Plastic windows are made of molten PVC that is extruded into the form of a profile. Once cooled down, these are cut into the appropriate length and joined together for the shape of the window. Reinforcement sections (mostly steel or aluminium) are fixed inside the profiles to provide additional strength if so required.
PVC windows are durable and easy to maintain. The variety of designs and colours in combination with the insulation values that can be achieved with double and triple glazing, make them the preferred choice of window for developers, renovators, planners and architects. The popularity of plastic windows is reflected in their share of over 50% of the market in Europe.
Characteristics of PVC windows
PVC windows are mainly used in residential buildings where they are highly appreciated due to their apparent advantages:
Energy efficiency
PVC windows have very good thermal insulation values. That´s why their use reduces energy and heating costs
PVC windows are the number one choice for the construction of passive houses. These become more and more popular for environmental reasons.
The European Institutions acknowledged this when they enacted the Energy Efficiency of Buildings Directive that asks for a passive house standard for 50% of all buildings until 2030.
Minimal maintenance
PVC windows have a service life of about 50 years. They are very resistant to weather conditions and convince through good lightfastness. Hence, the quality of the product remains very high throughout its whole lifetime.
Recycability
PVC windows are highly sustainable due to their good recyclability.
At the end of their life old windows can be mechanically recycled into granulate. Most of this high quality PVC granulate (60%) will be used to produce new windows while the rest goes into other applications such as plastic pipes.
You can read more about the PVC window recycling process here
More information can be found on The European PVC Profiles and related Building Products Association (EPPA)