26/10/2026
Choosing new windows? The frame matters just as much as the glass. 🪟
In Australia, high performance windows usually come in three frame materials:
🌳 Timber - Possibly the most expensive material to use, but very thermally efficient. They also have the highest ongoing maintenance due to timber rotting if it’s not maintained well. However, Timber aluminium cladding frames require minimal maintenance compared to traditional timber frames. The aluminium exterior protects the timber from external elements such as rain, wind, and UV rays, significantly extending the lifespan of the windows.
🔩 Aluminium - Aluminium frames are possibly the strongest and most robust of all the different frames available, but they have the major disadvantage of conducting heat or cold straight through the frame. Aluminium frames with a thermal break are basically two frames that have been joined by an inert joiner that effectively reduces heat transfer across the frame. For this reason they are more expensive than normal aluminium frames, but the advantages of strength and thermal efficiency greatly out way the disadvantages.
🧪 uPVC - Usually, the lowest cost material to make frames out of, they have been used in the northern hemisphere for over 40 years. uPVC frames are thermally efficient. However, they usually require an additive here in Australia to combat high UV levels and internal aluminium or steel reinforcements for added strength. uPVC frames are effectively plastic and don’t perform well in bushfire zones. They also give off toxic gases in a fire situation.
At ML Windows, all our products use either thermally broken aluminium or timber aluminium clad frames. 💚
Not sure which suits your home? Learn more through our website.
