What colour windows?

[jayc89]

We're about to place an order to replace the windows in the original part of our house. The house dates back to 1850(ish) so would have been sash originally, we can't afford, nor do we want to go back to proper sash, but quite like the look of Rationel FormaPlus in a "mock-sash" style, like this;

 

 

Our Architect has proposed a mix of grey render and larch cladding for our extension, which we like, and has shown the replacement windows as also being "grey";

 

 

But we're concerned that might be a bit too much for the existing part of the house, which currently looks like this;

 

 

The upstairs windows will remain the same size, to avoid any structural work up there, the downstairs openings will be pulled in to the same width, but be slightly taller than the upstairs openings. 

 

What would you suggest as an appropriate RAL colour for the windows going into the existing building?

[ToughButterCup]

RAL 7016. Mid Grey.

[jayc89]

25 minutes ago, ToughButterCup said:

RAL 7016. Mid Grey.

isn't 7016 anthracite? 

[Dave Jones]

2 minutes ago, jayc89 said:

isn't 7016 anthracite? 

it is.

 

common as dog muck at the moment. 

[Kelvin]

20 minutes ago, Dave Jones said:

it is.

 

common as dog muck at the moment. 

Yep and exactly what ours is going to be 😂 

[Conor]

We went with RAL 9006 White Aluminium and love it. Grey is yesterday.

 

 

[Dave Jones]

1 hour ago, Kelvin said:

Yep and exactly what ours is going to be 😂 

 

ours the same!

 

A lot depends o the setting and location, the estate colours in the Cotswolds look really good but not against red brick or council house render.

[jayc89]

That's our worry with grey, is it one of those which will age badly? Used by everyone today, and no one tomorrow? A more muted tone would certainly be "safer"...

[Kelvin]

It’s used mostly by self-builders and renovators. You don’t tend to get many of those side by side so. It might well age but avocado bathrooms are back in fashion 

[deancatherine09]

We've gone RAL 7016 Black Grey

 

Wanted Jet black but 'Dark Grey' was specified on the planning app and so to avoid a delay in discharge of conditions we wanted something was called 'Grey' so the pen pushers at the council would OK it.

 

It looks black in person.

[jayc89]

6 minutes ago, deancatherine09 said:

We've gone RAL 7016 Black Grey

 

Wanted Jet black but 'Dark Grey' was specified on the planning app and so to avoid a delay in discharge of conditions we wanted something was called 'Grey' so the pen pushers at the council would OK it.

 

It looks black in person.

 

I managed to persuade our architect to remove our working from "slate grey" to just "grey" on all our applications, for the same reason, it gives us some flexibility. Luckily, the planning officer approved - I think it's the only thing she didn't object to at one time or another!

[Kelvin]

8 minutes ago, deancatherine09 said:

We've gone RAL 7016 Black Grey

 

Wanted Jet black but 'Dark Grey' was specified on the planning app and so to avoid a delay in discharge of conditions we wanted something was called 'Grey' so the pen pushers at the council would OK it.

 

It looks black in person.

7016 is anthracite. My sample definitely isn’t anywhere near black as I also have a black sample. 

[craig]

On 01/02/2023 at 08:00, jayc89 said:

We're about to place an order to replace the windows in the original part of our house. The house dates back to 1850(ish) so would have been sash originally, we can't afford, nor do we want to go back to proper sash, but quite like the look of Rationel FormaPlus in a "mock-sash" style, like this;

 

 

Our Architect has proposed a mix of grey render and larch cladding for our extension, which we like, and has shown the replacement windows as also being "grey";

 

 

But we're concerned that might be a bit too much for the existing part of the house, which currently looks like this;

 

 

The upstairs windows will remain the same size, to avoid any structural work up there, the downstairs openings will be pulled in to the same width, but be slightly taller than the upstairs openings. 

 

What would you suggest as an appropriate RAL colour for the windows going into the existing building?

Retain the same colour or as close as possible, my personal opinion is changing the colour will lose the character.

[craig]

On 01/02/2023 at 10:18, Dave Jones said:

it is.

 

common as dog muck at the moment. 

Has been for over a decade, the architects colour of choice tbh. I hate it, I see it everyday but it generally works with everything. 

[Kelvin]

Had we been braver we would have gone with moss green (RAL 6005) 

[jayc89]

8 minutes ago, Kelvin said:

Had we been braver we would have gone with moss green (RAL 6005) 

 

We like Chartwell Green (RAL 6021 is the nearest) but worry it's too "cottagey"

[Post and beam]

15 minutes ago, Kelvin said:

Had we been braver we would have gone with moss green (RAL 6005) 

Blimey that would be brave. It would look perfect on an old Bentley

[Kelvin]

Yeah it’s kinda like British Racing Green. Even considered doing the metal garage the same colour for the agricultural look but it’s also going to be anthracite. 😂 

[richo106]

I am not familiar with the rationel range but we was toying with RAL 7038 is like a quartz grey 

[saveasteading]

On 01/02/2023 at 10:18, Dave Jones said:

Common as dog muck at the moment

Keeps its colour better though.

15 years ago I had trouble getting this colour, which had many names, but I insisted. So the popularity may be my fault.

Although as a sprayed colour on pvc it turned a lovely lilac.

 

I agree that the windows should match the existing for some continuity.

[Kelvin]

Our larch is getting treated with the clear SiOO:X stuff which will hopefully silver very uniformly. We’ll see. But the anthracite goes with the silverisation colour really well. Inside is clear lacquer everywhere other than the front door and coupling vision panel which will be dusty grey. 

[Kelvin]

19 minutes ago, saveasteading said:

Keeps its colour better though.

 

I hope so. We had more a bluey grey in the previous house, RAL 7043, and it faded very quickly. 

[shuff27]

We wanted grey but not the ubiquitous 7016 anthracite so chose 7012 basalt - happy with the decision.

[Bonner]

I have 7015 slate grey, slightly lighter than anthracite, so not so common as muck and happy with it.

I agree with @craig, a dark grey would spoil the character. Why don’t you have two colours, light grey (7032?) in the old part and a darker shade in the modern extension? https://enlightenedwindows.co.uk/tag/ral-7032-pebble-grey/

[Thorfun]

why is everyone so obsessed with what's fashionable? are you building for them or for yourselves? choose a colour that YOU like and that works. don't worry about what 'fashion' dictates. the beauty of self-building is you can be as individualistic as you like (within the limits of the planning department of course!)