Life expectancy of windows
I consider to change my windows (the real one, not the crappy stuff coming from MS 
) in a near future. Many windows now are made of PVC some of Aluminium and few are still made of Wood. My windows are made of oak and are 70 years old. They are nice too look, but are awfull for the isolation (sound and heat). I consider to change them for new one with double glass isolation. PVC looks great (i want them white anyway) but i wonder if their life expectancy is important ? or is it a better investissement to buy aluminium ?
Your advice are appreciated . Thanks in advance.
) in a near future. Many windows now are made of PVC some of Aluminium and few are still made of Wood. My windows are made of oak and are 70 years old. They are nice too look, but are awfull for the isolation (sound and heat). I consider to change them for new one with double glass isolation. PVC looks great (i want them white anyway) but i wonder if their life expectancy is important ? or is it a better investissement to buy aluminium ? Your advice are appreciated . Thanks in advance.
Comments
I used to have aluminum windows in my house....never again, if you have any problems with the "thermal-isolation" in the frame, you will have frost the size of a midgets arm on the inside of you windows.
Also, I work in the commercial/industrial construction industry, and see the aluminum windows all the time, and they are tough (at least the high $ industrial one are), but I would leave Alum windows to the commercial/industrial buildings.
I wonder if anyone can retrofit double glass panes to the old frames, at least to the fascias.
Matsu : the original windows are more cute, but have a bad aerian proof, something that a double glass retrofit cannot improve. Futhermore my windows are made of many small rectangles glass, if they are changed by double glass, they will lost their design.
I think you can do quite a bit to bring those up to snuff actually. The frames need to be stipped and all the glass needs to be resealed, and then the frames need to be refitted to the openings and any problems adressed. Rotted pieces replaced openings adjusted etc etc...
You'll never have the R value of new windows, but that's a small price to pay. I wonder if there are any products that can let you save the windows and get an extra layer of glasss on hte inside?
Originally posted by Powerdoc
Matsu : i don't understand to what you refer with plate glass. In my dictionnarie plate glass refer to the old mirror glass. I thinks you refer to the glass coming from a glass-glower, something that we can find in a very old house (i think house from the eighteen century, but i am not a specialist).
You can still find it in post WWI houses. The glass was rolled between two giant rollers and cooled on plates. Since the rollerswere never perfectly uniform and the cooling wasn't as carefully controlled, the glass itself was never perfectly uniform but had a slight wave to it. Usually, it comes in small panes that have to be assembled together to fill out a large window opening. Often the edges of each pane are also beveled. When they're clean and securely mounted they have a jewel like shimmer in the sunlight.
Fellowship
I would not change the windows of my saloon, my preferate room, they look nice and it's not really cold here in winter.
Originally posted by Powerdoc
Your advice are appreciated . Thanks in advance.
May I suggest two-way mirror glas
- T.I.
Originally posted by The Installer
May I suggest two-way mirror glas
- T.I.
Hmm interesting, if you are a vampire. With two way mirror, you would not see the daylight, and like every vampire you will not see your picture in the mirror.