PVCu Windows

Important Factors

In addition to options for your Frames and glazing, there are many more ways you can customise your Cristal Windows, whether the priority is to harmonise with the architecture of your home or reflect your personal taste. Based on our extensive experience of designing and installing windows for many satisfied homeowners, we’d like to suggest some of the important factors you should give serious attention to, apart from the pure aesthetics of the window. These include function, comfort, energy efficiency, security fire escape, ease of operation and of course low maintenance as well as keeping the installation compliant with current building regulation requirements.

Top opening vents:
These are ideal for providing effective ventilation for bedrooms at night or a ground floor room without having a larger vent open. Modern technology means that our products can be made into any shape or design, the choice of virtually any colour, or even mock timber finishes.

We’ll give you advice about how many side and top openers you will need for adequate ventilation. There are several types of opening vent to choose from. 

These different types of opening vent can be used to complement a window design, provide different levels of ventilation or more importantly provide adequate fire escapes. 

These operate the same way in which a top opening vent does but can be made much larger so are ideal for providing adequate fire escapes for first floor habitable rooms.

Large side / can also be top opening vents
These can also be fitted with fire escape hinges (Egress) to provide quick effective and secure fire escapes. Building regulations stipulate that all first floor and above habitable rooms are fitted with an adequate fire escape.

Examples of windows with fire escape hinges

Tilt & turn opening vents: (open inwards)
A tilt and turn vent can be opened in two positions.

Firstly the tilt position, which can provide adequate ventilation for any room

Secondly it can be opened fully from the side. These are very popular for bathrooms and bedrooms as the one vent provides both adequate ventilation and means of escape.

     
Mullions -Transoms
If you’re not sure, we’ll also recommend the number and sizes of mullions and transoms.

These are industry names which are given to the upright (Mullion) and the cross pieces of the window (Transom) respectively.

Fire Escapes: Fensa 
Since the introduction of Fensa and building regulation compliance or which are constantly being updated, We have to consider the regulations covering fire escapes to habitable rooms, a strict guideline is now laid down that puts minimum sizes to opening sections to give clear access in the event of fire. We wholly agree with this policy but it can affect the design you choose possibly meaning the width sight lines would be unequal on conventional casement windows, Of course there are alternatives available, Special Egress fire escape hinges, Tilt And turn windows or French style opening windows, We would be please to discuss this in more detail with you.

Sight Lines
When choosing replacement products for your home, there are a number of design features that are seldom discussed, but are worth considering ensuring that your double glazing matches your expectations.

Could this be that when you look around at other properties that some look better than others?

One significant issue is sight lines. When manufacturing most modern replacement windows it is normal for there to be smaller areas of glass wherever there are openings (sashes) fitted.

Where the frames are fixed the glass area will be larger. This is due to the size of the profiles. We refer to this as (unequal) sightlines normally visually acceptable to most people.

 
On older properties and now some newer ones it was common to have (equal) sightlines. With this you would not be able to tell from the outside which windows opened, achieved by fitting (Dummy sashes) or (False openers) into the fixed parts of the frames.

Although not everyone appreciates the bulkier appearance that comes with equal sight lines, there are some properties for which this approach is preferable. It is also a very good alternative with Georgian and Leaded Light window designs as it allows you to have rectangles or squares that are more equal in size. Diamond designs can be more balanced.

Yes having equal site lines adds to the cost of your replacement windows and for this reason many people do not favour this approach. It is still a worthwhile consideration in our opinion on some properties

Bay Windows and Bow Windows

You can have any sort of design including every type of round or square bays even conversions from flat windows to bow bays that provide a pleasing curved alternative to traditional flat frames, Bay or Bow windows can give the front of your house the look that sets it above the others in your neighbourhood. A bow window can normally be fitted in a matter of hours where a full Bay window involve a bit more work as building works will be required.

Traditional Bays:
These can be completely removed and replaced, under new building regulations load bearing bay and bow windows are now covered by FENSA. All bay and bow windows are constructed using structural bay pole assembly kits; however under new building regulations load bearing bay pole jacks must now be fitted through the external sill into the bay pole assembly kit. This creates a structural support from the brickwork under the bay or bow window to the head of the opening

Bay splayed

Bay 90 degree

 
 

Bay Fensa Compliant bay pole jacks

Typical bay window cross section with reinforced bay poles

Non-Standard Windows 

Cristal can provide solutions to any requirement for non standard window shapes.  Like circular windows, triangular shapes and every style of arch, including gothic.
 
Whatever the design, we’ll make sure the windows not only provide insulation, security, enough light and air, but also look good. 

Images courtesy Universal Arches Ltd

The example shown here on the right is an Arched Top Window installed

What colour do you want?

You name it and today you can almost certainly get it. Standard colours for PVCu are white but can be specified Rich Mahogany Rosewood and light oak foiled Woodgrain styles. Black, white and cream foils are now becoming increasingly popular. We can specify your frames foiled to both the inside and outside, combining the traditional look of painted or stained windows and doors with the outstanding benefits of PVCu. Even foiled outside with white inside that gives more light to a room additionally, both PVCu can be specially coloured in red, blue, green, black and orange! (And that's just a few of the options painted to any Ral colour code)

How do I get a quote?

For an estimate based on the information you provide to us, please Request a Quote.

If we come out to survey, then we would normally like to walk around you home with you taking approximate dimensions for pricing purposes only (should you decide to place an order with us we will carry out detailed survey measurements for manufacture). Please do not feel alarmed if some windows are not measured, but simply viewed after years of experience we know the approximate size of a window and what price grid it will fall in.

We will ask you for your choice of preferred design, possible copying the originals. From there we will suggest some alternatives especially if you are considering lead lights or Georgian effect glass.

We will suggest some of the important factors you should give serious attention to, apart from the pure aesthetics of the window. These include things like function, comfort, energy efficiency, security fire escape, ease of operation and of course low maintenance as well as keeping the installation compliant with current building regulation requirements.

Improving the look and value of your property has never been easier. Whether casement, vertical sliding sashes, bay windows, as well as doors.

Please contact us for more information

Specifications

These are the sort of questions you should ask any rival company. They are by no means the whole story and there will be pros and cons with all of them. We would be pleased to answer any questions you may have.

Here is a short list of PVCu systems companies supplying extrusions for the manufacture of PVCu windows and doors in the UK - Duraflex, Deceuninck, Eurocell, Kommerling, Rehau, Spectus, Synseal and Veka.

Internal or externally glazed windows

Most PVCu systems will now give you this option. Generally internally beaded windows (where the glass is held in from the inside) are considered more secure and burglar resistant. That said there are a lot of satisfactory externally beaded PVCu systems about - many of which feature either internal wedge gaskets or a "double sided" tape which holds the external bead firmly in place. The main benefit is the profiles are slimmer.

Thickness of PVCu walling?

Most PVCu systems for window and door construction are "multi-walled" with internal reinforcement by means of either Aluminium or Galvanised Steel box section. Wall thickness can vary from system to system - most are around 3 - 3.5 mm thickness. Generally speaking the "thicker" the walling - the stronger the section. Note also that the greater the number of internal walls - the greater the strength.

Depth or thickness of frame

Actual depth of frame extrusion varies from as low as 50 mm to a number at 70 mm and above. Most are in the 60 - 65 mm region. Clearly this DOES have an effect on the structural strength of your replacement window or door. This is especially worth bearing in mind when comparing prices. It would not for instance be fair to compare the price of a conservatory built using a 55 mm depth of frame with a window made using 70 mm depth of frame.

Cross section chamfered frame

Cross section Ovolo frame

Welded or manual fitted mullions and transoms.
Most modern systems are fully welded ( melted ) on every joint , the machinery for this is very expensive both on initial cost and ongoing running costs due to the vast amounts of electricity used to keep the welding plates at the required temperature.  Manual joints normally associated with external glazed windows are screwed together, (in time the concealed screws sometimes start to work loose and the window performance starts to deteriorate)

Close up contour (Rehau edge) system

What colour do you want? 
You name it and today you can almost certainly get it. Standard colours for PVCu are white but can be specified Rich Mahogany Rosewood and light oak foiled Woodgrain styles. Black, white and cream foils are now becoming increasingly popular. We can specify your frames foiled to both the inside and outside, combining the traditional look of painted or stained windows and doors with the outstanding benefits of PVCu. Even foiled outside with white inside that gives more light to a room additionally, both PVCu can be specially coloured in red, blue, green, black and orange! (And that's just a few of the options painted to any Ral colour code)

White Woodgrain foiled (also available in cream and black)