Help Choosing Windows & Glazing
Not sure what windows or glazing you need? Start here.
Choosing windows or glazing for a renovation, extension, period property or whole-house project can become expensive very quickly if the wrong decisions are made early. This is practical advice on cost, materials, design, planning and choosing the right glazing company — so you understand the decisions before committing to a specification.
Where are you in your project?
Start with the situation, not the product.
I'm replacing windows throughout my house
A whole-house programme is one design decision repeated many times. Settle the specification before you order any of it.
I'm planning an extension
Glazing decisions belong at design stage, while openings, thresholds and structure can still change cheaply.
I'm renovating an older property
Proportion, profile and planning position matter more here than any product decision.
I'm building a new house
Specification and ordering have to be sequenced against the build programme rather than the other way round.
I'm worried about planning or conservation
What is permitted depends on your property, its designation and its history. Establish that before specifying anything.
I'm comparing aluminium, timber and uPVC
Choose by building rather than by material. All three are the right answer somewhere.
I'm trying to understand cost
Understand what drives the number before you collect quotations, and comparison becomes far easier.
I have architect's drawings
Drawings are enough to design and quote from. The detailed survey follows after order and produces the manufacturing sizes.
I'm choosing between bifolds and sliders
Opening percentage against sightlines and view. The right answer depends on how the room is used.
I need help choosing a glazing company
Compare scope before price. Most of the variation between quotations is what they include.
Every question, answered
The questions homeowners actually ask.
Cost & budget
What a project should cost, where the money goes and where it is safe to save.
- How much should I budget for new windows?
- How much does it cost to replace windows in a whole house?
- Why are aluminium windows so expensive?
- Are expensive windows actually worth it?
- What should I spend money on when choosing windows?
- Where can I save money without regretting it?
- Should I replace all my windows at once or in stages?
Choosing a material
Aluminium, timber, aluclad or uPVC — and which suits your building.
- Should I choose aluminium, timber or uPVC?
- Are aluminium windows worth it for a normal house?
- What are the best windows for an old stone house?
- What are the best windows for a modern extension?
- What windows suit a barn conversion?
- Can modern aluminium windows work on a traditional house?
- Should the front and back of my house use different window styles?
Design decisions
Proportion, colour, sightlines and getting the look right the first time.
- How do I choose windows without ruining the look of my house?
- Should new windows match the original ones?
- Should extension windows match the existing house?
- What colour windows should I choose?
- Are black aluminium windows going out of fashion?
- How much difference do slim sightlines actually make?
- How do I make large glazing look architectural rather than like a conservatory?
Extensions & renovations
Timing, orientation, overheating and how much glass is the right amount.
- When should I choose windows during an extension?
- When should I speak to a glazing company?
- Can a glazing company work from architect's drawings?
- Bifolds or sliding doors: which is better for an extension?
- How much glazing is too much?
- How do I stop a large glazed extension overheating?
- What glazing works best for a north-facing extension?
- What glazing works best for a south-facing extension?
Whole-house projects
Replacing everything: sequence, disruption, consistency and duration.
- What should I think about before replacing every window in my house?
- How long does a whole-house window replacement take?
- Can I live in the house while all the windows are replaced?
- What order should windows, doors and building work happen in?
- How do I avoid different windows making the house look mismatched?
- What should I ask before accepting a window quotation?
Planning & conservation
Permission, conservation areas, listed buildings and the National Park.
- Do I need planning permission to replace my windows?
- Can I change from timber to aluminium in a conservation area?
- Can I have aluminium windows in the Lake District?
- What happens if my house is listed?
- Can I enlarge a window opening without planning permission?
- Why can my neighbour have modern windows but I can't?
Choosing a company
Comparing quotations, reading a specification and knowing what to ask.
- How do I choose a good window company?
- What should be included in a proper window quote?
- Why are window quotes so different?
- Should I choose the cheapest window quote?
- What questions should I ask before ordering?
- What does a proper window survey involve?
- What are the warning signs of a poor glazing specification?
- Should my architect specify the windows, or the glazing company?
- Who is responsible if the window opening sizes are wrong?
Planning & conservation
Listed, in a conservation area, or inside the National Park?
What is permitted depends on your property, its designation and its planning history. The Planning & Conservation Centre sets out what each designation usually means for glazing, and what is worth establishing before you order.
Begin
Once you know the questions, we can answer them for your house.
Bring drawings, photographs or simply a description of what you are planning. We will tell you plainly what is possible, what it should cost and what to decide first.