SEPTEMBER 2019 | 21
Timber vs PVCu
PERFORMANCE, VERSATILITY AND CHOICE UNLIMITED;
WHY ‘WOOD’ YOU USE ANYTHING OTHER THAN PVCU?
The ‘competition’ between PVCu and
timber within fenestration has been
going for decades. And when you
throw aluminium into the mix, with its
strong ties to commercial projects,
how do fabricators and fitters decide
which material is best for them?
Dawn Stockell, Marketing
Director of industry-leading sys-
tems supplier VEKA UK, discusses
exclusively with PRO Installer why
she believes PVCu ticks the box
for every project.
When buying new doors and
windows, research tells us that the
homeowner is highly motivated
by performance, often under the
catch-all of energy efficiency; i.e.
my room is too cold, my heating
bills are too much, I can feel a
draft coming through the window/
door, I’m spending too much time
and energy on regular mainte-
nance, etc.
It can then take some time for
the homeowner to commit to
changing their windows/doors but
when they do, they will turn their
focus to aesthetics; how it will fit in
with the design they have in mind;
the material and/or the colour,
while also factoring in the age of
the building, the area and so on.
Considering the ‘profile behind
the product’, PVCu ticks all the
boxes no matter the project. For
me, there is no system other than
PVCu that can top timber with
exceptional energy efficiency,
minimal maintenance and unsur-
passable security, while still very
much looking the part. It can
just as easily ‘mimic’ timber as it
can achieve the ‘Grand Designs’
look of aluminium, but at a more
affordable price point.
Consider the heritage market;
sliding sash windows are often
the norm for these projects, but
it is usually the case with historic
properties that the aesthetics of
an original feature are far more
attractive than the performance.
This year – as VEKA Group
celebrated being 50 years young
– VEKA UK launched the next
generation Imagine Vertical Slider
which combines style and sub-
stance. With the Imagine Vertical
Slider, specifiers and property
owners can achieve a classic herit-
age look, with realistic woodgrains
and timber-like mechanical joints,
but with all the energy efficiency,
thermal performance and insula-
tion against noise pollution of an
ultra-modern product; plus none
of the painting/sanding/repairs
associated with timber.
One of the most innovative
aspects of this design is the fact
that the outer balance chamber is
co-extruded in black, which means
there’s no need to mask and paint
during fabrication – saving time,
reducing defects and creating a
professional finish.
The Imagine Vertical Slider
also offers two choices of cill,
(stub or 200mm), a new ‘invisible’
approach to coupling windows,
and a stunning sculptured finish
on both sash and outerframe. It
has been created to work with a
choice of high quality ERA and
Caldwell hardware.
Similarly, when teamed up with
other products from the VEKA UK
portfolio such as Imagine Bi-Folds,
FlushSash windows, entrance
doors, and so on, a flawless and
uniform coloured or woodgrain
finish can be achieved across the
complete project, without wor-
rying about a mammoth sanding
and repainting task in a few years’
time. A simple wipe over with a
damp cloth and occasional oil on
the hinges should keep PVCu win-
dows working like new for years
to come.
While all of these factors are
incredibly appealing to homeown-
ers, for public sector buildings
such as schools, halls, museums,
and hospitals, they are even more
important in order to preserve
the traditional appearance of the
building, and crucially to reduce
the costs associated with maintain-
ing a municipal property.
While PVCu used to be some-
what ‘frowned upon’ in the
heritage sector, its evolution over
the years (with slimmer sightlines
and more ‘authentic’ features) now
means this versatile product can
look all but indistinguishable from
timber and is being welcomed
into more and more conservation
areas.
And when it comes to more
modern projects, the ‘Grand De-
signs’ effect has consumers lusting
over a sleek matt finish for doors
and windows - but not many
customers have pockets that are
as deep as their imaginations are
broad. Once again VEKA Group
has developed an innovative
solution that ticks all the boxes
for both appearance and perfor-
mance.
This surface – which took years
of development – was launched
at the FIT Show earlier this year,
where it was welcomed with
fantastic feedback, and hailed the
‘star of the stand’.
Ultrasmooth, ultramatt, and with
unrivalled performance benefits,
SPECTRAL uses next generation
surface technology to create an
extraordinary finish that is unlike
anything else on the market. It
is highly scratch resistant, has
anti-fingerprint properties and
is also extremely resistant to UV
light, extreme weather conditions
and harsh chemicals. Dirt can be
wiped away with ease, for a prod-
uct that stays beautiful for longer.
Matt finishes seem to be grow-
ing in popularity on everything
from cookers to cars, but rather
than just being a ‘fashion fad’, the
construction industry has been
seeing a steady rise in demand for
this look for a number of years.
All of this serves only to further
prove to me that PVCu is not a
‘timber alternative’, nor is it an
‘aluminium alternative’, it is the
number one system in fenestration
when it comes to performance,
versatility and choice unlimited;
it’s spelled out right there in the
name, after all.