This article is about choosing windows for your new home is based on a reader Q&A in the Irish Examiner in September, 2025.
Q. Hi Kieran We are going to have to choose windows, doors and patio doors. It is a new build house and we are aiming for an A2 BER rating. Would you go for Aluclad, uPVC or wood. Which would be stronger for a big corner patio door that one side faces West and the other North facing a beautiful view.
Carrie
Dunmanway, Co. Cork
A. Hi Carrie
Thanks for your question. Great to hear you are in the throes of a new home build. You are very lucky to be in the position where you can design your ideal home from scratch. I am sure it is a rewarding but daunting task. So you have advanced your home build to the stage where you are considering the new windows and doors package, but what type to consider? Let’s look at each type one by one to begin with along with the characteristics of each.
The most cost effective windows today are factory produced uPVC windows. uPVC is a synthetic building product which is very robust and doesn’t really degrade in any meaningful way. Because it is synthetic it tends to be very cost effective and indeed a big portion of new build windows are uPVC. The downside is that uPVC windows are limited in terms of the colours available; there are probably about 12 but discounting the garish primary colours you may be limited to about 6. (Less is more when it comes to window colours so I tend to keep it fairly neutral). There are limitations with uPVC windows too when it comes to large windows and doors because the uPVC doesn’t perform well at these sizes. Generally uPVC works well in relatively standard settings.
Next on the block is Aluminium. Modern day aluminium windows differ from the aluminium windows of old which used to show condensation on the frames internally. This was because the frames transmitted the cold from the outside and moisture laden air would condense on this cold surface (similar to breathing on a mirror). Now aluminium window frames are thermally broken so they contain a layer of insulating product inside to ensure the coldness outside is not transmitted through the frames. These frames are more expensive than uPVC but they are much more dynamic in terms of the sizes of windows and doors available. Typically architects will specify an aluminium window/door if their design commands a very large frame. The other benefit of aluminium is that the frames can be made quite thin if required due to the nature of the metal strength and there is a huge range of colours available.
Another window type available now (again) is timber. This is different to the softwood timber that many of us would have grown up with (which rotted after about 10 years of Irish weather exposure). Nowadays the factory produced timer windows are very resilient. They come factory finished in a colour of your choice and they don’t need to be re-painted for about 8-10 years after fitting. They will perform well in most settings but harsh coastal exposure or very large window/door ‘opes’ may stretch them beyond their elastic limit. They do look very well as they are natural products (timber) but they are certainly thicker than aluminium or timber.
Aluclad is a mixture of timber and aluminium. You have timber on the inside and aluminium on the outside. This provides the warmth of timber on the inside with the durability of aluminium on the outside. They are expensive due to the complexity of the frame set-up and are available in most colours.
When it comes to choosing the windows for your new home, firstly, all window types will meet your BER requirement of an A2. It is likely that a A-Rated double glazed windows will in fact suffice from a U-Value perspective. When it comes to the frames, it does appear that you are building a large corner feature doorway. It may be that you can still use timber or Aluclad here but if not, then the default is likely to be aluminium. If you find that the cost of a full package of aluminium windows is setting your heart racing, thank you could limit the colour to one of the more palatable of the uPVC options and use uPVC for most of the windows and opt for aluminium in the larger, feature opes. I have used this option many times and I have found it to be very effective. You will rarely appreciate aluminium windows in bedrooms and bathrooms but you’ll certainly sleep better knowing you have balanced your home build budget.
Kieran McCarthy is a building engineer and director of KMC Homes bespoke A-Rated new home builder, serving Cork and Limerick. He is also co-presenter of the RTÉ property show Cheap Irish Homes and a new tv show showcasing deep retrofits in existing homes in Ireland.
Follow Kieran on instagram @kierankmc for more home building information, tips and Q&A advice.
You can also follow Kieran on the Built Around You Youtube channel.
