Did you know that 40% of your home's heat is lost through windows? It is true, and all you can do is invest in quality materials in attempt to bring this number as close to zero as possible. We have already talked about the criteria that your doors and windows must have for maximum efficiency in another article, and today we will present a very objective comparison about the three main types of joinerry: PVC, aluminum and wood. All the products that exist on the market have both advantages and disadvantages, and we are here to expose all of them to you, our intention being to help you make the best decision for your needs. A kind of online counseling accessible to all of you and in accordance with the rules of social distancing which we respect, so we invite you to follow the information below in order to be one step closer to a well thought out and documented choice. Let's begin! The most used material in terms of joinery is PVC and for this reason we decided to start by presenting the advantages of this material first. **1. Reduced price** PVC is the cheapest material we will present today. The main benefit of this feature is that PVC joinery is accessible to the majority of the population. Thus, if you do not have an extraordinarily large budget, choose PVC joinery profiles and be sure that they will give you a very good value for money over time. **2. Efficient sound and thermal insulation** Studies have shown that PVC joinery has very good thermal and sound insulation coefficients, even better than aluminum. This greatly increases the comfort of a room and leads in time to energy savings. **4. Weather resistance** PVC is a material that offers good resistance to environmental factors compared to the price it has. From this point of view it is more resistant than wood which is very sensitive to rain, snow and catches fire very quickly. **5. Easy maintenance** Among the advantages of PVC profiles, a very important role is played by the extremely easy maintenance they need. Basically a sanitization with soap and water a few times a year is enough to maintain the appearance and efficiency from the beginning. Compared to wood that requires special maintenance and periodic repainting techniques, PVC saves considerable time in this regard. **6. Possibility of recycling** PVC joinery is based on an artificial plastic material, containing over 50% polyvinyl chloride, which makes the profiles made of this material to be 100% recyclable. This way you can also help reduce pollution by excessive and disorganized dumping. As already mentioned above, we want to present you a very objective description of all the characteristics for the materials from which the most used carpentry profiles are made, therefore we will further present the disadvantages of using PVC joinery. **1. Low resistance to sunlight** Being a material based on polyvinyl chloride, the sun's rays that fall directly on the profile will automatically make their mark after a long exposure. Thus, the PVC profiles can bend and problems can occur at the joints due to prolonged exposure to the heat given by the sun's rays. **2. They are limited in size** As a consequence of the low resistance to the action of the sun, the condition arises that PVC profiles cannot be used at optimal capacity for large doors and windows precisely because they can bend over time and defects can occur. So if your plan is to make a generous glazed space, our advice is to avoid PVC and go with confidence on the variant of aluminum profiles equipped with carbon fiber inside. **3. Quite a small range of color variations and textures** Currently the market is less developed when it comes to the aesthetic part of PVC profiles. The color and texture options are much smaller compared to the other materials from which the carpentry is made. As for aluminum joinery, the industry is constantly evolving, and it is gaining more and more ground. The advantages of aluminum profiles are represented by: **1. Exceptional durability** The joinery with aluminum profiles has an absolutely fabulous resistance in time, keeping its optimal functions for up to 50 years. It is by far the longest durability a product in this niche can have. So if you want to change the joinery from a busy space such as an office building or a commercial space, aluminum profiles would be ideal for you due to their remarkable lifespan. **2. They are not limited by certain sizes** Due to the fact that the raw material is metallic, aluminum profiles do not deform to the direct action of sunlight which will allow you to customize your doors and windows according to the shapes and sizes you dream of, without being limited by standard sizes. Aluminum joinery has maximum efficiency regardless of size or shape. **3. Effective sound insulation** When combined with a suitable glass, aluminum profiles an excellent sound insulation thus creating an intimate and quiet space as you wish. **4. Very easy maintenance** Like PVC, aluminum joinery does not need special maintenance to ensure its efficiency and to maintain its impeccable appearance. Simply sanitizing with soap and water a few times a year is enough to refresh your windows. **5. Wide range of colors** In terms of design, the aesthetic part of aluminum joinery is much more evolved than PVC. Profiles of this kind therefore come in a multitude of variants from which you can choose for the whole style you want. **6. Low weight** Aluminum is a light metal, therefore another important advantage of the carpentry that uses it as a base is the extremely low mass. Thus, it is useful in spaces with heavy traffic and at the doors of children's rooms because they will be able to maneuver them easily. The disadvantages of windows and doors with aluminum profiles are: **1. High cost and poor thermal insulation** Because aluminum is a metal, this means that it has a high heat transfer index, which leads to another disadvantage, namely poor thermal insulation. Of course, this aspect can be repaired by using a carbon fiber inside the profile which is very expensive and that will greatly increase the final costs. **2. Condensation** If the carbon fiber does not exist, condensation will occur in the inner chambers of the profile due to poor thermal insulation. This phenomenon leads to the degradation of the joinery over time. Although we have already established that aluminum has the best resistance over time, when you think of a joinery that has the marks of time on it, you will surely see in your mind the massive, imposing doors and windows made of wood. Why? Because wood gives the specific look of a classic, of a return to origins that no other material can offer. Among the advantages of wooden joinery are: **1. Very good thermal and sound insulation** Unlike aluminum, wood does not need additional changes to be a good thermal and sound insulator. The efficiency of wood in this field has been brilliantly supported in construction throughout history, and joinery in this material is no exception. The wood isolates very well thermally and soundly. **2. Good endurance over time** When we look at buildings and historical monuments we can see the living proof of the strength of wood over time. Even if it does not rise to the durability of aluminum, wood far exceeds PVC and can reach 30 years of perfect operation in optimal maintenance conditions. **3. Appearance** As we have already pointed out above, wood does have a special appearance. It gives warmth to a room and transforms any house into a welcoming space. It offers the classic, elegant and traditional look of the tumultuous times in which we live. Choose wood if you want to add a touch of elegance and if you want to make your home a welcoming, warm and quiet space. **4. It offers new possibilities** Even if it seems to take us back in history, wood offers new technologies that are very efficient in terms of isolation and durability. These technologies take into account the new combinations that are made between wood and aluminum, thus creating high-quality joinery that combines the energy efficiency of wood with the durability of aluminum. Disadvantages: **1. High costs** Comparing with the price of PVC joinery, wood is much more expensive as it requires special solutions and oils for preparation and greater durability. Therefore, wood is not accessible to the general population due to its high price, and if you have a limited budget in terms of joinery, it is better for you to choose some quality PVC profiles. **2. Low weather resistance** Being a natural material, wood degrades over time especially due to weathering. Studies have shown that humidity resistance is the most problematic in wood joinery, they can degrade very quickly if not properly maintained. Also, don't forget that wood burns, so if you want to arrange a space where you will work with fire, it would be better to opt for another type of carpentry. **3. Requires more laborious maintenance** As we said before, wood is very sensitive to the action of the weather and therefore requires special treatments in order to stay in its original appearance and efficiency. If the PVC or aluminum profiles all you have to do for maintenance are a few common sanitizations with soap and water in a year, the wood needs, in addition to proper sanitation, repainting and treatment with special oils once every 7 years. Therefore, our dear friend, we hope you enjoyed this counseling session and we hope that you have reached a beneficial conclusion for your needs. Don't forget that joinerry, regardless of the material it is made of, is a long-term investment in your house and that is why, please, be moderate. Analyze, think and ask for as much information as possible until you make the right choice for what you want. If you still have questions, we are waiting for you to ask them, and we will help you make the best decision. If you have decided, we are waiting for you to present our offers and to bring the carpentry you dream ofin your home. Ax chassis Portes et fenetres Vers ton univers interieur