green jobs not green wash

The glass and glasing federation have launched an online petition to introduce a window scrappage scheme n the UK, a bit like the car scrappage scheme. But just like the car scrappage scheme, this is not a good idea. 


We need to invest in boosting green industries, but just like cars, UPVC windows are hardly green. The bit they conveniently forget about is the fact that the UPVC needs a substantial amount of energy to to be manufactured. Plastic, made from oil is not a sustainable product, nor are plastic windows,


They come with a 10 year guarantee, ut soon after that, these maintainance free home improvements start to need maintaining. Rubber seals perish, sealed units blow, and the UPVC becomes pitted. It is estimated that it takes anything from 20 - 100 years to make back the cost of new UPVC windows but you will be lucky if the salesman will stay away that long. "new" develompments in their technology mean they will be back to upgrade your windows as they start to look tired and bits break off.


Wooden windows on the other hand are a great investment - if you have them already they are worth keeping. The great thing about wooden windows if the very fact that they CAN be maintained, They can be refurbished at a much lower price, individual sashes can be replaced, and cords can be fixed. Adding insulation strips makes them less draughty. If you still find them too draughty, secondary glazing is much cheaper, more effective at keeping out the cold and the sound, (because the gap between the two pieces of glass is bigger) and lets you keep the better looking traditional window. If all else fails, you can get wooden windows made with a double glazed unit instead of a single one.


This call for a scrappage scheme is just a greenwash, lets instead give a boost to the wooden window manufacturers - joiners who make window frames that are biodegradable, and last a good 100 years.