PVC-Fenster, PVC-Dachrinnen, PVC-Unterkonstruktionen, sogar PVC-Türen. Man merkt es wirklich, wenn man ins Ausland geht und zurückkommt. In Ländern wie Deutschland und Frankreich gibt es Regeln, die die Verwendung von Kunststoff an der Außenseite von Gebäuden einschränken. Aber in Irland ist das Zeug überall. Schade, denn es ist hässlich und altert furchtbar.
Die offensichtliche Erklärung ist, dass wir es verwenden, weil es billiger und in Ordnung, fair genug ist. Das Merkwürdige ist, dass wir im Allgemeinen auf Betonkonstruktionen bestehen, die vergleichsweise teuer sind, dann aber die billigsten verfügbaren Oberflächen verwenden. Sie werden PVC sogar an Häusern mit kompliziertem Steinmauerwerk sehen, bei denen die Kosten eindeutig weniger eine Rolle spielten.
https://i.redd.it/931so9e54zqg1.jpeg
Von D-dog92
30 Kommentare
I dont see PVC cills been used? maybe a new thing
What is the alternative?
Aluminium up-pipes, aluminium down-pipes, aluminium floors, aluminium doors
Pvc windows are cheap? Lol they are not.
Doesnt have to be white but costs more.
A lot better than wood that needs constant care over the years and doubt it can be energy efficient as pvc
Literally a first world problem.
Everywhere does something in my experience. France for example is very fond of white aluminium roller shutters that would give a lot of conservative architectural types design migraines.
ya won’t get a deposit return on that!
It’s a durable material that does not take much maintenance, perfectly fitting for a country that has one of the best climates in the world to rot and corrode most materials quickly-enough.
I painted the PVC on my husbands business. See https://tuskdental.ie
It’s very easy. We had a same white ones
I can see the appeal of uPVC windows… or perhaps of *some* uPVC windows. On modern houses they make some sense while not being aesthetically that unappealing. Given their long lifespan they seem somewhat less wasteful.
I hate to see them on older buildings, particularly replacing beautiful original sash windows which, while maybe a little draughty, could have easily been restored for the price of a few uPVC one… but not because people want new and clean.
I love that PVC offers a cheap low maintenance option because I couldn’t afford aluminium windows & I don’t want the hassle of constantly treating timber ones.
If we had a healthy housing market & cost of living was ok then I might have been able to afford better.
Ok. Thanks for letting us know.
First world problems.
Despite the aesthetics this stuff is functionally sound for our weather.
Can’t have it all.
Would you prefer the old style cast iron gutters and timber fascia and soffit?
The cast stuff was great for taking the head off ya in a storm.
Timber fascia and soffit requires regular painting to prevent it from rotting away – do you like climbing ladders to paint timber 5meters in the air?
If pvc windows are cheap then you’ll really love paying for hardwood windows – that require maintenance and are typically less secure too.
Ah look, it all matches broadly, maybe switch up the color of the paint or the door to liven it up. I am grateful my gaf has black pvc. Just looks sharper all round. But switching all that out for another color would be a waste of time and money. Also changing the blinds etc. You can style it to make it more pleasing.
The problem with this country, and yes it is quite specific to this country with our long warmish damp winters (and summers) is that wood rots very quickly. Wooden windows and fascias need constant maintenance and even at that their lifespan is relatively short
In the old days we used pitch pine which is resistant to our weather but that’s not as widely available as it was. We tried teak in the 70s and 80s but even though it’s a tropical hardwood it rotted fairly quickly in the Irish damp. Steel and aluminium windows worked but they were cold so when PVC came around it was embraced by Irish homeowners.
Yes it looks shit but that wasn’t that important when it was relatively maintenance free, long lasting, easy to clean and kept the draughts out. We have no real protection for, or appreciation of, built heritage in this country so there was no incentive to replace sash windows with like for like which (along with the use of cementitious render) is why so many of our old buildings look characterless.
I have wooden windows and they are holding up well. The hardware they used is absolute trash. So I’m replacing the handles, seals and hinges.
Plastic gets a lot of hate, but the biggest issues with plastic usage is for everyday disposal stuff like packaging and carrier bags, or for items which won’t last a long time or won’t be used for a long time. PVC is a perfect material for stuff like this, it is durable and lasts atleast a few decades, and it can also be recycled.
Most of the alternatives aren’t as durable or have other issues.
Is it really okay to take a photo of someone’s house to have it rinsed on the internet?
It’s less the material, and more the finish in my opinion. Paint the yellow part of the house in the OP some form of white, then change the window drones to a matt black, and it would look far better I reckon. Maybe leave the pipe white to blend in.
We get green slime growing on everything here without a biocide in it.
PVC is very easy to power wash to get the green slime off. It’s the ideal material choice for the Irish climate which is why high quality builds also use it.
If what you’re really complaining about is so few Irish households regularly clean their PVC … On that you have a point.
If you had more timber facades they’d all need to be pressure treated AND painted regularly with a biocide containing paint. It’s a lot more expensive and hassle and while it makes more sense in dry places like Germany, it is not the right call for Ireland.
I guess when you own a house you work outward, outside exterior i’d imagine is the last thing people get around to if at all
Ages terribly? PVC lasts decades.. you could get your doors and windows done and you would likely not need to do them again in your lifetime.
I think the problem is more so the white PVC and that brown used for all the doors.
Bizarre to see this photo it’s exactly like the house I lived in before immigrating with my family when I was 13 or so. Like as if someone uploaded a private personal family photo album up on here. You don’t see domestic architecture like this at all where we moved to but most jarring is knowing that there’s exact replicas of that house all down that same street and in housing estates all across the country. So totally normal and doesn’t wig me out when I come home for visits, but is totally freaking me out now. I couldn’t even begin to guess where my current neighbour’s toilet is but I see this photo and can start figuring out where I’ll set up my furniture 💀
Take into account that building a house in Germany and France is awfully expensive.
How is it strange that we go expensive on one thing and then cheap on another. Makes perfect sense to me. More sense that going cheap/cheap or expensive/expensive.
At least looking at that house there will be plenty daylight inside which is more important than what others think of the outside, any that want an alternative have the option to pay for it.
As far as I can tell, PVC windows are the norm for modern windows in most of Europe especially in Germany. Whether more buildings have aluminium or wood probably has a lot to do with the age of the buildings.
are you up for replacing those items when the wooden equivalents rot away?