The Rise of Aluminium
In the first half of the twentieth century, aluminium was still seen as an expensive, rare metal in the construction world. That is, until the famous Empire State Building was built using aluminium for the building’s structure and forming a large part of its interior. This set a trend of using aluminium to construct a host of impressive high-rise buildings, skyscrapers and bridges. Nowadays, we regularly see aluminium used in windows, heating and air conditioning systems, roofs and general household appliances.
From our experience using aluminium in windows and window fittings, we have come to rely upon it over other traditional materials used in the window fitting industry. Here’s what we attribute to the rise of aluminium in the construction and manufacturing sectors:
Durability
Aluminium is a very strong metal that can withstand all sorts of weather and potentially corrosive conditions without succumbing to much damage or wear. It has a minimum life span of 80 years, and throughout this period it can hold strong in both Arctic and blazing hot temperatures. It is no surprise that construction workers and architects love using aluminium when building structures that need to stand the test of time! The Heritage Window Company can provide you with strong, durable windows that can achieve just that.
Aesthetic Quality
In addition to its strength, aluminium is extremely light-weight and malleable. This means that construction workers, manufacturers and craftsmen can mould this metal into nearly any desired shape or structure. The weight of any aluminium structure is around half the weight of a stainless-steel structure built with the same dimensions, meaning it is much easier to create your envisioned structure. For example, conservationists and architects working on a conservation project strive to maintain the original aesthetic of the historical building as much as possible – being able to create aluminium windows that are malleable enough to fit into original timber frames is a huge benefit to this industry.
Environmentally-Friendly
The aluminium that we use at The Heritage Window Company is surface-mined from bauxite, which is a very useful, recyclable metal. Metals such as this have become more and more popular in the construction and manufacturing sectors, as we have become more aware of our carbon footprint. Aluminium is also a highly effective conductor of heat, meaning that aluminium is the ideal metal for producing brilliant energy-efficient windows, car radiators and other heating devices.
In our eyes, aluminium is the perfect metal for use in construction and more specifically, in the window fitting industry. Aluminium is a durable, light-weight and environmentally- friendly alternative to materials such as steel, and its use in all sorts of construction projects is only set to rise over the coming years.