Best Quality uPVC Windows in the UK- Halo and Evolution

Hi folks, my name’s Rob, and I’m going to talk to you about the best quality uPVC windows in the UK.

However, we can’t really discuss uPVC until we’ve discussed this classic, which is the good old timber casement.

And this is, in fact, a flush-frame timber window. And this is, really, the beginning of the uPVC industry, because the uPVC industry has forever been attempting to replicate this classic window. And whether we like it or not, whether we even really realise it or not, we don’t really know.

But every chocolate biscuit tin at Christmas, every postcard of Anne Hathaway’s cottage, we don’t realise how much we love timber windows.

It was the uPVC industry that initially attempted to capture the market. And specifically, it’s this. This is the mullion or the internal vertical subdivision of a double casement window.

And it protrudes into the room, providing shadow detail and depth. And it has this lovely, subtle ovolo moulded edge. And they did that to break them up essentially, rather than having a hard corner. And you get this lovely classic timber window. And on the outside, you can see that the frame is what we call flush.

Meaning that the outer frame, the sash (opening part), and the casement are co-planar. It’s on the same pane on the outside.

And that ends up looking like this. Oh, and of course, let’s not forget timber-look joints, what? Well, you can’t really call them timber look joints on a timber window.

No, they are timber joints. They’re mortise and tenon joints. A classic joint, literally dating back to around 2000 BC. So it’s again a classic timber joint that we don’t even realise we love. And that was the model really that launched the uPVC industry.

But walk with me and I’ll show you what first came out of the uPVC industry in its desperate attempt to copy that rather beautiful window. And here it is.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. It’s not a flush casement timber window, and it is the first incarnation of traditional British-made uPVC. Notice it’s not a flush frame. So, the casement is proud of the outer frame, and it sticks out.

And yet, in a window that doesn’t have an opener, it is set back. And that creates a kind of noughts and crosses effect.

And you’ll see these uPVC windows everywhere around the UK when you’re driving around. This one has a chamfered detail on the edge, rather than the lovely rolled ovolo detail found on the timber window.

There is also another typical uPVC window that features a moulded detail on the edge. It’s still a proud, it’s still not a flush casement, but it has a more rolled edge.

And this one, the frame type is called Rustique, and that frame type is called System 10. You’ll see these everywhere in the glazing industry. Now, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with them they are good quality.

They are excellent window frames, maintenance-free, with 30-40 year longevity in their own right, especially when they’re decent, quality, branded uPVC windows, like the ones we use at Thames Valley Windows, which are called Halo, one of the best quality uPVC windows in the UK.

Halo is a well-known UK brand. It has been manufactured for over 50 years and is of the highest quality, and comes with a 10-year warranty for peace of mind.

The components are excellent. The fabricators are really good. They are investors in people. Their, you know, half of their machinery costs a million pounds. One of their saws alone costs 35 grand with a diamond tip. They are very high-quality fabricators. So, they’ve great windows, but they’re not the same as a flush timber casement.

So, they have this proud casement. As I mentioned, they have another classic that people are not fond of in the uPVC industry, which is mitred corners, rather than timber-look joints. And this is simply a function of how they’re made.

That’s the 1970s, and it remains the most cost-effective option. It’s what we call smooth white PVC. So it’s not covered in any way. It’s not coloured in any way, but the glass is all Pilingtons.

They’re energy-efficient and very high-performing glass units. You can have Georgian bars. You can have lead. So there’s nothing wrong with them.

They’re a fabulous UPVC product for general everyday use, offering the best value for your money whilst helping to lower energy bills.

Then, add 30 or 40 years, and suddenly you reach the posh end of the high-quality uPVC market, typified by a company like Evolution.

And what’s happened with Evolution is that, actually, one thing I did mean to say is that if you look at the typical UK-made uPVC window, the frame thickness here, from front to back, is 70 mm or 3 inches in old money.

There’s a very good reason why that’s not the ideal frame thickness to replicate an old timber window. And it’s because it’s not thick enough. Suppose you have a look at the evolution window.

In that case, it is 82 mm thick, which is not quite as thick as a traditional timber window, but thick enough to be able to deliver this, which, if you’ll notice, is strikingly similar to a proper flush casement timber window. It’s got a mullion that sticks out into the room. It has a subtle ovolo detail.

It has timberlook joints, and on the outside, if you look at the frame, not only is it flush, but there’s one without a timber joint and another with a timberlook joint.

So it’s also flush, and in this particular case, it’s also coloured. It has an exceptional finish, which is a little grainy, and that’s called a foil.

It’s a vinyl veneer that’s shrink-wrapped onto the frame, which gives it a slight lift to make it appear more like timber. The flush casement, timber-look joints, and this thicker frame combine to provide literally the poshest PVC window in the UK.

The chap who founded Evolution about 15 odd years ago, Surgit Singh, was a proper mover and shaker. He innovated and created this timber-look window system, which revolutionised the glazing industry and remains unique to this day. No one else fabricates Evolution except for Evolution.

It’s the only company that manufactures its own windows and doors. Many other fabricators don’t retain the design. They are the extruders; they enable others to fabricate their windows. It means that many lower-quality fabricators can produce that design, whereas not with Evolution.

Therefore, it has kept everything under one roof, which has maintained a very high quality. So staggeringly good uPVC windows and doors. They don’t just do a flush casement, they do because some timber windows have lipped casements as well. So, they do this rounded edge, and again, it’s unique to Evolution. No one else does a window like this. However, it still has that 82-mil frame, so you get that lovely mullion detail.

And then in the rest of the 70 mil PVC frame universe, you still get, you know, a much higher quality of uPVC window that looks much more like a timber casement window.

So, here’s Halo’s top-of-the-range double-glazed uPVC window. This one is also foil wrapped. It’s also got timber joints. In this case, it also features some glazing bar detail. It’s coloured. In this case, it’s anthracite grey. And don’t forget, it also features timber-look joints.

However, don’t forget that this is a 70mm frame. So this is the upgrade to the chamfered one I showed you earlier.

However, it still has a flatter mullion inside. Therefore, this doesn’t feature the 82 mm frame like Evolution. And again, I have to stress that there’s nothing wrong with this. This isn’t a moral argument. It’s a question of design and cost. Evolution is one of the more expensive endeavours.

It is one of the more expensive windows in the UPVC industry due to its additional value and uniqueness.

This is a 70 mm frame that has essentially had a timber joint added to it. It’s become flush in its frame design and features a foil wrap, but it’s a lower-cost option than Evolution. So, it’s still a posh window, but it’s not as posh as Evolution.

That’s essentially the story of the PVC industry. You have Smooth White, which is much earlier in its incarnation. Here’s another one, actually. That’s still nearly smooth and white. It’s got just got the foil on it.

So, this has got the foiled finish. So, it’s just as it was, with the addition of this lovely grainy effect on the finish, 40 years ago.

On the other hand, this is also a uPVC window, but notice it has a flush frame, unlike the one with foil. This is a smooth white flush frame with timberlook joints. There is a mixing and matching of the different innovations available. The highest cost occurs when all the innovations are combined in one window, and the lowest price is when none of them are, i.e., that window.

Then there’s every shade of grey in the middle. So you can mix and match. You can cherry-pick which ones you like. However, there’s no doubt; in fact, the Glass and Glazing Federation informed us in a recent presentation that flush frame PVC windows now account for approximately 65% of all window sales in the UK.

In terms of other aspects regarding the look and aesthetic of uPVC windows, you can also get trickle vents. The large majority of properties now require trickle vents on replacement windows due to building regulations.

Trickle vents in flush casement windows can be hidden with this small aluminium hood. You can see there’s the trickle vent on the side, just hidden underneath it. Or they can be bare and in your face, like they used to be in the good old days, as seen in this one here.

With the glass, it doesn’t matter. It’s nothing to do with the window frame. The glass is made completely separately. You can have Georgian bars in various details, like this. So, a very crowded Victorian look with big bay windows. You can have lead squares, which are tight or loose.

You can opt for a more contemporary style glazing bar, such as this one, which features the classic intersection of thirds. More typified by the Arts and Crafts style of the 1930s, such as the windows. Or you can have internal glazing bars.

These were the very first incarnation of glazing bars, and they’re inside the glass, so lovely and easy to clean. However, perhaps it doesn’t look quite as contemporary when they are on the outside.

Or you can have nothing at all, just bare glass. This is actually an aluminium window, but there you go. That’s just glass and nothing else.

So the window and the frame are entirely different. They’re separate, and they’re not made so that they aren’t dependent on one another in the way that.

So for us, we’ve got two brands of UK uPVC windows, as Halo, which are the classics but excellent quality because of the age of the fabricator who’s making them is over 50 years old. A brilliant company with a fabulous service philosophy, they genuinely care about their customers. They offer very high-quality windows and provide a very high level of response in terms of their warranty. The other company is Evolution.

Evolution is a smaller company that operates at the top of the uPVC market, focusing on conservation properties and home improvement projects where customers want timber but either can’t afford it or do not want to undertake the maintenance. But what they want is this fabulous mullion detail and to save money. And that’s what’s really at the centre of Evolution. You know, that’s the centre of their world.

Halo offers a wide range of options, from contemporary casement and traditional sash windows to a vast array of colours and finishes, as well as highly secure locking systems that set them apart from competitors.

If you are interested in choosing Halo or Evolution’s best uPVC windows and doors for your home in Berkshire, Surrey, or Hampshire to create living spaces with light and style, you can request a free quote.