SUSTAINABILITY
PVC-U is selected for new-build and refurbishment projects due to its combination of aesthetics, lightness, strength, formability and its long life span requiring minimal maintenance. Sustainability in construction is about development that meets the needs of today, without implicating on the needs of the future. Specifying PVC-U not only provides your project with an environmentally friendly product, it also ensures the product lasts for years.
LIFE CYCLE COSTS
Material costs no longer represent a barrier to the use of cellular PVC and the costs of installation are lower than timber. PVC now represents a significant whole-life cost advantage over timber. Timber must be treated with paint or stains which involve additional labour and material costs. The finished quality and durability can also not be guaranteed. Specifiers wishing to achieve best value for social housing can make a simple calculation about the future maintenance costs of timber when they look at typical refurbishment cycles of 5 – 7 years. PVC on the other hand, has a working life extending into decades, with minimal cosmetic maintenance and greater predictability in its performance.
“GAP believes in development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needsâ€
THE CASE FOR PVC-U
The UK construction industry, both new-build and refurbishment, has for many years faced an ever increasing demand for environmentally friendly products that are affordable yet sustainable. PVC-U is one of the most popular choices in the UK today with an overwhelming 85% of buildings benefiting in some form from this cost effective, highly durable, environmentally friendly, safe, secure and robust product.
Roofline in particular, which was once dominated by timber, has been one of the many aspects of construction that has come to truly appreciate and realise the benefits of specifying and fitting PVC-U. Whilst installation costs maybe comparable, it is now
widely recognised that the maintenance burden and the technical performance of timber is no longer acceptable when compared with PVC-U.
