What Are the Best New Windows and Doors for Your Home? A Guide to Choosing the Right Windows and Doors

Choosing new windows and doors for your home when refurbishing and redecorating can be an overwhelming and confusing task. While quality and cost is important, many also find themselves wrapped up in what style to choose for their new windows and doors as well as functionality and whether or not the type of window or door is actually right for their home.

It goes without saying that new windows and doors can make or break a renovation project. Luckily, there is an ever-growing number of different styles and colours to choose from to suit both contemporary and traditional properties alike.

What should I look for in new windows and doors?

From securing your property with modern, multi-point locking mechanisms to enhancing your home with innovative thermal break technology, there is a lot of factors to consider when looking for new windows and doors.

Energy efficiency

When choosing your new windows and doors, it is of the utmost importance to consider energy efficiency. Choosing windows and doors with optimal energy efficiency ratings ensures your home is insulated from the effects of adverse weather and keeps your interior living spaces warm, dry and comfortable. It will also save you the hassle of costly utility bills in the long run. With windows, it’s important to look for an A+14 rating on the Window Energy Rating (WER) scale.

Security

Securing your home from any unwelcome intruders should also be high on your priority list. Most modern windows and doors come with innovative multi-point locking mechanisms, but it’s also important to look for internal beading and other security features.

Materials

The material of your new window or door is also important. These days, most windows and doors are engineered using your choice of uPVC or aluminium. There are benefits to both materials. However, the ideal material for your windows and doors will come down to the needs of your home as well as your own personal tastes.

What are uPVC windows?

uPVC, or unplasticised polyvinyl chloride, is a durable, cost-effective building material. Boasting low maintenance, a long life span and high energy efficiency ratings, uPVC is incredibly resilient to adverse weather, making it the perfect material for use in windows and doors.

uPVC windows are engineered with durability in mind and have a lifespan of at least 20 years. uPVC is particularly suitable in historically sensitive restoration projects where a homeowner might be seeking to retain the period aesthetics of their property.

What are aluminium windows?

Gone are the days when aluminium windows were manufactured with thick, aesthetically unappealing frames that suffered from poor energy efficiency ratings and security. Advancements in the industry in recent years means aluminium windows can now be engineered with innovative energy-efficient technology, modern multi-point locking mechanisms and slim frames which allow for expansive panes of double-glazed glass.

uPVC windows vs aluminium windows

When it comes to your windows, choosing between aluminium and uPVC will come down to your own personal tastes and the unique specifications of your property. When manufactured correctly to a high standard, both materials are resilient to the elements with high levels of security and energy efficiency.

Majestic Designs’ Guide to Window Styles

From traditional sash windows to innovative tilt and turns, our seven-chapter guide will take you through our range of bespoke windows styles and help you decide which type of window will best suit your property and personal tastes.

• Chapter One: Casement Windows – Available in your choice of uPVC or aluminium, casement windows are an enduring choice on the market here in the UK. Combining modern convenience with classic style, casement windows are virtually maintenance-free and can effortlessly complement your property’s character.
• Chapter Two: Flush Casement Windows – A flush casement window offers the ease and durability of a classic casement window in a more traditional style. Flush casement windows sit flush within their frame, hence the name, and can elevate your property with simple, elegant aesthetics.
• Chapter Three: Sash Windows – Ideal in contemporary and traditional properties alike, uPVC vertical sliding sash windows are ideal for use in historically-sensitive renovation projects. In an older more traditional home, the classic design of uPVC sash windows can maintain and preserve historical character. In a more modern home, the same style is ideal for elevating a property with the elegant aesthetics of a bygone era.
• Chapter Four: Bay Windows – An iconic symbol of Britain’s Victorian era, a bay window delivers more space as well as an influx of natural light to both traditional and modern properties. Elegant and understated, bay windows remain a popular and enduring choice for homeowners across the UK and abroad.
• Chapter Five: Bow Windows – A bow window, or compass window, is an alternative to the more traditional bay window. Ideal for maximising space and natural light within your living spaces, a bow window can effortlessly complement your property by retaining the elegant style of days gone by.
• Chapter Six: Tilt & Turn Windows – A tilt and turn window combines innovative, dual-opening operation and impressive functionality with contemporary style. Offering improved airflow and plenty of modern conveniences, a tilt and turn window is a practical and contemporary choice for any property.
• Chapter Seven: Leaded & Georgian Windows – Leaded and Georgian windows combine modern conveniences like energy efficiency and security with classic period features, so you won’t have to compromise on your property’s traditional features when refurbishing your original windows

uPVC doors

Like uPVC windows, uPVC doors are a cost-effective, secure alternative to other materials on the market. Offering a range of different styles and colours, uPVC doors can create a welcoming entrance to your property and increase your ‘curb appeal’. uPVC is also suitable for a backdoor and boasts high levels of energy efficiency and security.

Aluminium doors

Recent advancements in the window and door industry mean aluminium can now be engineered with slim frames and large panes of double-glazed glass, making it the perfect material for use in aluminium doors such as bifold doors and patio doors. Robust and resilient to the elements, aluminium will not rust or corrode over time and has a lifespan of 30 to 40 years.

Majestic Designs’ Guide to Doors and Accessways

Continuing from our guide to new windows and doors, Majestic Designs also offers a range of uPVC, composite and aluminium doors. Our comprehensive guide will take you through the best type of door for your home.

• Chapter Eight: Composite Doors – A composite door combines the traditional aesthetics of a wood-grain timber door with modern conveniences such as energy efficiency and security. Offering stylish designs and a range of bold colours, composite doors are engineered with a combination of uPVC and timber, making them incredibly durable and resilient to both adverse weather and unwelcome intruders.
• Chapter Nine: French Doors – French doors combine aesthetically traditional features with modern convenience and functionality. Revered for an innate ability to maximise natural light within traditional and contemporary homes alike, uPVC French doors are engineered with high levels of security and energy efficiency, and offer visually appealing aesthetics reminiscent of continental Europe.
• Chapter Ten: Patio Doors – Arguably the most popular option here at Majestic Designs, patio doors are the practical yet aesthetically stylish solution when choosing an accessway to your outside area. Suitable in contemporary and traditional homes alike, patio doors are available in your choice of uPVC or aluminium.
• Chapter Eleven: Stable Doors – Available as a composite door or in uPVC, a stable door can transform any home with quaint countryside charm. Stable doors are suitable in contemporary and traditional homes alike but look particularly at home in converted farmhouses, barns and rural cottages.
• Chapter Twelve: Bifold Doors – Engineered with minimal hardware and expansive panes of double-glazed glass, bifold doors bring the outside in and create a seamless transition between your interior and exterior spaces. Bifold doors also allow an influx of natural light into your home, even during the chillier winter months with your doors firmly shut.

New Windows and Doors at Majestic Designs

From energy efficiency to your desired style and aesthetic, there are a lot of factors to consider when looking for new windows and doors.

A fixture within the community of Somerset, Majestic Designs have been engineering our bespoke range of windows and doors for more than 19 years. Our FENSA accredited and MTC registered leading teams of expert installers have cultivated a country-wide reputation for superior craftsmanship and friendly, approachable customer service that goes above and beyond.

If you have a question about your renovation project or are ready to book your at-home consultation, contact Majestic Designs today.