Where aluminium fits in Tunbridge Wells
On the front of a stucco or red-brick period house, aluminium is rarely the first choice. Its place is elsewhere:
- Rear extensions and garden rooms on Victorian and Edwardian houses, where a modern addition is easier to read when it looks modern.
- Houses built since about 1980, including infill on the former grounds of big villas, where slim frames suit the design.
- Large openings where the narrower frame gives noticeably more glass.
Steel-look aluminium
Some older buildings round Tunbridge Wells have iron or steel windows. The listing for 1 and 2 The Green in Langton Green records nineteenth-century iron-framed casements with glazing bars, and the George and Dragon at Speldhurst has several iron-framed casements too. Both are listed, so their windows need consent. On unlisted houses with original metal windows, a steel-look aluminium window with slim bars keeps the character while being far warmer.
Flush aluminium casements
An aluminium flush casement has the same flush look as the uPVC version described on the Edwardian casements page, with slimmer frames. It costs about a third to a half more than uPVC and is worth it on houses where the frames are on show, such as a garden elevation with large windows.
Doors to match
Aluminium bifolds and sliders are often fitted at the same time as aluminium windows in an extension. At the same size they cost the same, so choose by how you'll use them. See doors.
For whole-job ranges, see the costs page.