Find a Window Installer you can trust in Chester Le Street.

The simple answer to this question is... they can be! Although there are many types of porch designs that are available in the market, the uPVC porch happens to be one of the most loved and cost effective. Most home and property owners prefer the installation of a uPVC porch for a number of reasons. These includes:

• Value for money

It’s no coincidence the uPVC is widely accepted across the building industry with a plethora of uses. Not only is it relatively inexpensive to manufacture, but even the recycled uPVC is now becoming more and more useful. UPVC’s main rivals are wood and aluminium, and both are way more expensive to incorporate for frame profiles. Therefore, making use of uPVC is going to make your initial costs relatively low.

• Life Span

Although the main rivals in both hardwood and aluminium can also boast a lengthy lifespan just as uPVC. However, considering the price that you can get a uPVC, the lifespan is just incredible as it can be measured in decades.

• Aesthetic Appeal

UPVC gives you a wide range of foil colours that’ll fit your home perfectly well while also enhancing it’s visual appeal. You can actually get a porch that looks exactly like it’s manufactured from timber frames. To achieve this, all you need to do would be to make use of a wood grain surface finish. This is also long lasting, strong and resistant to fade.

• Little Maintenance

This is a very common feature of uPVC that makes it even more advantageous when used in making a porch. Unlike timber or wood which swells due to absorption of water or shrinks, you’ll never need to worry about all these distortions and more with uPVC. No painting, no sanding and ultimately, low maintenance required.

You don’t have to, especially if you’re on a budget. If you’re only replacing some, it’s a good idea to get all the windows on one side of your property replaced at the same time, so they all look the same. Be aware, obviously, huge savings could be had by having a number of windows replaced at the same time.

Most installers will not need you to be at home while they are fitting your windows. It is a good idea to be present though, just in case they have any questions for you and perhaps for your own peace of mind. If you cannot be there, you will need to arrange access to the property and/or agree securing the property at the end of the day.

Double glazed windows are better than single glazed generally because they are more energy efficient. The clue’s in the name – double glazed windows have two panes of glass while single glazed windows only have one. In double glazed windows, there is a space between the two glass panes. This space is filled with inert gas or a tight vacuum, which helps to provide an extra level of insulation. That means that heat won’t escape your home easily, nor will it creep in, so you can keep your home at a more comfortable temperature.

The extra pane of glass also helps to increase your home’s security. Single glazing is pretty easy to smash through, whereas it will take much more effort to smash double glazing and will create more noise, so burglars might be put off.

Another reason why double glazed windows are better than single glazed ones is that they help to reduce noise. Of course, if you live by a busy road you’ll still hear some traffic noise, but it can be significantly reduced buy double glazing. In the same way that the inert gas in the middle of the two panes keeps heat in and the cold out, it also helps keep noise out.

With double glazing, you’ll also notice much less condensation. With single glazing, it’s common to see condensation on the inside of the windows, especially when the heating is on. This is because the outside of the window is cold, but the inside is warm. With double glazing, the insulation between the two panes stops there being such a difference in temperature between the inside and outside of the window.

There are so many benefits that comes with building a porch in your home premises. It’s an extra space where a lot can be achieved such as drying a dripping wet dog, taking off your dirty shoes or boot and lots more. So if you’re considering to construct a porch, it’s definitely going to be a wise decision. However, before you get started, there’s a need to determine if you’ll need planning permission for a porch. It’s important to take note that planning laws are dynamic and can be updated at any point, so be sure only to use trusted sources only as your guide. If you’re the homeowner or landlord, it’s entirely your responsibility to obtain the right approval for any development project you wish to carry out within your premises.

A Porch can not be termed as an extension and neither is it a conservatory, they’re basically built to the home’s front covering the main entrance using a stone base or a brick. As a result, a porch does not need planning permission due to the fact that it’s covered by the permitted development rights if the specific guidelines for porches are complied with. Below are the instances where you WILL need planning permission for a porch.

✓ If the floor space is more than 3sqm (the wall inclusive).

✓ The highest point has a height of more than 3 metres.

✓ If the porch is situated within 2 metres of a boundary directly facing on to the road.

You may need planning permission if the house is a listed building, designated area or falls under an Article 4 Direction.

In order to build a porch without planning permission, you need to consider all the criteria stated above. You can also visit the Planning Portal website to get more detailed information before getting started.

One of the essential factors that makes a home truly a home is the convenience and comfort it provides us. As a result, we usually have a long to do list comprising things that come together to make sure our home is comfortable with ambient temperature at the very top of the scale of preference. After all, no matter how greatly designed your furniture and home decor is, it probably would amount for nothing if the temperature is either too hot or too cold. Some of the most common ways we incorporate to make the temperature a lot more conducive and warm during the winter months is by installing air conditioning system or through top notch insulation materials, but the fact still remains that a lot of heat would escape through the doors and windows. And that’s exactly the use of double glazing. So how exactly does double glazing work?

Double glazing basically works by preventing the escape of air and trapping it between two panes of glass. It’s the trapped air which serves as an insulation barrier which delivers 3 major functions. First and foremost, it stops the escape of heat through the window as the barrier created insulates the room from varying air temperatures at both sides of the glazing unit. The second major function is the double glazing works to keep down noise pollution coming from outside. While the third major function of double glazing I the fact that it helps minimize condensation which usually occurs on the single glazed windows’ inside as the cold outside air works to cool the warm air inside the house. When you install a double glazing window, the insulation barrier generated will work to stop the air temperature transmission which ultimately helps prevent the occurrence of condensation.

By replacing the single glazed windows in your home you stand to make savings of around £170 each year. It’s not just the financial gain that makes double glazing attractive though and you can also save up to 680kg of carbon emissions annually. Over 20 years this is a saving of around £3,400 and 13,600kg of CO2.

Double glazing frames don’t just have to come in uPVC and are available in other materials including aluminium and wood too. Wooden or timber windows are more suited to properties with a traditional look and are often the frame of choice for listed buildings and homes in conservation areas. When properly maintained wooden windows can last well for years but can be up to three times more expensive than uPVC.Aluminium is the strongest and most durable option. As a metal it is highly resistant to the UK’s changing weather conditions and won’t rust, warp, crack or peel. Aluminium offers a modern appeal and is available in a range of colours.