Re: Re: Irish say no to PVC windows

Hi Kevin, agreed there is a certain biased view, but that tends to arise out of a lack of supporters on ‘the other side’ rather than a deliberate attempt to misrepresent things.

There is no doubting the low maintenance appeal of PVC – it can’t be denied how convenient it is. Likewise the 5-point locking systems are impressive security devices, I’ve seen quite a few in operation and there’s no doubting their effectiveness.
And as was pointed out the material is improving in aesthethic profile and finish, albeit slowly.

But PVC is simply not appropriate in older buildings, not just ‘some’ but all older structures. It looks and feels wrong.
You make a good point about many of the issues being design problems, rather than PVC-specific problems, but PVC is by and large the main problem, accounting for the vast vast majority of the replacement market.

I passed yet another delightful Victorian red brick only yesterday, in an Architectural Conservation Area or soon-to-be such, that has newly fitted PVC sashes that look utterly awful – not a design issue here, but a material one – PVC.
Even if it can be moulded to perfection, it is still not acceptable in any older building as a replacement material.
Timber is the established, traditional, vernacular material of these buildings in this country and ought to be respected and maintained as such.