'Plastic window frames are the most economical choice'

TCO report window frames confirms

When choosing the right facade frames, in addition to design, material and technical properties, total operating costs now also play an essential role. "In the professional market, the feeling has long prevailed that plastic window frames are more economical than aluminum or wood, when looking at the total lifetime and maintenance," knows Albert Zegelaar, director of VKG. "As the trade association for suppliers and manufacturers of plastic window frames, we can only confirm this, but hard figures were lacking. The research TCO window frames conducted on our initiative changes this and shows remarkable differences that we believe are of great value to architects and clients."

The most important conclusion from the TCO report window frames is that plastic window frames are certainly the most economical choice over a longer period of time. "For example, savings between 50 and 60% are possible! For example, when you add up the average purchase and maintenance costs of an average home over a 25-year period, a savings of €17,225 is already possible compared to Meranti wood. Whereas the purchase cost is "only" 15% different, the difference in the maintenance phase runs as high as 80%! This, of course, has everything to do with the fact that you don't need to paint and sand plastic, but an annual cleaning and a drizzle of oil on the hardware will suffice. With emerging wood species such as Accoya and Finti, although the difference is less, it is still there." Comparing the purchase of plastic window frames to aluminum, aluminum window frames 27% are more expensive, while maintenance costs are nearly the same with plastic and aluminum.

A good choice begins with understanding...

The main purpose of the TCO report window frames is to provide housing associations, architects, contractors and other stakeholders with insight into the cost of purchasing and maintaining various window frame materials, based on new construction projects. "We set up our research with great integrity, broadly based and thoroughly substantiated, with the help of construction economic consultancy
agency IGG Bouweconomie and innovation center Ingenii Bouwinnovatie," says Zegelaar. "In short, together with these independent parties, we looked at the purchase and lifetime costs of wooden, aluminum and plastic exterior wall frames over a period of 25, 50 and 75 years. The calculations were made for the most common house and frame types within the Dutch construction methodologies, based on the RVO report 'Example houses 2022 (terraced houses, semi-detached houses, detached houses, flats/gallery houses and apartments) and based on the maintenance requirements and maintenance frequency of the various market parties. All findings were clustered, substantiated and verified in clear tables."

Expertise, knowledge and databases

Of course, companies charge different rates for their window frames as well as their maintenance, Zegelaar knows. "That is why we lean on the expertise, knowledge and databases of IGG Bouweconomie for the purchase costs. The reference date for this is November 1, 2023. For maintenance, just like the PCR from the National Environmental Database (2020), a life span of 75 years was assumed for all frame materials." However, the frequency of maintenance required varies by material. "These differences have been taken into account when preparing the TCO. Each type of window frame requires specific periodic work to ensure quality. Our report assumes the required technical maintenance, separate from annual cleaning and lubricating hardware. In fact, these tasks are the responsibility of the occupant/user. The sources used to determine maintenance requirements and frequency of maintenance are industry associations and leading players in that specific industry. IGG Construction Economics has linked the appropriate (average) costs to these." The complete justification can be found in the original version of the report.

A cost-effective and sustainable choice

"Architects are often judged by cost in their designs," Zegelaar knows. "By opting for plastic window frames, they can strike a significant blow. This is because the budget they save as a result can be spent on other design choices." Importantly, moreover, plastic window frames meet all aesthetic requirements and are a very durable choice. Not only when you consider longevity and maintenance, but also when it comes to the value of the material. "Our members have conformed to the VKG Recycling System, which is committed to a closed raw material chain. To make this possible, all end-of-life window frames are actively collected by us, recycled and returned to the chain at an equivalent level. During the VKG Architecture Prize 2023, winners Heren 5 and DOOR architecten aptly demonstrated how sustainable plastic window frames can become part of the architecture of today and tomorrow."