Top 5 reasons to choose UPVC Bay Windows for your home.
Bay windows are sometimes referred to as “projection windows” because they extend outwards from the property.
Having a bay window fitted to your home will make a significant change to your property, not only from the outside, in terms of appearance, but also from the inside in terms of extra space and more natural lighting.
For those of you who are looking to buy double glazed windows in the near future, this could be just the perfect time to find out more about Bay windows and see if they are the right choice for you.
Contents:
- What is a Bay window & what are the options for Bay windows design?
- Why buy UPVC Bay windows? – The top 5 reasons.
- How much do UPVC Bay windows cost?
What is a Bay Window?
As we said earlier, a Bay window is a projection window. In other words, if you think of a regular window as “2D” then Bay windows are “3D”.
Bay and Bow windows sometimes get taken for the same thing, but Bow windows give a curved projection and Bay windows are angular. Classic Bay windows will have 3 sides (left, right, front) set square to the property or at an angle.
The sides of the bay can be the window itself or the bay can be part of the actual house construction and the windows fitted into the solid bay area.
The diagram on the right shows how a Bay window projects from the property as seen from above.
Classic Bay Window Designs
What are the options for Bay window designs & features?
2 Sided Oriel Bay Window
There are basically 2 scenarios for Bay window design. First is where the bay is an integral part of the structure of the property, second is where the window is non-structural or free standing.
For a non-structural design, you will need to take into account the fact that the window needs to have a “roof & floor” in order to weatherproof it.
If, on the other hand you are going to create a new bay from scratch, it will involve a decent amount of construction work and obvious extra cost, almost like building a small house extension.
Oriel Bay windows
There is another type of bay known as an Oriel window. Classic Oriel windows are basically those that you will commonly find on upper floors and historically rarely extended down to ground level.
Having said that, designers are starting to use the Oriel style to great effect at low levels in modern homes, especially with the extended use of structural glass to create a new breed of “Glass Box Bay Window” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriel_window).
- Image credit & source: http://www.acarchitects.com/ACACL/Image.aspx?p=15&ix=454&pid=65&prcid=26&ppid=505&pup=true
Appearance & Visual Features
UPVC Bay Window & Porch
As shown earlierin the article, the sides of the bay can be set at 90 degrees to the house or at a less aggressive angle such as 25, 35 or 45 degrees. Softening the angle will also reduce the amount of distance the bay projects outward from the property.
Free standing Bay windows need a “roof’ of some sort to close it off from the outside. Some of the options you can see around the country make use of tiles, slates, shingles, UPVC or even leaded roofing.
In terms of the window style, Casement and Sash designs are both popular, however, there are also a lot of examples of homeowners fitting tilt & turn Bay Windows.
Glazing can range from simple full length plain glass to Georgian bar designs or even leaded glass to add a depth of character.
Why buy UPVC Bay windows? – The top 5 reasons.
If, at this point you are seriously considering buying Bay windows, then you also need to decide what material you want to have them made from. Although you can also go for Aluminium or wooden double glazed bay windows, here are the 5 reasons we think UPVC Bay windows are a great choice.
- Lightness and strength: As a very lightweight material that has good structural integrity, UPVC is perfect for free standing Bay windows. Internal galvanised steel reinforcing to the frames adds extra rigidity and strength.
- Care, Maintenance & lifespan: By now, everybody must know that UPVC is a material that does not degrade like timber or corrode like metal. Similarly, the long lifespan of UPVC is well documented, as is the fact that all you need to do to keep it looking good is to keep it clean.
- Design choice 1: UPVC bay windows come in Casement, Sash, French and even Tilt & Turn versions, and so can suit any type of property.
- Design Choice 2: There are around 20 basic colour options in the market. On top of that you can have timber-grain effect surfaces or choose to have one colour inside and another outside.
- Security: Window openers are fitted with key locking handles and the locks engage on multiple points around the frames. The frames are reinforced with galvanised metal and the glazing is fitted and beaded from the inside.
There is also one other very good bonus reason to choose a UPVC Bay window, and that is value for money.
Compared to a similar sized and styled Aluminium, engineered timber or Hardwood Bay window, a Bay window made from UPVC is consistently less expensive.
Front Door with 2-sided UPVC Bay window
How much do UPVC Bay windows cost?
Arriving at an accurate cost of a free standing Bay window is only going to be possible based on surveying and measuring the site of the installation. In other words, you will need to get a professional around to your home, discuss your design choices, measure it up and get a written quote based on that information.
It’s slightly different where someone is replacing the windows in an existing structural bay, as it is just a matter of replacing the existing window with a new one. The bay is already there and therefore it should not be that much costlier than replacing a “regular window”.
However, to give you some idea of the cost here is a price guide for UPVC Bay windows. You should bear in mind that the prices shown are not really taking into account all the potential extra building work that may be needed in your particular case.
| Approximate size | Frame | Price Guide |
| 8’ x 5’ or 2.5m x 1.5m: 3 panel | uPVC White | £1,200 to £1,500 |
| 10’ x 5’ or 3.0m x 1.5m: 4 panel | uPVC white | £1,400 to £1,700 |
| 13’ x 5’ or 4.0m x 1.5m: 5 panel | uPVC White | £2.000 to £2,500 |
- See our Guide to cheap double glazing here.
More Information About Different Window Designs
Casement Windows
Casement Windows
This type of design is what probably comes to mind when anyone thinks about replacement double glazed windows.
Sash Windows
Sash Windows
The most recognisable aspect of Sash Windows design is the way they open by sliding the windows vertically.
French Windows
French Windows
UPVC French windows and doors provide homeowners with a stylish installation built on traditional charm.
UPVC Window Optional Features
Having your new Bay window look just the way you want it is just a matter of selecting the feature or option that you prefer.
If you want to have traditional sliding sashes, no problem. If you are more inclined to have a classic French window style or even contemporary flush fitting casement windows, then that’s what you can have.
Flush Fitting Casement Windows
There are options to use patterned or opaque glazing and with UPVC frames and there are at least 20 different colours available in the market, including wood-grain or twin colour units.
Selection of UPVC Window Colour Options
Whatever style of window you eventually decide upon you will need to start with arranging some quotations from various sources in order to accurately budget for the work. This is our area of expertise, in that we can arrange for the professionals to come to you, saving you loads of time and trouble searching around for prices in the local directory on on the internet.
Working with a panel of CERTASS & FENSA registered installers that covers the whole of the mailand UK means that we can arrange quotations for you whether you live in the South, North, West or East.
