However I do sympathise. We once had a new kitchen window to replace wooden sashes that were impossible to open from behind the sink. I wanted double push-out openings - small at top, bigger at bottom, but hadn't realised that there would be a huge band of PVC right at my eye level.
Hated it so much, we had it replaced shortly afterwards. It was a very expensive mistake.

Issues we went with white PVC because all of the other (aluminium) windows at the back of the house are white.

Gah, thanks Anna. A wooden window was way out of our budget anyway, but as I said, I think I'd have preferred to save up and get metal or wood rather than rushing in with the PVC.

The company we went with did offer wooden windows too, and I did mention that I was interested in wood - but they said PVC would be the better option in a bathroom. I'm surprised that when I indicated I was interested in wood, they didn't try to upsell me to that as the price was more than double!

I think the issue is perhaps more that is doesn't match the rest of the back of the house now whereas before it did. I doubt you would hate it as much if you replaced all the back with PVC, leaving the lovely wood at the front.

Thanks Edison but there's no way I could bring myself to replace the other windows at the back with PVC, lol.

I had to replace a historic window. Everyone else on my street has smashed their original stained glass and replaced with PVC. I spent £1000 I couldn’t afford on a wood replacement and reinstating the glass. I’ve also spent £500 on having the front door glass releaded.

I get it. Historic conservation matters to me. But it is extraordinarily expensive. And our heating bill is very high too.

I think I’m the end you have to decide how important it is to you. And my partner disagrees with me so gradually we’re ending up with PVC at the back of the house. It is uglier, no doubt.

But more environmentally friendly, so there’s that?

Several people in the street where I used to live used the same excellent company for replacing the 1980s timber windows with PVC. The company does wood lookalike PVC frames. I am a bit of a natural materials obsessive but I have to say that these PVC frames are so authentic woody-looking that I had difficulty telling them apart from real wood. If I hadn't been told they were PVC I would have assumed they were wood. Plus there are no draughts any more! Fabulous.

So if you mean you made a mistake by choosing white PVC, which I admit can look naff depending on the house/style, why not save up for a good wood lookalike PVC? May not be too expensive to replace one window.

Put up a blind. In about a month you won’t notit much any more.

Oh dear, it's done now.

I recently had new windows and went with a wooden window specialist. Was about £1K a window.

However all my old wooden windows will never need replacing, they can all be refurbished in situ so don't replace your existing wooden windows if they get rotten, get them refurbed.

Gettinglikemymother Did you revert back to wood? I can't stand the thick bands of PVC, it looks so horrid. Luckily ours only opens at the top so we don't have such a thick band in the middle.

We do also have a PVC lean to conservatory at the back of the house, but I feel that's less problematic as it's not "part" of the fabric of the house IYSWIM - it's just tacked on to the side of it and could be removed.

DH says I need to get over myself as while it is mid-Victorian, it's not like it's a historically important house anyway. But I just want to do the best for the house!

But more environmentally friendly, so there’s that?

Is it though Rhi? I thought PVC would be the worst possible choice for the environment because it's plastic!

So if you mean you made a mistake by choosing white PVC, which I admit can look naff depending on the house/style, why not save up for a good wood lookalike PVC? May not be too expensive to replace one window.

I think it's more just PVC in general - if I were to replace PVC with PVC I would still be really upset! I think saving up to replace the window with wood/aluminium one day is the only option really. I'll probably never be able to justify the expense to DH, but just thinking that maybe at some point in the future we might do it makes me feel a teensy bit better.

I don't know where all the aluminium hate is coming from . Modern aluminium windows for residential properties are manufactured using high insulation sustainable aluminium with bespoke polyamide thermal isolators. They offer a wide range of options in terms of hardware, operation, functionality, security and acoustic performance and are tested to the latest UK & European standards.
They are exceptionally thermally efficient, with window energy rating levels of A+ achievable, and low U-values. Double or triple glazing is available and all are low maintenance. There's a wide choice of standard RAL colours both internally and externally.
Many many architects are now specifying aluminium (which is infinitely recyclable) for new residential schemes and refurbs on period properties.

IMO aluminium is the way to go and is certainly preferable to UPVC. And yes, I do know what I'm talking about .

Yes sorry but YABU, this is something to be a bit disappointed with, not something to cry about. After all, it can be changed later of you still want to and it really is just a window. Also, just think of all the things you can do with the money you've saved!

I agree with PP - I am astounded you are worried about "vandalising" the house when it already has horrid aluminium windows.

Happypoobum I think it's because while the aluminium windows obviously aren't Victorian, they do look nice and actually relatively stylish. The PVC just looks horrid.

I'm afraid to say that I think you do need to get things into perspective...crying over it is ridiculous.

I'm surprised that when I indicated I was interested in wood, they didn't try to upsell me to that as the price was more than double!

I would imagine that the profit margins are better on PVC windows, as they are just churned out of a factory.

Aluminium windows are horrible and not in keeping with the Victorian property. If you're worried about vandalising the traditional character of your property you should have put wooden windows back in.

you can get slim framed upvc windiws that look really good.

The aluminium hate is probably coming from the 70's, when I remember them being installed. I would actively avoid a property with aluminium windows tbh.

Good luck trying to heat a room with an aluminium window frame. We had these in the council house I grew up in. Winter was not fun.

scubadoobie see my post above for reassurance about modern aluminium windows:
They are exceptionally thermally efficient, with window energy rating levels of A+ achievable, and low U-values.

We have recently replaced all the 1960’s windows in 60’shouse. It was horrendously expensive I would have chosen the new aluminium windows but this was way out of our league.

DH flatly refused UPVC ones so we have ended up with alu clad wood. They are lovely but some luxuries will have to be cut out (holidays).

You must think going forward to work with what you have - perhaps put up nice white shutters or blind so that each time you walk into the room the offensive window doesn’t make you scowl.