How to Choose the Right Windows For Your Home

Selecting the right window

Why do we often hear that choosing the right window is a difficult decision!

The product is Complex – Window has many moving parts. It must have high strength and long life, with excellent sealing against water, noise & dust. Manufacturing and Installation is an even more complex process – The window size has to be measured before production & each window becomes an independent project. The complexity grows multi-fold as building height increases – Biggest challenges are wind load and protection from horizontal rain.

Here is a comparison of Different Window Materials and their suitability for modern buildings.

Material	Aluminum	UPVC	Wood	Steel
Cross section
Aesthetics	Slim sections due high material strength Various color options supported with good coating technologies Bigger sash and many design options	Bulky sections to accommodate steel reinforcing Favored color is white. Dark colors absorb heat, plastic may decay Wood wrapping is quite popular	Wooden windows have a natural appeal. Good quality wood is very less available Limitation of design (mostly casement)	Looks industrial, even when rolled sections are used Only casement and sliding is available. Profiles are slim. Poor finish, problem of rusting
Drainage	Excellent	Functional	No drainage	No drainage
Application	100% share in commercial & 60% share in Windows Suited for high rise & large windows/high strength to weight ratio.	Called as Vinyl Widows. Popular in extreme cold region Domestic share is 12-15% Key constraint is lower strength	Hard wood is very scarce Share is dropping in big jobs Current use is for private homes and premium villas	Rapid decline in popularity even in Government Good for small casement windows Sealing is not good
Concealed & Submerged Frame	Very easy	Not possible,	Not possible	Not possible
Degradation	High resistance to corrosion. Salt spray, alkali, acid, UV test done	UV is biggest enemy for UPVC Less TiO2 makes profile brittle	Seasoning and chemical treatment is essential	Steel can have long life if proper surface treatment is done
Price Point	Low to Premium	Low to Middle	Very Premium	Low cost

About Arpan Wasan - Window Consultant

Arpan Wasan is a Window Consultant with hands-on experience in Civil Construction for homes, multi-stories structures, and commercial projects. He has experience working on live construction projects with Builders and Civil Contractors like Ahluwalia Contracts India Limited, Manomav Engineers, PKS Buildmart Private Limited. He has also worked on CPWD projects during his internship. Arpan is a Civil Engineer by qualification, with Post Graduation in Project Engineering and Management from the National Institute of Construction Management and Research, Pune. He also holds a certification in Building Design from CAD Centre.