Your new double glazing tips and advice please

[JaynePoole]

I’m collecting quotes on replacing all of my double glazing, and would welcome the benefit of your advice.

I’m thinking brown outside, white inside at the front and white at the back. I would like a bright composite front door (what colour?).
The house currently has fake diamond lead at the top of windows but I’m thinking of going plain or possibly rectangle fake lead.

Oh and if you do change to white check out how white as some UPVC is a really harsh brilliant white and some is a slightly softer white.

Think about tilt and turn for some windows.

All mine upstairs are tilt and turn. Can be left open on the tilt without being a security risk and I love them.

dead easy to clean too

Thank you. The fitter I have coming round today is a time-served, one man band with a personal recommendation from a handyman I trust. However your comments are making me realise that there are many things I haven’t considered. He might just want to do what’s easiest for him? More straightforward. I’ll see how it goes and let you all know.

So, fitter advised against brown frames as he reckons that they expand and shrink more due to the darker colour absorbing more heat. I didn't like the sound of this, so said I'd go for white.
Two days later I'm not so sure, but at least it'll be cheaper.

He certainly wasn't any kind of salesperson, so a bit of me was disappointed he didn't tell me all about fancy locks and window fittings.

He's going to get back to me with a quote but my phone is broken so not sure what will happen about that.

A bit late, perhaps, the previous owners of our house fitted brown window frames to the front of our 1920s cottage, but had a bespoke wooden Oak made and fitted. Strange as this made UPVC windows look worse. We are going to change the windows to a heritage green colour.

We wish we had got trickle vents fitted as we get a lot of condensation in the winter which leads to black mould around the window area. I don't think these were mentioned at the time our salesman came round.

There is so much choice with windows nowadays that I would be suspicious if he’s not given you any options- they’re probably going to be the most basic cheap looking ones on the market.

Personally I’d look up the manufacturers, get quotes from their suppliers then ask him to fit them if you think he’s a good installer.

Check if they are opening outwards or inwards. I didn't do this and they open inwards by default and it means I can't have roller blinds.

I got two companies around that were local and had been used by family. We have a 1930s semi. We went for white frames, and for acoustic glass. We no longer hear traffic on the road or our neighbour leaving in the mornings. The house was also warmer all winter than before.

Please get two quotes though - we got all the super duper extras with one for the same price as big standard with the other and even then we were surprised at how low the quotes were compared to what we expected.