Learn the right way to create an environmentally friendly option for windows & doors, from power efficient glazing to renewable materials.
Whether you’ve designs on saving planet earth or simply saving cash on the energy costs of yours, creating environmentally minded selections for eco windows and doors goes way beyond simply double glazing.
Climate change is a great topic and much more than ever, we’re conscious of the importance to bring down the impact of ours on the planet. Choosing your windows and doors for the self build project of yours is no exception. By making the best choice, you are able to reduce the carbon footprint of yours, save cash on bills with the gain of creating a well insulated, comfortable home.
Doors and windows are a crucial part in making sure the sustainability of the project of yours. In an average home, a maximum of forty % of the heat loss of its is through windows and doors so it is crucial to recognize the big difference between the supplies to make an educated, responsible option.
Sustainability and energy efficiency go hand in hand. Thus understanding whether the timber in the doors of yours along with windows is sustainably sourced or maybe FSC certified and if they’re made of a substance which may be reused is as essential simply because their insulation properties (measured by R values) and energy efficiency (measured by U-values).
Right here we decompose the eco credentials of the different styles of windows and doors accessible.
Timber
Timber is a naturally insulating material thus energy successful with an U value of around 1.2 W/m2 for a superior quality timber window. When picking out a sustainable timber, be sure that it’s credentials like FSC certification which guarantees you the timber is sourced from a sensibly managed forest wherein the highest green standards are met.
Modern day microporous paints and stains are making maintenance easy therefore boosting the lifetime of the timber doors of yours or even windows. These discolorations and paints are absorbed into the wood so that they do not flake or blister and based on the earth within the home, a good quality paint surface must only need maintenance every single 8 10 years.
Aluminium
Maybe you choose the appearance of aluminium but are worried about the eco-credentials of its? Aluminium is much more earth friendly than you may think. Frequently known as the’ green’ metal, it’s hundred % recyclable and it is probably the most recyclable manufacturing material offered. Recycling aluminium saves ninety five % of the electricity needed to create it from raw materials.
There’s a misconception that aluminium isn’t power efficient. Thermally broken aluminium (where a polyamide plastic insert separates the external and internal aluminium profiles to avoid condensation and also increase insulation) is very power efficient with U values close to 1.2 W/m2 for a window with triple glazing.
Aluminium is lightweight but strong so the best material option for huge apertures where huge expanses of glass are needed. It’s resistant and durable extremely to corrosion like a powder coated finish ensures little demand for maintenance.