The rules of window shopping

Happy New Year to all you humanbots!

I have to admit that I’m delighted to be back in my testing lab and working off some of the festive excess – even us robots enjoy a glass or two of mulled oil during the holiday season you know.

My responsibility here at Liniar HQ, as Head of Testing, is to ensure that all of our products are fully checked before hitting the market, so that homeowners can be certain they are getting the very best quality.

Although extremely important, quality is just one of many considerations that need to be taken into account when looking for new windows for your home. You humanbots are much more likely to deliberate about the aesthetics first and foremost, unlike a logical thinker like me.

With so many choices of styles, finishes and colours available, it’s really down to personal preference and taste as to what you choose. From plain white casement windows, offering a clean, sleek appearance, to black foiled flush sash, it’s important that wherever you decide to purchase your windows from can offer exactly what you have in mind – there’s no reason that you should ever have to compromise on style.

However, the first question I would ask is what material to choose for your windows – timber, aluminium or uPVC. There are a whole host of benefits to selecting uPVC over the alternatives. It is extremely low maintenance, unlike timber, which requires regular sanding, painting or staining.

Also, because timber absorbs moisture, it can warp over time. uPVC is less prone to leak due to gaskets being co-extruded as part of the manufacturing process, plus it tends to be much more cost effective than other materials. In these times of increasing energy bills, environmental concerns and ever more demanding building regulations, uPVC can offer higher thermal benefits to address these issues.

But even then, not all uPVC windows are the same. Most systems haven’t changed much since being launched in the 1980s, unlike Liniar’s range which was designed from scratch in 2008 using the latest technology. Utilising multiple chambers and removing the need for steel reinforcement, together with other innovative design enhancements, Liniar windows help to minimise energy costs on an ongoing basis.

It’s vital that you investigate the efficiency of the window before investing. The Liniar EnergyPlus range contains six chambers and can achieve a U-value as low as 0.8 W/m2K. You should make sure that the windows are fully certified. PAS24 means that the windows have been tested to meet British Standards of security by an independent UKAS accredited certification body.

Introduced in 2015, Part Q building regulations require PAS24 certification for windows and doors installed at ground level for any new building or extension.

For further peace of mind, you should also look for Secured by Design status. This is awarded to products passing standards and tests nominated by the police service and demonstrate its effectiveness in resisting physical attack.

If it’s not just windows that you are looking for, then you’ll have to be sure that there’s a fully matching range, not just the colour, but also the frames. Profiles are usually available in both chamfered (bevelled) and sculptured (curved) styles, so if you already have bi-folding or patio doors, make sure you know which style you have, together with the exact colour.

So there you have it – a clear guide of what to look for and what questions to ask when you go window shopping.

Don’t just get carried away with what looks nice, think logically like me and you won’t go far wrong.