Guides on selecting, specifying, and installing timber and aluminium-clad windows and doors, written for self-builders, architects, and contractors.
Solar control glass blocks excess solar heat while allowing natural daylight through. This guide explains g-values, the key performance trade-offs, and when to specify solar control glazing in a UK project.
Building greener means specifying products with verifiable environmental credentials — not marketing claims. Nordvest timber windows are manufactured by Nordvestvinduet, which holds the Nordic Swan Ecolabel: a whole-lifecycle certification covering forestry, chemicals, energy performance, manufacturing, and end-of-life design. Here's what that means in practice.
Aluminium-clad windows take the thermal and structural advantages of engineered timber and add a factory-applied aluminium exterior that never needs painting. For exposed sites, coastal locations, and clients who want the best of both materials with minimum long-term maintenance, they are the most practical specification.
Timber is one of the oldest construction materials ever used — and one of the most misunderstood in modern specification. Engineered timber windows from Nordvest combine the natural properties of heartwood pine with precision manufacturing, achieving lifespans of 40–60 years and U-values to match the best aluminium or PVCu alternatives.
Most replacement windows are designed to last 25–30 years. Nordvest timber windows — built to Norwegian standards using engineered heartwood pine — have an expected lifespan of 60–70 years, backed by a 10-year guarantee. Here's why that difference matters for new builds, self-builds, and renovations.
If frost forms on the outside of your triple glazed windows on cold mornings, your windows are performing exactly as they should. This guide explains why it happens and what, if anything, you should do about it.
More new build and self-build clients are coming to us with low energy targets — not necessarily full Passivhaus certification, but a fabric-first approach that treats the building envelope as the primary energy strategy. Glazing sits at the centre of that decision.
Choosing between double and triple glazing comes down to five factors: your project budget, thermal performance target, site exposure, acoustic requirements, and solar control needs. This guide walks through each one.