Sliding windows, tilt and turn windows, casement windows… There are a variety of window types to choose from that caters to different architectural and aesthetic preferences.

The deciding factor to consider is the window’s practical benefits.

As a homeowner, choosing the right type of UPVC windows is essential to ensure that you find comfort and security in your home.

In this blog post, we look to explore the benefits in choosing Citizen Windows for UPVC windows in Manchester and the surrounding areas.

What are the main benefits of Citizen Windows UPVC windows?

• Low Maintenance UPVC Windows

Painting, staining, sanding and filling are all eliminated. To remove any dirt from your UPVC windows, simply wipe over with a damp cloth.

• Weather Resistant UPVC Windows

No matter what the weather conditions outside, come rain or shine, our uPVC windows and doors will retain their appearance and maintain the inside temperature.

• Noise Isolating UPVC Windows 

Our UPVC windows are designed with advanced insulation properties to ensure noise isolation from noise pollution, making your home more peaceful and quieter against any outdoor disturbances.

The High Performance Window and Door UPVC System

• Energy Saving UPVC Windows

Selecta profiles used to make frames for your home offer excellent thermal insulation, as the gaskets and weathertight seal shut out draughts while the glazing reflects the heat back into your room. These aspects of our UPVC windows can reduce energy bills by up to 50%.

• UPVC Window Security

Reinforcements and multi-locking hardware used in the Selecta range provide added strength to make your home more secure. The products have been designed to give you enhanced security and peace of mind should any unwelcome intruders decide to try and force entry into your home.

• UPVC Window Safety

Comfort and safety should never be compromised through security. In the event of an emergency, our UPVC windows and doors provide easy and reliable exits that meet all safety standards. Additionally, childproof hinges and locks can be fitted to restrict opening aspects and night vent facility is available to allow air circulation while the windows remain in a semi-closed position.

• UPVC Window Appearance

When it comes to style, the discerning homeowner is looking for an individual product that will enhance the look of their property. Appearance and choice are two of the most important aspects to consider. For these reasons, Selecta aim to provide as much choice as possible to accommodate individual taste and style. All of our UPVC products are available in a sparkling white finish or if you prefer the look of traditional wood, golden oak, rosewood, black or even grey finishes are available.

Contact us today for UPVC windows in Manchester and the surrounding areas.

The post Upvc Windows appeared first on Glaziers Manchester | Citizen Windows.

What is Condensation?

The air contains moisture. The temperature of the air determines how much moisture it can hold, and warm air contains more moisture than cold air.

When warm, moist air comes into contact with either a surface or air that is colder than it is, the warm air is unable to retain the same amount of moisture as it did and the water is released either into the cold air or onto the colder surface, causing condensation to form, quickly followed by mould.

What are the Causes of condensation on windows?

Day-to-day activities such as cooking, washing and drying clothes, heating and even breathing produce water vapour. Air can only hold so much moisture in the form of an invisible vapour, no matter what temperature it is.

When the air contains more moisture than it can hold, it reaches ‘saturation point’ and when this is reached, the moisture turns back into water and condensation occurs. The temperature reached at saturation point is called the ‘dew point’.

When this happens, the air has a relative humidity of 100%. The air in the majority of homes tends to have 50-70% relative humidity. Problems occur when structural defects in a building mean the moisture content has become too high; when old houses have no damp-proof course (DPC); and when there is inadequate ventilation in the home.

Period homes often have no DPC, which means moisture from the soil beneath the house rises up into ground floor rooms, whilst other homes suffer from bridged DPCs or damaged guttering.

There are several types of condensation. Cold-bridge condensation occurs when warm, moisture-heavy air comes into contact with surfaces at or below its dew point. This occurs at the base of external walls – where it is often mistaken for rising damp – on windows, where it may cause cills to rot, and on the underside of the roof.

Warm-front condensation occurs when warm, damp air gets into a cold house. This happens in the winter, when a ‘warm front’ from the Atlantic arrives, and is common in unoccupied houses.

Interstitial condensation happens when warm, moist air diffuses into a vapour-permeable material, such as fibrous insulation. If this material is warm on one side and cold on the other, the moisture will be deposited in liquid form within the material. This is a particular problem in heavily insulated or air-conditioned homes.

How to Treat it

There are three basic ways to control the problem of condensation, by looking at relative humidity, ventilation and insulation:

• Control the relative humidity in your home through the use of extractor fans in kitchens and bathrooms. Shutting the doors to these rooms whilst the extractor fans work also helps
• Ensure there is adequate ventilation. Trickle vents in windows work well, but a more sophisticated option is a heat-recovery ventilation unit. These replace the air in your home by taking the stale, damp air outside, then bring fresh air back in via a separate grille, passing it back over the heat exchanger to be warmed. It is also possible to buy central extract systems which connect all of the wet areas in your home to a central fan before discharging the stale, moist air outside
• Add insulation so that internal walls are kept at a temperature above the dew point of the air inside

The post Condensation On Windows? appeared first on Glaziers Manchester | Citizen Windows.

uPVC stands for unplasticised polyvinyl chloride. It is easy to clean, easy to install, and it looks great! As a bonus, it happens to be the cheapest form of double glazing frames but also the material that saves the most energy overall.

When it comes to installing uPVC double glazing, the real benefits come from the savings you can make on your energy bills which, in the current economic climate, is always a good thing. In fact, compared to single glazed windows, you could save around £165 a year on a three bedroom house. That’s over £4,000 on an average mortgage. These savings easily offset the cost of installation, and give you a warm, cosy, homely house that you’ll be proud to come home to.

To save even more money, K Glass is a fantastic option. K Glass is a low-emissivity glass that makes up the inner pane of the window, making double glazing almost as effective as triple glazing, without the cost. This stops heat from escaping (up to 25% of a home’s heat is lost through closed windows!), thereby saving you money on your heating bills. In an average three bedroom house, that’s about £200 a year.

For the ultimate in money and energy saving windows, it might be worth considering having triple glazing installed. These windows are still made with durable, attractive uPVC, but with an additional layer of glass you can save even more energy (and money) over the life of your windows. Triple glazed windows are 60% more efficient than standard double glazed panes (C rating), and 40% more efficient than superior double glazed panes (A rated). In that three bedroom house we mentioned before, switching to triple glazed windows could save you a massive £766 a year!

uPVC windows and doors don’t just look good; they save you money and keep you safe. What’s not to love about that?

The post UPVC Windows: The Savings appeared first on Glaziers Manchester | Citizen Windows.