Life of a PVC-U Window

PVC-U has been used for fabricating window frames since the 1960s, first in Germany and then more recently in the UK. Over the past 15 years the use of PVC-U windows has grown dramatically and now over 85% of new and replacement window projects use PVC-U, usually to replace timber framed windows. There are many reasons for this success, but the main one is the quality of the product. PVC-U is a very durable and lightweight material that lends itself perfectly for use in fenestration products:

Window Maintenance

PVC-U can be successfully maintained by following the guidance provided by the British Plastics Federation's Windows Group. It is important to remember that timber window frames are also subject to weathering, and they will require cleaning just the same as PVC-U. PVC-U windows, however, do not rot, warp, peel or chip.

In the BPF's own guidelines (38), we identify low maintenance as being a major benefit of PVC-U windows. We recommend regular cleaning with appropriate detergents and warm water, and the checking of certain hardware components such as gaskets and hinges, which may need lubrication from time to time. This would hold true for all materials, however, and is not unique to PVC-U.

In a report undertaken by the German Institute for Construction with Plastics on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Environmental Planning, Construction and Urban Development, the long-term characteristics of PVC-U were identified as follows:

"Faults on windows using PVC-U profiles occur usually in the operating mechanism or the seals, i.e. the components that are not made of PVC. Hence the long term characteristics are determined by the durability, low maintenance and wear characteristics of the components installed into the PVC window frames, and not by those of the frame itself. Since the PVC window frames do not have to be painted with fungicides or protective coatings, no maintenance of the frame is required apart from cleaning" (39).

PVC-U can be successfully maintained by following the guidance provided by the British Plastics Federation's Windows Group. It is important to remember that timber window frames are also subject to weathering, and they will require cleaning just the same as PVC-U. PVC-U windows, however, do not rot, warp, peel or chip.

38. 'Code of Practice for the survey and installation of PVC-U windows and door sets', British Plastics Federation Windows Group, February 2001.

39. IBK (1995) 'Long Term Effectiveness and development trends of plastic building products in the housing construction industry'.

Cost Comparison

Whilst it is very difficult to generalise about costs which will vary for all materials in terms of product quality and market conditions, the Northern Consortium of Housing Authorities in the UK has carried out a regular survey of costs of window systems. The Consortium has accumulated a considerable amount of data for the in-use cost of window frames made from different materials. Their data shows that over a 30-year period, the total capital and maintenance costs for a softwood window will be 33% more than for a window in PVC-U, assuming a 10% bank interest rate in a scheme involving 30 windows (40).

An industry study compiled in Germany by AgPU (PVC industry organisation in Germany) has shown that the total investment and maintenance costs for hardwood systems over a 25-year period were 23% more than PVC-U, and aluminium systems were 57% more expensive (41). It is difficult to transfer the results of cost comparisons in one region to the situation in another. However, the marked success that PVC-U windows have enjoyed in the UK market clearly demonstrates their cost-effectiveness in relation to competing materials.

40. UPVC Windows in the 1990s, NCHA, 1991.

41. Positionspapier Fensterwerkstoffe bei VEBA Wohnen, AGPU, Bonn, 1994.

Below is a guide to service life estimation of PVC-U Windows

 Life Expectancy (Downloadable PDF 566kb)