Window Recommendations Sought

Try, Dragan Keresevic at American Homes in Bayswater. He is there US imported products person. They sell Weathershield windows (large range of styles). I have replaced our 1960's BV house windows with these. Very nice units.

Aluminium sort of defeats the purpose of double glazing, unless they are thermally broken....

www.americanhomes.com.au

These guys do excellent windows, but they are never cheap.

http://www.paarhammer.com.au/

If you get a chance, have a good look at a window from the northern hemisphere and then compare to the local offerings. Pay special attention to the 'break', the weatherseals, and the glass thermal ratings. Use this new knowledge to select the best of the local windows (or cave in and buy the imported ones, $$$ )

Make sure you investigate low-e glass for your windows, including the double glazed units.

Personally, I neither like the look of PVC windows, not trust that they really are UV stable. There's a lot of them sold overseas though...

Good luck.

woodbe.

Thanks for the responses.

We are primarily looking at double glazing for improved acoustic insulation, with the thermal insulation an added benefit (hence why we are looking at double glazing as opposed to laminated). Having said this, none of the units available in Aus seem to be geared towards acoustic insulation (larger gap between glass is normally needed for optimal noise reduction), but we would look at having the windows glazed with varying thickness glass (4mm and 6mm), which apparently helps acoustically.
Anyway, I think whatever we install will be huge improvement over our current timber windows, which have plenty of gaps.
The Rylock aluminium range are apparently thermally broken.
Now to check out some of these other manufacturers

Cheers,
Jonty

Try AL Windows. They supply alot of project builders, and were the best price by far for us...

Originally Posted by chuth77

Try AL Windows. They supply alot of project builders, and were the best price by far for us...

A & L use a thinner profile frame than companies like Rylock and Trend, so one can either use 3mm glass, and get a 10mm gap between paynes, or go up in glass thickness and reduce the gap size - neither of these scenarios are ideal for noise or thermal efficiency.

Their Quantam range probably has thicker frames - may need to look at these.

However, our builder has had bad experience with A & L in the past, and has warned against them - but that may have been one bad experience...

How about Precendence windows and doors. They carry Marvin windows from the states. Made them for 18 years before I moved here. They can be pricey, but nice looking with good quality.

I had a couple of dodgy A&L windows & sliding door replaced by Stegbar earlier this year. If only I could afford to have them all replaced

for Stegbar. Outstanding fit and finish and the guys (my guys were called Garth and Zolton from memory) were fabulous. Neat, quiet and ON TIME!!!

If I ever win the lotto I will be calling them up in a second

ETA: I am NE Melbourne metro but they are out in Bayswater I think.

Originally Posted by JontyG

Thanks for the responses.

We are primarily looking at double glazing for improved acoustic insulation, with the thermal insulation an added benefit (hence why we are looking at double glazing as opposed to laminated). Having said this, none of the units available in Aus seem to be geared towards acoustic insulation (larger gap between glass is normally needed for optimal noise reduction), but we would look at having the windows glazed with varying thickness glass (4mm and 6mm), which apparently helps acoustically.
Anyway, I think whatever we install will be huge improvement over our current timber windows, which have plenty of gaps.
The Rylock aluminium range are apparently thermally broken.
Now to check out some of these other manufacturers

Cheers,
Jonty

I think you`ve got it the wrong way round double glazing best for thermal not acoustic,the best product for acuostic is a viridian product called VLam Hush
here is link to read more about it.

http://www.viridianglass.com/Products/vlam-hush

have used it before on a project in very close procimety to a train line and worked a treat (with other measures of course)
anyway best of luck!