Nordic Aluclad Collection
Timber where you live. Aluminium where the weather is.
A solid engineered Scandinavian timber frame, faced externally in powder-coated aluminium. The room keeps the warmth and grain of real wood; the elevation never asks for a paintbrush again.
Guidance
Could this collection suit your home?
Ideal for…
- You want to see and touch real timber inside the room, not a printed foil.
- Your project is a self-build or deep retrofit where fabric performance is a design objective.
- You are building to a low-energy or Passive-influenced standard.
- The house sits somewhere exposed and the outside face must never need repainting.
- You want a calm Scandinavian interior with a dark, quiet elevation outside.
- Windows, entrance doors, French doors and sliders should all come from one system.
- You are investing for the long term and expect a service life measured in decades.
Typically chosen by: Self-builders • Architects • Owners of luxury renovations
Why architects choose this collection
- Exceptional U-values
- Timber structure, aluminium weather skin
- Certified performance for self-build targets
- Wide range of opening functions
Why homeowners choose this collection
- Real timber inside the room
- A maintenance-free elevation
- Very low running costs
- Quiet, comfortable interiors
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One window, two materials, no compromise
Cumbria is hard on timber. Rain arrives horizontally, dries slowly and comes back within the week. Traditional joinery answers that with a maintenance calendar; most people abandon it by the second cycle.
Aluclad construction removes the problem rather than managing it. The structural frame is engineered Scandinavian timber, deep and warm and visibly wood from inside the room. Clipped to its external face — free to move independently with temperature and moisture — is a powder-coated aluminium skin that takes every storm on the building's behalf.
It is the standard specification across Scandinavia for exactly the climate we have here. It is also, quietly, the most-requested specification on the architect-led projects we are asked to price.
Why choose aluclad
Six reasons this specification keeps being chosen
Timber inside, aluminium outside
A solid engineered Scandinavian timber core gives the room the warmth and depth only real wood provides. The external face is a powder-coated aluminium skin that takes the weather instead of the timber.
Built for severe exposure
The systems are engineered for Scandinavian and Scottish winters. The aluminium cladding adds around a decade to the expected service life of a comparable timber window on an exposed Cumbrian elevation.
Genuinely low maintenance
No repainting cycle on the outside face. The external aluminium is washed down like any other coated frame; internal timber is treated occasionally, in the dry, at your convenience.
Serious thermal performance
Deep timber sections, warm-edge spacers and argon-filled double or triple glazing. Whole-window U-values from 1.2 W/m²K in double glazing and from 0.8 W/m²K in triple.
Tested security
Doors are tested to PAS 24 and Secured by Design standards with triple-point locking as standard, and laminated glass wherever an opening is accessible.
Colour without compromise
Virtually any RAL colour on the outside, with the internal timber left clear-lacquered, stained or painted. The elevation and the room can be two entirely different decisions.
The range
Four products, one frame family
Windows, entrance doors, French doors and lift-and-slide sliding doors share the same timber core, the same cladding and the same finishes — so a whole elevation can be specified as one composition rather than assembled from four suppliers.
From inside, it is simply a beautiful timber window.
Architecture
How aluclad looks on a real elevation
Installed projects and, where marked, architectural visualisations used to show a configuration we have not yet photographed.
Side-Guided Window, Living Room
Slim aluminium-clad frames with a concealed hinge, set into a plain plastered reveal.
Lift and Slide, Coastal Elevation
Full-height glazing and a lift-and-slide screen onto a timber deck, framed to hold the horizon.
French Doors To A Balcony
A double French door set opening outward between full-height fixed lights.
Glazed Entrance Door and Sidelight
A fully glazed entrance leaf with a matching sidelight, bringing daylight deep into a hallway.
Contemporary Rural House
Long horizontal glazing lines in a larch and stone elevation, aluminium externally and timber within.
Stone Townhouses
Dark aluminium-clad windows against pale ashlar — a disciplined, repeating architectural grid.
New Build Terrace
Anthracite frames across a brick terrace, specified for consistency plot to plot.
Remodelled Bungalow
Dark clad frames and a matching entrance door lifting a rendered single-storey elevation.
Lakeside House, Golden Hour
VisualisationAluminium-clad sliding doors opening a living space to the fells and water beyond.
Barn Conversion, Timber Reveals
VisualisationWarm internal timber against stone, with the weather taken by aluminium outside.
Scandinavian Entrance
VisualisationA solid timber leaf with an aluminium outer skin, vertical glazed slot and a long pull handle.
Frame Detail
VisualisationThe junction that defines the collection: powder-coated aluminium outside, clear-finished timber inside.
Configurations
Every opening decided room by room
Six window functions and six door arrangements. Bedrooms, bathrooms, stairwells and rear elevations each want something different — the specification should reflect that.
Window
Fixed Light
Non-opening units used as sidelights, toplights or alongside an opening sash to hold an architectural grid.
Available double or triple glazed.
Window
Fully Reversible
The sash reverses on concealed hinges through up to 170 degrees so the external glass is cleaned safely from inside the room.
Ideal above ground-floor level. Double or triple glazed.
Window
Side Guided
Opens out to around 90 degrees on concealed friction hinges, with a cleaning gap on the hinge side.
Concealed hardware keeps the elevation clean. Double or triple glazed.
Window
Side Hung
Opens out up to 90 degrees on visible butt hinges with a friction brake, holding the sash at any position.
Can be configured as a fire escape where required.
Window
Tilt and Turn
Tilts inward at the head for secure background ventilation, or swings fully inward for cleaning and escape.
The default choice for bedrooms and upper floors.
Window
Top Guided
The head slides down as the bottom of the sash pushes outward, giving very effective ventilation in deep rooms.
Concealed friction hinges. Double or triple glazed.
Entrance door
Single Leaf Entrance
A solid timber door leaf with an aluminium outer skin, in a made-to-measure frame, opening in or out.
Optional glazed sidelights and toplights.
Entrance door
Double Leaf Entrance
A pair of leaves for wide openings and generous hallways, with a fixed or opening second leaf.
Triple-point locking on both leaves.
French door
Single French Door
A single glazed leaf onto a terrace or balcony, opening inward or outward, with or without bonded bars.
Can double as a secondary entrance door.
French door
Double French Door
A matched pair of glazed leaves, externally glazed, opening in or out with a slave leaf on shoot bolts.
Sidelights and fixed lights align to the same sightline.
Sliding door
Two-Part Lift and Slide
One fixed pane and one sliding leaf, or a bi-parting pair — the panel lifts clear of the seals then glides on its track.
The most common arrangement on a rear elevation.
Sliding door
Four-Part Lift and Slide
Four panels across a wide opening, sliding in one direction or bi-parting to a central meeting stile.
For openings where a two-panel screen would leave panes too large.
Colours and finishes
One decision for the elevation, another for the room
These are the standard external and internal finishes. The external aluminium can be powder coated in virtually any RAL colour, including dual-colour arrangements where the elevation and the room want different answers. We bring physical samples to the design consultation rather than asking you to choose from a screen.
External aluminium
Pure White
RAL 9010
The brightest standard white — clean against render and pale stone.
Pearl White
RAL 1013
A softer off-white with a warm undertone; kinder on traditional elevations.
Cream White
RAL 9001
Warm cream that settles beside sandstone, limewash and older render.
Silk Grey
RAL 7044
Pale, dry grey-beige. Quiet on a rural elevation without going white.
Pebble Grey
RAL 7032
Warm light grey — a forgiving choice on exposed and coastal sites.
Cement Grey
RAL 7033
Grey with a green cast that sits comfortably against planting and slate.
Concrete Grey
RAL 7023
Mid-grey with a cool tone; the contemporary alternative to anthracite.
Traffic Grey
RAL 7043
Deep, near-black grey with a softer read than jet black.
Anthracite Grey
RAL 7016
The most-specified architectural colour in the UK, and for good reason.
Grey Blue
RAL 5008
A dark blue-grey drawn from Lakeland slate; beautiful on stone.
Jet Black
RAL 9005
Absolute black for steel-look and strongly graphic elevations.
Natura Stain
Timber stain
A translucent stain finish where the external face should still read as wood.
Internal timber
Clear Lacquered Pine
Internal timber
The standard internal finish — knot-free Scandinavian pine under a clear lacquer.
White Painted Timber
RAL 9010 internal
Painted internally where the joinery should disappear into the plaster line.
Light Oak Stain
Internal stain
A pale warm stain that matches engineered oak flooring and joinery.
Mid Oak Stain
Internal stain
Deeper honey tone for barn conversions and exposed structural oak.
Walnut Stain
Internal stain
Dark, quiet and contemporary against pale walls.
Grey Washed Timber
Internal stain
Grain still visible under a soft grey — a coastal and Scandinavian favourite.
Hardware
The parts you actually touch
Standard Window Handle
The core casement handle, satin finished, with a key-locking option for ground-floor and accessible openings.
Windows
Satin silver · White · Black
Tilt and Turn Handle
A single handle driving both functions — up to tilt, across to turn — with a lockable version for upper floors.
Windows
Satin silver · White · Black
Entrance Pull Handle
Long vertical stainless pull bars, from 800mm to full door height, fixed through the leaf for rigidity.
Entrance doors
Satin stainless · Black · Anthracite · Brushed brass (selected ranges)
Door Lever Set
Matched internal and external lever furniture on a slim backplate, sized for the deeper aluclad door leaf.
Entrance doors · French doors
Satin silver · Satin stainless · Black
Triple-Point Locking
Secured by Design triple-point locking as standard on doors, with security keeps and hinge-side bolts.
Entrance doors · French doors · Sliding doors
Concealed
Lift and Slide Handle
A tall two-sided handle that lifts the panel clear of its seals, then drops it back onto them when closed.
Sliding doors
Satin silver · Black · Anthracite
Clickvent Trickle Ventilation
Discreet head vents giving controllable background ventilation, in white, aluminium or white/aluminium.
Windows · French doors
White · Satin silver
Bonded Glazing Bars
24mm, 42mm or 60mm bars bonded to both faces of the sealed unit with a matching spacer between the panes.
Windows · French doors
Matched to frame colour
Glass
The glazing does more of the work than the frame
Toughened and laminated safety glass, obscure patterns from privacy level 3 to 5, solar control for south-facing rooms, acoustic laminates near roads, self-cleaning coatings for windows that are hard to reach, and low-iron glass where the neutrality of the view matters. Every option is available in both double and triple glazed make-ups.
Clear Glass
Standard low-E double glazing. Maximum clarity, neutral colour and the truest reading of the view.
Solar Control
A near-invisible coating that reflects heat while keeping light. Essential on large south and west-facing glazing.
Acoustic Glass
Laminated panes with an acoustic interlayer and asymmetric thicknesses to cut road and wind noise.
Privacy (Switchable & Satin)
Acid-etched satin glass or switchable smart glass that turns opaque at the touch of a button.
Obscure Glass Collection
The full patterned range, from lightly textured to fully obscured. Compare privacy level against light before you specify.
Triple Glazing
Three panes and two cavities. The right answer for exposed Cumbrian sites and low-energy builds.
Low Iron Glass
Extra-clear glass with the green cast removed — noticeable on thick or triple-glazed feature panes.
Obscure patterns
Satin (Acid-etched)
Privacy 5 · 78% light
Smooth, even frost with no pattern. Feels the most refined.
Stippolyte
Privacy 4 · 85% light
Fine even stipple; the most widely specified obscure glass in the UK.
Cotswold
Privacy 5 · 82% light
Heavily rippled, the most obscure of the standard patterns.
Reeded / Fluted
Privacy 2 · 85% light
Vertical ribs. Currently the most requested internal glazing texture.
Flemish
Privacy 3 · 84% light
Wavy vertical distortion; a heritage favourite.
Contora
Privacy 3 · 84% light
Contemporary rippled pattern, less busy than Cotswold.
Performance
Figures, not adjectives
Collection specification
- Construction
- Engineered Scandinavian timber core with powder-coated aluminium external cladding
- Whole-window U-value
- From 1.2 W/m²K double glazed, from 0.8 W/m²K triple glazed
- Glazing
- Argon-filled double or triple, warm-edge spacer, soft-coat low-e
- Profiles
- Classic (traditional, softly moulded) or Softline (square-cut, contemporary)
- External finish
- Polyester powder coating to virtually any RAL colour, plus timber stains
- Internal finish
- Clear lacquer, stain or paint on knot-free Scandinavian pine
- Door security
- PAS 24 and Secured by Design tested, triple-point locking as standard
- Expected service life
- Aluminium cladding adds around ten years over an equivalent uncladded timber window
- Ventilation
- Clickvent trickle vents in white, aluminium or dual colour
- Glazing bars
- Bonded bars in 24mm, 42mm or 60mm, inside and out, with matching spacer
Thermal figures
- Double glazed window
- Uw from 1.2 W/m²K
- Triple glazed window
- Uw from 0.8 W/m²K
- Entrance door
- Ud from 1.0 W/m²K depending on glazing area
- French door set
- Ud from 1.1 W/m²K
- Lift and slide door
- Ud from 1.1 W/m²K, triple glazed
- Glass centre pane
- Ug 1.0 W/m²K double, 0.5–0.6 W/m²K triple
Security
- Doors tested to PAS 24 and manufactured to Secured by Design requirements.
- Triple-point locking as standard on entrance, French and sliding door sets.
- Laminated glass specified wherever an opening is accessible from ground level, a flat roof or a balcony.
- Key-locking window handles available on every opening function.
- Concealed hinges with security keeps on side-guided and fully reversible windows.
- Solid timber door leaves with a bonded aluminium skin — significantly more resistant to attack than a hollow-core alternative.
Figures are system data and vary with configuration, glass specification and unit size. Project-specific U-values, sizes and threshold details are confirmed in writing at design stage.
Suitability
Where this collection earns its place
Architect-designed homes
Where the internal reveal is part of the material palette, not just a frame.
High-performance self builds
Triple glazing, deep timber sections and airtight installation detailing.
Barn conversions
Timber inside answers the existing structure; aluminium outside handles exposure.
Farmhouses
Deep openings, thick walls and weather from three directions.
Contemporary rural houses
Long horizontal glazing lines in larch, stone or render.
Lake District properties
Driving rain, salt-free but persistently wet air, and no appetite for repainting.
Luxury renovations
Where the specification is judged on how the frame feels from inside the room.
Timber-aesthetic projects
Anyone who wants real wood but not the maintenance calendar that used to come with it.
Not sure if this would suit your home?
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Technical documentation
Specification packs on request
Technical documentation is issued directly by our technical team so you always receive the current revision for your specification. Tell us the project and we will send the relevant pack the same working week.
PDF on request
Collection specification pack
Profile sections, sightline dimensions and standard configurations for the whole collection.
PDF on request
Thermal performance schedule
Uw, Ud and Ug figures by product, glazing make-up and unit size.
DWG on request
Section drawings (DWG)
Head, jamb, cill and threshold sections for windows, French, entrance and sliding doors.
PDF on request
Colour and finish reference
Standard external RAL range, internal timber finishes and dual-colour combinations.
PDF on request
Security and certification summary
PAS 24, Secured by Design and glazing compliance notes for building control.
PDF on request
Maintenance and care guide
Cleaning intervals, hardware adjustment and internal timber care.
Wondering what a project like this typically costs?
Answer a few short questions and receive an investment guide based on comparable completed projects.
Aluclad questions
What people ask before specifying aluclad
What it is, how it differs from aluminium and timber, and when it is genuinely worth the difference.
Discuss An Aluclad ProjectVisit the Knowledge CentreDesign Studio
Continue in the Design Studio
Begin
Come and feel the difference between a frame and a window.
We bring physical corner samples to every design consultation. Timber inside, aluminium outside — it is a decision best made with the thing in your hands.
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