Black PVC (vinyl) windows

[Sean]

Has anybody got any experience of black PVC windows. Where I'm at in Ireland PVC is the cheapest window option. I think I need black windows for the house I'm building and would like to consider PVC before going down the wood or aluminum route. Some window guys here are saying that they won't do it because it will fade badly over time but others say that it won't fade any worse than any other PVC window. Are there certain brands of PVC which are more stable? Has there been recent advances in plastics technology to make them more resistant to fade and some window manufacturers are going with it while others are not taking the chance as they don't want the warranty hassle if it all goes wrong? I am confused. Can anyone help? TIA Sean

[Dave Gibson]

Don't really know what the problem is with black PVC. All my gutters and downpipes are black PVC and are now over 19 years old and still look fine.

Dave

[Dave Liquorice]

Similar here, white washed farmhouse house needs black window frames. I didn't think you could get black PVC. I'm sort of resigned to timber but as we are rather exposed the full double sealing of plastic window frames appeals over a single seal on the timber frames I've seen. A Force 8 gale can't half drive the rain through tiny holes. 3 or 4 inch fountains is not uncommon at the bottom of the vents on the current unsealed timber jobs.

Some of our black PVC rain water goods are very grey, these are exposed to the prevailing weather and are south facing. The bits not so exposed or south facing are fine. Guess which side of the house these proposed window frames are...

[Michael Mcneil]

All pvc fades badly in the sun. It turns streaky white. I don't know how this stuff of Mr Gibson's has lasted.

[Andy Hall]

Yep. Same here. No noticable fading at all.

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

[Peter C. Goodman]

in article [e-mail], Andy Hall at [e-mail] wrote on 5/28/04 5:02 PM:

My understanding is not the fade issue. The bigger problem has to do with expansion and contraction. The dark colors of PVC (or vinyl) cause a large degree of movement and there have been issues with keeping windows tight and operating properly. I have dark bronze vinyl windows (double hung), and I too have no real problem with fading (10 years later) but the sashes have a tendency to fit well at some time (summer) and they are loose and sometimes become dislodged from the balances. (in the winter).Shimming, and fiddling with them does little to solve the problem. I have lost the seal on one of the thermopane sashes, and I was told that the company no longer handles the bronze color. Replacing it with white is out of the question. HTH

[Paul Mc Cann]

If they perform anything like the black plastic gutters commonly fitted then avoid them. These gutters can be heard cracking as they expand in the heat of the sun. Invariably they eject the rubber seals at the joints, which never seem to be available for replacement.

Paul Mc Cann

>

[Eunoia Eigensinn]

Sean;

The problem with *all* PVC windows is the material's excessive thermally-induced movement which tends to result in a poor (and subsequent failed) seal between the sash and the glass. Obviously, the problem will be exacerbated by darker colours.

The other problem with all PVC windows is the material itself which has been labelled an "environmental poison" by the Green building movement.

Related to the latter is the fact that when it comes around time to replace the glass, you will more than likely be looking at replacing the entire window.

The best-performing windows are those which utilise pull-truded fibreglass lineals for the frames and sash, with dry seals bewteen the sash and glazing and snap-in clamping bars to make removal and replacement of the glass a snap.

[big al - Peoples Pal]

I know the recently fitted brown pvc front door a mate had fitted was about

2 times more expensive than a similar style in white, it was also about 3 times (maybe an exaggeration) heavier and a lot more robust. Apparently brown upvc windows need to be a lot more robust to survive the heating and cooling, while still being able to be opened and closed.

Black pvc windows only seem to be available in Ireland (sorry and Wales)as far as I can see, must be the lack of really warm weather.

Google comes up with a few examples, might be a misprint, but worth a punt contacting someone from here:

in Wales

or the owners of these houses in Ireland for help locating a local firm.