When installing or renovating a patio door, PVC deserves your full attention. If this material offers the best value for money on the market (60% of buyers choose it), it is because it has advantages! Solid, insulating, durable, PVC is now able to compete aesthetically with the most designer materials. Overview of its many qualities…
1 – Acoustics and thermal: PVC is a super insulator
This material is a reference in terms of insulation. Which is significant for a French window, which is supposed to promote brightness without altering the insulation of the house. Note also that PVC is efficient for both thermal and sound insulation. Indeed, polyvinyl chloride has a low natural conductivity, which makes it capable of very high insulation and good airtightness.
High quality thermal insulation
In terms of thermal insulation, a double-glazed PVC patio door is as efficient as wood and 25% more efficient than aluminium. Its thermal coefficient is optimal: it ranges from 1.1 W/m² K to 1.4 W/m² K. In triple glazing, PVC patio doors transform a dwelling into a passive house, obtaining the PASSIV-HAUSS label. PVC stops heat loss, significantly improving thermal comfort. Summer, like winter. Remember that, when it is cold, the door frames allow a fifth of the heat lost to pass through! A waste that is easy to avoid with a PVC patio door.
Excellent sound insulation
With a good seal and double or even triple glazing, a PVC patio door ensures excellent soundproofing. Outside noises…stay outside. Compared to aluminum, the sound insulation of PVC is 1 dB higher.
2 – PVC: a durable and easy-care material
PVC does not deteriorate, and this is not the least of its qualities. To give it a facelift, just wipe it with a damp or slightly soapy sponge. This will be enough to rid your PVC patio door of dust and stains. The secret of this unalterable material that seems to resist the test of time?
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- PVC is totally devoid of electrostatics: it does not retain dust and soiling.
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- It supports most of the shocks.
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- A stripe ? All it takes is sanding and buffing for it to disappear.
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- rot-proofit is not afraid of the sun’s rays, nor the heat, nor the cold, nor the humidity…
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- PVC is resistant to corrosion. By the sea, the salt does not cause any damage to it.
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- PVC won’t warp or fade or anything.
In summary: no maintenance required for a PVC patio door, except for a wipe down from time to time. You can count on a longevity of at least 40 years in good condition!
3 – Aesthetics? Customizable, Varied, Colorful!
PVC has a big advantage: its appearance can be combined in all kinds of styles, which gives you a wide choice to harmonize it according to your tastes and the aesthetics of the house. The range of standard shapes is already wide; but if you go to made-to-measure, it is almost infinite.
Various colors and styles
The white PVC from blanc, it’s over. Nowadays, this material is available in multiples colors and shades. How to choose the style that suits your home. A PVC patio door can end up looking like an aluminum frame, the queen of elegance. PVC finishes can also imitate wood, bringing the same natural and warm atmosphere… for much less! In addition to the finish (wood, aluminum, lacquer, etc.), you also choose the color(s), depending on the interior decoration or the exterior environment.
Custom shapes and lines
As it is an easy material to work with, PVC allows you to choose the type of opening for your patio door. Casement, bellows, tilt-and-turn or sliding windows, with addition of transom, sill, etc. If you want to get out of standard formats, with PVC, it’s quite simple. In terms of aesthetics, the thinness of the profiles gives the PVC patio door greater light. The thinner the lines, the more natural light your home gains! And let’s not talk about the options that give a personal character to a PVC patio door, such as integrated roller shutters, handles, etc. Finally, note that a PVC opening is not necessarily rectangular. You can play the Hobbits with a round French window, or prefer a half-moon or triangular opening… It’s all a matter of imagination!
4 – A solid, burglar-resistant patio door
It’s not quite a detail! PVC may be a light material, but it is nonetheless extremely strong. A PVC frame is robust! Fitted with laminated glass, your PVC patio door offers real burglary protection.
5 – Eco-friendly, PVC is 100% recyclable
If you are sensitive to the environmental impact of your choice of materials, it is good to know that PVC is no more polluting than wood or aluminium. Does that seem paradoxical to you? It is that this material is entirely recyclableand itself made from elements recycled. A PVC patio door profile contains at least 30% recycled raw material, resulting from the recovery of old windows at the end of their life.
In 2018, France recycled more than 100,000 tons of PVC! Your PVC patio door thus enters into an economy circular and virtuous. In addition, nearly 90% of PVC patio doors on the French market are manufactured in the territory. national. This greatly limits the carbon footprint of its transport. When it has been specified that PVC requires little energy to extrude, you end up thinking that it is one of the most environmentally friendly building materials.
6 – New or old? PVC fits.
A PVC French window is not to be reserved for new construction. Thanks to its adaptability, it is a very good choice in the context of a renovation. For example, it is very simple to place a PVC frame on the frame of an old wooden window. PVC is easily integrated and does not require any additional work. Appreciable, right? As for the style of a PVC patio door, we understand that it can suit all kinds of architecture, from the most traditional to the most contemporary.
7 – Very affordable prices!
When we consider all these qualities, we can be surprised at the low cost of a PVC patio door. But this is what largely explains its success, both in new construction and in renovation. At equal performance, PVC is still the least expensive material. In standard format, a PVC patio door costs only a hundred euros (count one hundred euros more for the installation). Of course, if you order tailor-made and go upmarket, the price can soar (up to 1000 euros).
By choosing PVC as a patio door material, you save three times: on purchase, on installation and on the energy bill.
Without forgetting the possible aid in the context of the energy transition:
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- The PVC entitles you to reduced VAT at 5.5% or 10%;
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- The energy transition tax credit allows you to reduce costs by 30% (excluding labour);
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- You can obtain the eco-PTZ, a zero-interest eco-loan, to finance your renovation.
To complete your information, it should be noted that this material has some limitations.
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- For some, it will look aesthetic. Despite the undeniable progress made in recent years in terms of design, a PVC patio door will never have the authenticity of wood. In the old, some owners are reluctant to use it.
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- In your municipality, the PLU (local urban plan) perhaps prohibits the use of PVC for the renovation of buildings located in a protected setting? Find out.
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- Made-to-measure, PVC is not suitable for big ones glass surfaces, especially when they exceed six square meters.