Are you considering whether to choose aluminium or wooden windows and doors for your new home or renovation? The truth is, you can have the best of both worlds.
According to Cobus Lourens from leading window and door manufacturer, Swartland, an interesting new trend is fast taking hold in the built environment. “Increasingly more people are opting to use aluminium windows and wooden doors in the same build - thereby benefiting equally from the amazing benefits of both materials.”
Cobus offers some insights into how to combine both options…
Choosing aluminium windows
He says that aluminium has become a popular option for windows – not only because of its modern, versatile aesthetic, but also because aluminium comes with a number of benefits, including:
- Strength: Aluminium is a robust material and its natural strength provides security to your home. The fact that it is resistant to corrosion ensures that your windows will never rust, warp, twist or expand.
- Slim profiles: Its natural strength means that aluminium windows can have really slim frames and hold more glass – meaning bigger windows and more glazing. This quality lends more freedom to the design of aluminium windows, and allows the outdoor views to take centre stage instead of the windows themselves.
- Lightweight: Aluminium is a comparatively light material, which makes the operation of aluminium windows – whether you are opening or closing them – a really easy task.
- Easy maintenance: Aluminium is notoriously easy to maintain – it doesn’t require any sanding, sealing or painting – saving you time and money.
- Colour choices: Aluminium windows offer colour versatility so that you can truly customise the look of your home. Swartland’s range of aluminium windows, for example, is available in durable Silver, Bronze, Charcoal and White powder-coated finishes direct from the factory.
Choosing wooden doors
Timber doors have an incomparably rich sense of character and beauty all of their own, says Cobus. “The undeniable visual beauty of timber doors can largely be attributed to their natural wood grain, their often stained appearance, and the heavy, durable feel they offer when they are opened or closed.”
What’s more, he says they have a tendency to make a statement at your front entrance, offering guests a “glimpse of what awaits in your home’s interior spaces”.
He lists the benefits of installing solid timber doors throughout your home:
- Beauty: Solid timber has an innate beauty, thanks to its rich grain and organic texture, making it an element of visual appeal that is unrivalled when compared to other door materials. “Skilfully crafted wooden doors are timeless, making it the first choice for discerning architects, builders and homeowners alike,” says Cobus.
- Timeless appeal: He believes that timbers’ appeal is due to the fact that it doesn’t date, but looks good from the day it is installed and for years to come as a result of the unique patina it develops over time: “Timber continues to be a classic material for doors, standing proud amidst the fleeting trends of other materials that come and go.”
- Eco-friendly choice: As general home improvement trends head towards more eco-friendly solutions, timber remains a great choice, says Cobus. “Timber not only looks good, but it is an excellent insulator, it has an impressively low carbon footprint, it boasts an incredibly long lifespan, and if sourced from a sustainably managed forest, such as all the timber used to make Swartland’s range of doors and windows, it is also a renewable building resource.”
- Added size: Similar to tile trends, large format front doors seem to be bang on trend – increasingly, more designers and architects are choosing timber front doors with added width and height in order to give their designs a more dramatic aesthetic. Also, bigger doors are not only used to make an impactful visual statement, but they also tend to create an illusion of increased interior space.
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