The best uPVC windows are the ones matched to the house. For replacing windows in an older home, a 76 mm profile with double or triple glazing is usually enough; for a new, energy-efficient house, an 82–88 mm profile with a centre seal (MD) and triple glazing is the better choice. Everything else comes down to how the windows will be fitted, how they open and what colour they are. Below we show how to choose, and finish with a checklist to go through before you order.
Which are the best uPVC windows for your house?
The profile is the window frame. Profiles differ in depth, number of chambers and seals. We sell uPVC profiles from 76 to 88 mm deep, from VEKA, Kömmerling, Salamander and Gealan.
| Situation | Profile | Glazing | |---|---|---| | replacement windows, sensible budget | 76 mm with outer seal (AD) | double or triple | | quieter, warmer window at the same depth | 76 mm with centre seal (MD), e.g. Kömmerling 76 MD | triple | | new energy-efficient house | 82–88 mm MD, e.g. Salamander bluEvolution 82 (Uw from 0.75) or Kömmerling 88 MD (Uw from 0.73) | triple |
AD means two seals. MD adds a third in the middle, which keeps out wind and driving rain better and reduces noise. Uw is the heat transfer coefficient of the whole window; the lower it is, the less heat escapes. Our article on the Uw value explains how to read it.
Some systems take only double glazing, others only triple. Safety, acoustic and solar control glass is available in systems with triple glazing. When double glazing is enough is covered in our article on glazing.
How does the fitting method affect your choice?
There are two basic options. A standard frame sits in the opening as usual. A renovation frame fits over the old frame, so the plaster doesn't have to be broken out. Its availability depends on the system, so choose it in the configurator before you decide the rest.
We don't offer installation. You fit the windows yourself or with an installer you choose and pay separately. Agree the fitting method with them before ordering, because the frame type and sizes depend on it.
How should the window open, and in what colour?
The cheapest window is a fixed light, with no sash or hardware. Tilt and turn is the standard. Then there are balcony doors, tilt and slide doors and lift and slide doors. Two design rules are worth knowing early: an opening sash must be at least 450 mm wide, and a door leaf can be at most 2300 mm high (above that we add a top light).
Colour in uPVC works like this: white is the base price; otherwise colour outside with white inside, or the same colour on both sides. We don't make two different colours or colour on the inside only, and the whole order is one colour. Our article on window colours shows the foils and finishes. Torn between uPVC and aluminium? Read our uPVC or aluminium comparison.
Checklist before you order
- Every opening measured in three places (top, middle, bottom), the smallest figure noted, the fitting gap agreed with the installer.
- The opening side of every sash described as seen from inside.
- The fitting method decided and the frame chosen to match: standard or renovation.
- The decision on a top-mounted roller shutter made now, because its box adds to the window height.
- Wide windows split so that no opening sash is narrower than 450 mm.
- One colour for the whole order.
- Fly screens, external sills and fitting materials (foam, tapes, anchors, wedges) added in the configurator.
- Space and 2–3 people or a forklift for unloading, plus a dry, covered place to store the windows upright.
- Installer booked for the delivery date; production takes 3–8 weeks from payment.
- If you're counting on a grant, conditions checked on the official website or with an adviser. Such schemes often require installation by a company.
What can't be changed after payment?
We have worked with windows since 1997 and completed more than 5,000 orders. On every quote we check sizes, opening sides and descriptions, because that's where most mistakes happen: the opening size entered as the frame size, the opening side described from outside, a shutter added afterwards. Before production you get a drawing and specification to approve. The order starts with 100% payment, and from then on the sizes are locked. Made-to-measure windows are excluded from the 14-day right of withdrawal (Directive 2011/83/EU, Art. 16(c)).
We deliver on stillages to your address; delivery is charged per stillage place and shown in the quote before you order. The windows come with a declaration of performance and CE documentation, and the GALI warranty lasts 2 years. Compare systems on the uPVC windows page and delivery countries on the export page. When your list is ready, build the windows in the configurator: you can price the same project in several systems and see the difference straight away.
Frequently asked questions
How to measure windows?
Measure the opening in three places across the width and the height and note the smallest figures. Agree the fitting gap with your installer and describe the opening side as seen from inside.
How to fit a window?
It depends on the system and the wall, so check the manufacturer's instructions. The principle is the same: the window is fixed mechanically with anchors or frame fixings, the foam only insulates, the joint is sealed in three layers and the drainage holes must stay clear.