Double Glazing Prices

What Does Double Glazing Cost?

Given the very competitive nature of the replacement windows market in the UK, double glazing prices have remained more or less stable when compared to the previous years, but that is mainly due to heavy discounting by hungry suppliers & installers.

Even where the price of the raw materials or labour have increased over the last 12 months, most if not all of these rises in double glazing prices have been offset by companies competing on costs in order to get the contracts. However, this can’t go on indefinitely.

How to get the best double glazing prices?

One of the first things that we suggest that you do. In order to end up with competitive double glazing prices is to do a bit of background work – to start with, reading articles such as this one will get you quite a few steps ahead of the “game”.

• Know the style of window that you want

There are 4 basic types of double glazed windows in the market, each with their own features and price points.

• Casement
• Sash
• French
• Tilt & Turn
• Bay & Bow Windows

Casement windows are everywhere; they are the “bread & butter” of the industry. These windows are side or top hung (where the hinges are fitted) open outwards, and can be used in almost any type of home for any size of opening.

Sash windows are the ones that slide up & down, they don’t open in or out like a casement window.

French Windows are really nothing more than a pair of casement windows side by side that open from the centre (the hinges are at the outside edges).

Tilt & Turn are a similar to a casement window in that they are side hung, but they open inwards. They also have the feature that the opening widow can be made to “tilt” backwards into the room to give a lot of ventilation. The amount of tilt is mechanically limited to a few degrees for safety reasons.

Tilting windows are handy to have in upper floors because the inward opening action makes it easier to clean the outside of the window safely from inside the house.

Bay & Bow Windows are variations of a number of either Sash or Casement units joined together to form a curve (bow window) or 3-sided bay.

• Decide on what the windows will be made from

Your 3 basic choices here are:

• Timber – softwood, hardwood, or engineered timber.
• Aluminium.
• UPVC.

Softwood timber windows can be very cheap (pine), but have a reputation for requiring a lot of looking after in order to get them to last a long time. Hardwood are more durable but costlier.

There may be some double glazed windows in the market that use engineered wood. This type of wood is very long lasting (because it’s usually pre-treated for rot and other nasty stuff), and can be made into long strong sections that work well with large windows because the timber can be easily shaped and has no “grain direction” to worry about.

See something about engineered wood here https://youtu.be/_ZM2njWxgxM

• Have an idea about your product specification

In other words, what bells & whistles do you want or don’t need?

The Window Energy rating is a big factor; you can now get double glazed windows in 2017 with A++ WER labels (WER = window energy rating from the British Fenestration Rating Council BFRC.com).

The higher the energy rating, the higher the potential cost of the window unit– the WER applies to the whole window itself, not just the glazed parts.

The number of windows you want to opener; Some, if not most companies add a charge for every glazed section that can open & close. Check to find before you get a surprise charge.

Window “Furniture”; Locks & handles may or may not be included in the price. If they are included, check to see if they are ones that you like. Sometimes for a small charge you can fit more fancy ones.

Glass; let’s face it, single glazing for anything other than an internal door or window is pointless. So your options are double or triple glazing. Triple glazed windows prices may not justify the extra cost in terms of the extra energy savings made by using them – even over the long term.

They are however, much better at sound insulation. So if you live in a noisy place the extra cost may be worth it for the sound insulation alone.

Increasing energy efficiency can be done by using Low-e glass (it’s metal oxide coated to bounce heat back). You could also get gas filled sealed units which offer higher levels of insulation to a standard sealed unit.

The “air gap” between the double glazed panes of glass can be varied from around 5mm to 20mm or so. It is worth knowing that if you have the airgap too wide it can encourage circulation within the sealed unit and that will actually lower the efficiency. 5mm air gaps may be a bit small to offer much protection against heat loss and sound, especially if the window is exposed to a lot of “weather” or noise.

Colour; White windows are very nice, but if you want something different you can have it. Coloured window frames will usually be in the region of 10% more expensive than plain white ones.

How to get Double Glazing Quotes Online?

So now you have a good idea of the type of window that you want, it’s time to shop around for double glazing prices. Actually, you are in the right place as we can arrange for independent quotes from trusted suppliers.

• Always look to get quotes from a FENSA, GGF, DGCOS, CERTASS or other accredited supplier /installer. All our installers are registered & accredited.

The reasons for this are twofold.

1) The installer has been independently pre-vetted for working practices and standards and the trade body will offer consumer protection benefits to its’ members clients.

2) Your windows will need to meet building regulations and be certified. Installers who are members of trade associations who can “self-certify” will do all the paperwork for you.

Otherwise you will have to call the local council inspector to have a look at your new windows and issue a certificate – at your cost.

• Get at least 3 or 4 quotes in writing after the installer(s) has / have visited your home and measured up the job.
• Compare the quotes with each other to see which offers the best value for money – or just decide on the one that you like the most based on what criteria are most important to you.

Once you have your double glazing prices quote in writing, make sure it covers everything that you need and then ask the installer for a better price, you never know, they may give you one.

Double Glazed uPVC Windows Prices Guide

How much do uPVC casement windows cost?

A basic quote for double glazing prices should at least cover the following:

1. The results of the survey with drawings
2. Product details (number of windows, openers /style, extras etc.)
3. WER rating of the units being installed
4. Any specific requests – (pattern glass / locks / colour/ cills etc.)
5. Details of the work start date / end date – exactly what are they going to do (finishing/ sealant / trims/ making good)
6. Who is disposing of the old windows and debris
7. Warranties on work (how to get them back to fix any problems)
8. Guarantees on product or deposits
9. Details of the company accreditation (FENSA / CERTASS / GGF etc.)

Summary

The cost of buying double glazed windows is going to be based on a combination of the above factors, but mainly it’s going to be about the size, the material and the number of windows you need. It will also make a difference who you are buying them

If you are doing a whole house (3 bed semi), you could be looking at needing to invest between £3,500 to £5,000 for decent quality uPVC windows to be supplied & fitted.

If you are buying just 1 or 2 individual windows, the cost per unit may be higher than if you were ordering 8 or 9 units at the same time.

You can find information about door prices on these pages:

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• how-much-do-upvc-patio-doors-cost
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