 uPVC profiles are offered in Australia in a vast range of colour schemes including plain coloured profiles, or laminated matt, gloss or metallic colours and different woodgrains to suit all types of architectural styles. Quality uPVC profiles will keep their colour even under exposure to extreme temperature or weathering. To provide greater confidence to consumers about the durability of light coloured uPVC window profiles under Australian climatic conditions, the uPVC Windows Alliance has developed an Industry Code of Practice with stringent testing requirements for weather resistance and colour retention of the profile.
Foils, or laminates, are multi-layered films adhered to the uPVC profile to provide a greater choice of colours and wood-like finishes. The foils are usually applied by a heat bonding process or by a hot melt reactive polyurethane glue applied to the foil, which bonds the foil to the uPVC creating a practically unbreakable finish. As uPVC windows are a very popular window choice in the US and Europe, there is a wide variety of colour foils available in the market. However, if selecting your uPVC windows here in Australia, it is important that foils have been formulated for harsh tropical and subtropical climates such as experienced in Australia. In our high UV climate, the foil used needs to have the ability to decrease heat build-up so that it doesn’t delaminate or discolour, even under exposure to intense UV radiation. Foils have been designed specifically for climates like Australia’s and these can be expected to retain their gloss throughout their service life. However, some foils are formulated for use only in moderate climate zones such as northern Europe, where less UV resistance is required. This means that if used in Australia’s harsher climate, the lifetime is likely to be much shorter. When selecting your uPVC window colour, check if they are foiled and ask for evidence the foils are very high UV resistant.
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