How durable are windows coated with colored film?
We are considering installing Bicolour windows. A colored film is applied to the outside of the plastic windows.
But now I have to ask myself, what is the durability of this method? How will it look in 10, 20 years? Will the film fade or even peel off in some places?
Does anyone know if the films used are any good?
Answers
We felt exactly the same way. We also feel that white on the inside and anthracite on the outside is chic. For common sense reasons, we settled on white. I was talking to someone today who seems to know a lot about it, and he asked me about the color, and when I texted him that we were going to choose white inside and out, he said it was a wise decision. From a purely tasteful point of view, of course, one might disagree.
We also had this consideration. We originally wanted plastic windows that were white on the inside and anthracite gray on the outside. At first, we didn't think the extra cost of about $1,500 was worth it. Besides, we wondered if it wasn't fashionable. White windows are always going away. In the end, a consultant from the window company told us that the dark parts of the window deform when the sun shines on them, because they get very hot. So if you want different color windows, you should choose a solution where the windows have a sheathing (if I understand correctly).
We have white film on the inside and gray on the outside.
We weren't informed about the warp or didn't think about it. Now it is, and we are waiting to see if there is anything special about it.
White plastic: from the 90's, has always gone since then, was modern and new, but not necessarily chic. Modern because it was new. It was good, cheap, practical. And it remains so to this day.
If you were a stickler for quality, you kept your glazed wooden windows or built your house with wooden windows.
This is still true today. White plastic windows are, no offense to anyone, cheap and done!
But modern? They are not modern and chic.
And after 10 years, even if they look outlandish, let's not kid ourselves – either colored and warped or white and outlandish?
Basically, plastic gets brittle over time. That's why they look frayed at some point. Maybe foil helps against brittleness? But I don't think it does.
In the place where I grew up, almost all the windows were wood and painted white.
Exactly 20 years ago, our current house had white PVC windows from Weru. They look pretty dull already. If money isn't an issue, I'd be in favor of wood-aluminum windows anyway.
So there's a lot mixed in here.
1.) Plastic can become brittle due to temperature/UV radiation, but that doesn't mean it always is. Also, the "worn" surface doesn't occur because of embrittlement, but the material is exposed to wind (particles), water, chemicals, etc. etc. And it just wears out. It's the same with metal and wood. Glass and paint are a little less sensitive, but if you look at the windows and paint your 20 year old cars, you will probably find that they are no longer as good as new.
2.) Plastic, glass, and metal have different coefficients of thermal expansion, but it doesn't depend on the color of the window. Dark foil MAY increase the surface temperature, but since plastic is a good insulator, this only occurs in layers close to the surface. Also, plastic gets hotter on the outside than it does on the inside of the house. In addition, those who object to expansion here should pay attention to the difference in the expansion coefficients of glass, plastic and aluminum. If a difference of a few degrees through dark film was a problem, then no window should be tight, and glass should fall out all over the place.
3.) Of course, some plastic windows no longer look like new. But, as mentioned, they have only been standard for 40 years. Metals and wood have been used for centuries. In plastics, development has advanced considerably since the 1970s, while other areas of materials have developed little. In other words: plastic windows from the 80s, even if they are still white, are no match for today's standards.
