Windows for my new home

[Plee]

I am new to the forum and building with an architect in the cotswolds a new home suitable for an elderly person. I am a retired farmer, yes some of us do retire, I had an offer too good to refuse. MBC are doing the timber frame, it was them who guided me to this site.. The planners say I must use timber windows and at the moment I am favouring Green Building Store. I have read most of the posts about windows but I see no mention of them. I know that they are less thermally efficient than Rationel who seem to be favoured by most on the forum but they are considerably less expensive. My calculations say that the difference in u value about 0.1 which is not going to have a life changing effect. What am I missing and has anybody any experience of using Green building store windows.

[ragg987]

Hi Plee, welcome to the forum. "Offer too good to refuse" - we live in Aylesbury and some of the farmers are making a killing by selling their land for development! Mid-engine Audi's are a favorite plaything here.

 

My feeling, having completed a build, is that yes the windows do matter, but probably more important is the service in fitting these. For some reason, the whole process was pretty problematic from window apertures being too big on site (timberframe supplier believed supplied dimensions were for windows not apertures), inconsistent levels with adjacent windows, fitting not being square, sticky doors, hinges out of alignment, poor sealing and the list goes on. It seems all issues in slab, timerframe, levels etc manifested themselves in the window and door fitting.

 

For some reason the suppliers seem to outsource the fitting and the fitters are hit-and-miss, most turn up on site not having seen that particular hinge type before and so it is all a learning process.

 

In our case, our supplier did see it through right to the end (though it was a painful process) and once I identified a fitter who was good, I asked for him to be allocated to all snags.

 

So, I very much doubt a small difference in u-value is hugely material in the whole process, what is more important is you get the look, opening types and price right, plus ensure they are able to provide a good service.

 

On GBS, I did look at them for windows but did not end up going to them for a quote, so no real experience. We ended up with inward opening Eastern European windows with a tilt and swing mechanism. Very practical and I now prefer this to the UK traditional outward opening swing.

[Vijay]

Would you prefer to use UPVC for maintenance reasons at all? If so you can get UPVC wood effect (which is exactly what I will be using and the planners are happy with it) http://www.residencecollection.co.uk/products/residence-9/?gclid=CjwKCAiAsejRBRB3EiwAZft7sFLZ_z91DFD3bj_qnpDPYL-E_vw7T83OyYuElcWjcWubaekUzm3mARoCH6sQAvD_BwE

[MikeSharp01]

Welcome to THE forum. We went a good way down the road with GBS on our build. In the end they were a bit to 'chunky' but the price wss good and the service they gave through design and the competitive quote process was excellent. 

[Visti]

No experience with GBS, but we're looking at going with Internorm who I know do timber frames. They're certainly not at the inexpensive end however...

[ProDave]

What is the wording of the "timber window" requirement?

 

Rationel do timber windows, indeed all their windows are timber. You can get them as painted timber finish, or aluminium clad timber.

 

Unless your timber window requirement says they must be stained or varnished timber (i.,e timber coloured) I can't see why you can't use rationel.  Unfortunately they stopped doing timber coloured windows some time ago.

 

I am sure some f the other quality window suppliers like Nordan do timber coloured.

[Redoctober]

If you are able to "move" away from the wooden window requirements, you may wish to consider these - similar to R9 windows mentioned above by @Vijay

 

https://www.evolutionwindows.com/

 

PW.

[Gone West]

@Plee Welcome to the forum and good luck with the build.

[Plee]

Thanks all for your helpfull comments , i am too old for fast cars!

So far GBS have been very helpful but as ragg987 says it is all in the fitting and GBS do not do their own fitting.  I enquired of internorm and they said they did not do timber windows.

I certainly could use rationel but at the moment they look considerably more expensive than GBS for very little gain in u value.

 

all food for thought  

[curlewhouse]

The wooden window requirements seem so arbitrary. We are in a National Park - not many houses are allowed to be built, but some recent earlier builds were forced to use wooden windows, though everyone and his dog in the village in reality, in old houses have pretty much replaced their old windows with uPVC double glazing and our architect photographed loads of them and used them in his design and access document to evidence that us having uPVC would be "in keeping with the locality". So we are allowed uPVC. Yet a house built a year before wasn't. No way do I want to be repainting windows when I'm in my 70s or 80s. Could it be worth gathering similar evidence and going back to the planners? (assuming wood is not actually your first choice of course)  I have pointed out to the planners before, such as when they were querying "are you having electricity and telephone put in" (I kid you not!) that it may be rural, but we don't live in museums and need 21st century comforts and convenience  just like they have in their own houses no doubt!   

Edited December 29, 2017 by curlewhouse

[Ferdinand]

2 hours ago, curlewhouse said:

The wooden window requirements seem so arbitrary. We are in a National Park - not many houses are allowed to be built, but some recent earlier builds were forced to use wooden windows, though everyone and his dog in the village in reality, in old houses have pretty much replaced their old windows with uPVC double glazing and our architect photographed loads of them and used them in his design and access document to evidence that us having uPVC would be "in keeping with the locality". So we are allowed uPVC. Yet a house built a year before wasn't. No way do I want to be repainting windows when I'm in my 70s or 80s. Could it be worth gathering similar evidence and going back to the planners? (assuming wood is not actually your first choice of course)  I have pointed out to the planners before, such as when they were querying "are you having electricity and telephone put in" (I kid you not!) that it may be rural, but we don't live in museums and need 21st century comforts and convenience  just like they have in their own houses no doubt!   

 

The other one probably just rolled over. YOu get what you negotiate.