This uPVC windows guide answers one question: what do you need to decide before buying? A uPVC window has a frame made from a multi-chamber PVC profile and an insulated glass unit. You choose four things: the profile system, the glazing, the colour and the opening type. If you buy supply only, add exact measurements and a fitter booked for delivery day. Each choice is explained below, with a checklist at the end.
How do uPVC window systems differ?
The profile forms the frame and the sash. We sell profiles from four German brands, VEKA, Kömmerling, Salamander and Gealan, from 76 to 88 mm deep. Systems differ on three points:
| Feature | What it means in practice | |---|---| | Profile depth (76, 82, 88 mm) | deeper profile, more chambers, better insulated frame | | AD gaskets (2 gaskets) | the standard for replacement windows | | MD gaskets (3, with a centre gasket) | keeps out wind and driving rain better, quieter inside | | Glazing (double or triple) | some systems take only one of the two |
For example, Salamander bluEvolution 82 reaches a Uw from 0.75 W/(m²K) and Kömmerling 88 MD from 0.73. Uw describes the whole window, not just the glass. Our article on the Uw value explains how to read it. All systems are on the uPVC windows page.
Double or triple glazing?
In a house heated all year round, triple glazing with a warm edge spacer is a sensible choice today. Double glazing is enough in rooms that are rarely heated or where a lighter sash matters. Safety glass makes sense on the ground floor and in patio doors, acoustic glass facing a busy road and solar control glass on large south-facing panes. More in our article on glass units.
Which colours and opening types can you choose?
White is in the base price. Woodgrain foils, anthracite and other colours cost extra. With uPVC you have three options: white on both sides, colour outside and white inside, or the same colour on both sides. Two different colours on one window, or colour on the inside only, we do not make. One colour applies to the whole order.
A fixed pane is the cheapest, because it has no sash and no hardware. The standard is the tilt and turn window. For the patio there are French-style balcony doors, tilt and slide doors (PSK) and lift and slide doors (HST). Two limits to know early: an opening sash must be at least 450 mm wide, and a door leaf at most 2300 mm high. A taller opening gets a fanlight above the door.
uPVC windows guide to buying supply only
You build your windows in the configurator and see the price straight away, after every change. A person prepares the quote with delivery within 3 working days. Before production you get a drawing and specification to approve. You order by paying 100 %, and production takes 3 to 8 weeks. Before dispatch you see photos of your finished windows. They arrive on stillages at your address, with the declaration of performance and CE documentation. We deliver regularly to Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Austria and the Czech Republic.
We do not fit windows. You fit them yourself or with a fitter you choose and pay for the work. Our prices include VAT; for delivery to another EU country, the VAT rate of that country applies, settled through the OSS scheme. You see the rate in your quote. This is general information, not tax advice.
Grants for new windows exist in several countries. They come with conditions and often require fitting by a contractor. Check them on the official website before you order.
Checklist before you order
We have worked with windows since 1997 and completed more than 5000 orders. On every quote we check sizes, opening sides and item descriptions, because that is where most mistakes happen. This list catches them:
1. Frame size, not opening size. Measure the opening in three places (top, middle, bottom), take the smallest value and subtract the fitting gap, usually 2 to 3 cm. Giving the opening size as the window size is the mistake we see most often. 2. Opening side seen from inside. Describing it from outside flips the sash. 3. Roller shutter now or never. A top-mounted roller shutter sits on the window and changes its overall height. Deciding later means new measurements. 4. Frame that suits your wall. To replace windows without breaking out plaster, a renovation frame fitted over the old frame helps. Availability depends on the system. 5. Sash width. Narrower than 450 mm is not possible. Choose one sash and a fixed pane instead of two narrow sashes. 6. One colour for all windows and doors in the order. 7. Unloading. Windows can weigh over 100 kg. Plan a forklift or 2 to 3 people. 8. Fitter on delivery day. Store the windows upright, under cover and out of the sun. Remove the protective film no later than 4 weeks after delivery. 9. Grants. If you are counting on one, check the conditions before you order, not after fitting.
Once the list is ticked off
Build your windows in the configurator and price the same project in two systems, for example 76 MD and 82 MD. You see the difference at once. Have a window schedule from your architect? Send it to us and we will prepare a quote.