|
|
From the Newsletter- October 2004 |
PLASTIC WINDOWS
CHARACTER ASSASSINATION NB For ANOTHER MISLED PUNTER ! See below.
In the July Newsletter Gordon Young confessed to having fitted uPVC windows. In my view plastic windows are unacceptable for both aesthetic and environmental reasons. This view is shared by English Heritage, the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings and Greenpeace.
Gordon repeated the claim that plastic windows are low maintenance and save trees; the only problem is their stark white colour and the thickness of the sections. I intend to show why plastic windows are inappropriate for numerous reasons.
The draughts around ill-fitting windows are unpleasant and could account for around 35% of the total heat loss from a house. However simple repair and draught stripping of the original timber or metal windows can save one third of heating costs without spoiling the appearance of the house.
Specialist window restorers usually find that as much as 95% of the timber is sound and only small areas such as the bottom rails and the cill require repair.
Not only does repair save money and maintain the correct appearance of the building but the disruption of having windows ripped out and plasterwork made good is avoided. uPVC is a much weaker material than timber or metal. The windows must therefore be made with larger sections in order to support the glass and to be secure.
The frequently repeated claim for plastic windows being non or low maintenance is untrue. If a handle or lock breaks, rather than simply replacing it with a new one, an exact replacement must be obtained because it is integral to the window. This model may have been discontinued or the window company ceased trading. It would then be necessary to replace the entire window at great expense and disruption. For this reason the Peabody Trust, London's largest housing association, has a policy of not using uPVC windows.
Dulux are now selling paint specifically formulated for plastic windows. This is because windows installed some years ago are now fading or discolouring and requiring maintenance!
uPVC is not environmentally friendly as its production requires large amounts of energy, and, due to the numerous additives, very little of it can be reused. Highly toxic processes are required to make uPVC windows. Its manufacture creates dioxin residues, one of the most toxic chemicals known. Phthalate chemicals, which are known to be hormone disrupters, are used as plasticisers in PVC. These dangerous chemicals, together with other toxic materials such as mercury, end up in the environment.
PVC not only creates pollution during its production; it also creates problems during its disposal. Old PVC windows end up in municipal waste. When this is incinerated dioxin is formed, or, if it is placed in landfill, the additives such as the phthalates are susceptible to leaching and migrate through soil to contaminate ground water. It is therefore discarded with the consequent hazards.
PVC is extremely dangerous when it burns. Hydrogen chloride gas and hydrochloric acid are formed and the heavy metals contained will be released. A PVC cable fire in Düsseldorf was easily extinguished by the Fire Brigade using just 10 litres of water. The building was heavily contaminated with dioxin and it took three years at a cost of nearly 12 million dollars to clean up the contamination.
On the other hand, timber is a natural resource and contains low embodied energy. Properly managed forests can produce good quality timber without environmental damage. The windows can be maintained and repaired and if eventually they have to be replaced the timber can be reused and safely disposed off.
Windows are often described as the eyes of a building. It is a mistake to spoil the appearance of a building by poking out its eyes. Repairing and retaining the original windows is not only environmentally friendly but will retain the character and the value of your house.
Quentin Alder
0117 968 1413
email: mail@quentinalder.co.uk
ANOTHER MISLED PUNTER !
Gordon, unfortunately, the issue of your PVC windows about which you are so proud, doesn't start with the appearance and the "dummy vents". That is a minor consideration. The major one is the material itself --toxic in its creation and the waste produced, so environmentally very unsound, non-recyclable, and taking decades, at least, to degenerate in a dump, and even then with more toxic consequences. A nice legacy being built up for our children?
These terrifying facts about PVC - denied, of course by the industry -were promoted at least 15 years ago by Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace etc. To my knowledge, the German Government took the bull by the horns some years ago and banned the use of PVC windows and doors at home, though ironically allowed the manufacture of the sections for export - and good old Blighty is one of its main customers.
Bristol City Council, in its Sustainable Development Guide (2002) section 3.7.3 states "PVC is a hazardous non-biodegradable material that has also been linked to health problems in humans, both during use and on disposal through incineration and landfill. Its use should be avoided if at all possible" . A nice legacy for our children being built up?
As Tony Blair might say, there is a third way apart from PVC, and timber, for windows and doors, though sadly, Gordon, too late for your house: Anodised Aluminium - OK it can come with thin polyester colour coating, but at least aluminium is recyclable . Strangely, not used much in the domestic market, but often a first choice in the commercial world for decades.
A year or so ago, with others, the Society convinced the Planners to refuse PVC windows to replace the original steel windows at Queens Court Flats, Queens Road. Instead as suggested, coated aluminium windows were used with great success - elegant, slender and so right for the building's 30's design.
In contrast to this achievement, against fervent protests, the planners have recently allowed the cheap softwood windows at Baltic Wharf Flats, Harbourside to be replaced by PVC - and woodgrained to boot! How crass can this be? This makes a mockery of the Sustainability Guide, doesn't it .
Sorry, Gordon, but you've been fooled, like thousands of other householders, for the sake of cheapness, and perceived ease of use and maintenance. By the way, make sure you wash the frames frequently otherwise you'll have to buy a tin of special Refurbishment Paint, available for several years. Life's a bitch, innit?
Alan Elkan
0117 924 3775
Email: alan@fortytwo88.demon.co.uk
Back to 'Cuttings' page