uPVC is by far the most common choice in the Netherlands when windows are replaced. Not because it is the cheapest, but because the combination of insulation, maintenance and lifespan simply works out best for most homes. Six reasons, in order.
1. No more painting
The colour is not in a layer of lacquer but in the material and the foil, so there is nothing that can flake off. Wiping the frames down once or twice a year with water and a mild soap is enough. Over twenty years that saves you four or five repainting jobs, money as well as hassle.
2. Better insulation
A modern uPVC profile has five or six air chambers and a steel core. That trapped air is the insulation. Combined with HR++ or triple glazing you no longer feel the cold when you stand by the window, and condensation on the frame disappears. On average, moving from single or old double glazing gives a noticeably lower heating bill, how much exactly depends on how well the rest of your home is insulated.
3. No rot, no shrinkage
Timber moves: it expands, it shrinks, and with persistent damp it starts to rot. Usually at the bottom, where water sits. uPVC does not suffer from any of that. A frame that closes tightly today still closes tightly in fifteen years.
4. Security comes as standard
Our opening sections get a multi-point lock with mushroom cams: the sash hooks into the frame in several places, so levering it open gets you nowhere. The hardware is SKG** certified, which most insurers require for the lowest premium. If you want more, lockable handles, RC2 hardware and laminated glass are all available.
5. More choice than you would think
White has not been the only option for a long time. There are more than fifty colours and woodgrain foils, from anthracite and black to golden oak and cream. Inside and outside may differ: white indoors for a calm interior, the colour of your facade outdoors. You choose the profile too. Flat and modern, or classic with a bead and rebate so it comes close to the old timber frame.
6. Subsidy and value
New windows with insulating glass qualify for the Dutch ISDE subsidy, and they count towards your energy label. You notice that not only on your energy bill but also if you ever sell.
What does the subsidy come to?
If you replace the windows as an owner-occupier, the ISDE scheme run by RVO returns a fixed amount per square metre of glass: € 25 per m² for HR++ glazing and € 111 per m² for triple glazing in new frames. Take a second insulation measure within 24 months. Roof or floor insulation, for instance. And those amounts double. You need at least 3 m² of glass and RVO subsidises a maximum of 45 m².
We prepare the application and supply all the details; you submit it yourself to RVO using DigiD. On our subsidy page you can work out in a few clicks what it comes to in your situation.
And the drawbacks?
There are some, and we would rather name them ourselves. On a listed building or in a protected townscape, planning rules often set requirements that uPVC does not meet. And if you are after the fine detailing of painted timber, woodgrain foil gets you a long way. But not all the way. That is why we always show you a physical sample during the measuring visit before you decide.
Curious what it would come to for you?
Request a no-obligation quote or book a free measuring visit. Our own surveyor comes round, takes the measurements and advises you on the spot, you are under no obligation.