Types of Window Frames

You will need to carefully select the type of frame to match the style of your house. 

In general, good detailing and sealing is critical to performance. Are the windows best to open outwards or inwards? That is, does the seal form a part of the opening section or does the opening section close against the seal? You also need to look and see how any rain that might penetrate round the edge of the window can escape. All of this requires close inspection of an actual sample; diagrams are helpful but don’t tell the whole story. 

      Something to bear in mind is that some materials expand and contract in relation to the atmosphere. When you are aiming to eliminate virtually all air leakage, quality detailing will be important to check.

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Written by Astrid Madsen

Astrid Madsen is the editor of the SelfBuild magazine. She previously held the same role in an Irish trade publication, before that she worked at the National Standards Authority of Ireland. She graduated with a BA in Urban Studies from Columbia University in New York and holds an MBA from the Instituto de Estudios Bursatiles in Madrid. France of origin, she now lives in Portarlington, County Laois, where she's taken on the task of renovating a listed building! Email astrid.madsen@selfbuild.ie

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