If you feel like your home needs an external makeover, the fact that the start of spring is just over a month away makes now a great time to start making plans.

Among the options to improve the connection between the interior and the exterior is the installation of aluminium French doors. These offer some great attributes:

·       They combine the functions of doors and windows, enabling you to have a clear view in or out when closed

·       They offer easy access to the outdoors on a nice sunny day

·       The use of aluminium adds endurance and a modern touch to a style that has stood the test of time

French doors may have been popular for a long time because of this versatility and aesthetic quality, but an examination of their history brings a curious discovery: They are not actually French.

Where Did French Doors Really Originate?

In fact, the idea began in Italy during the Renaissance period of the 16^th century, where they offered lots of light for buildings and easy access to balconies.

However, this was also the time of the Italian Wars, which saw the French and Spanish armies fighting over the various Italian states (which were not unified into one country until the 1870s). One of the spoils of war was the introduction to France of these novel windows.

Thereafter, the misnomer took root and so we have the misleading term to this day.

However, just as French fries don’t taste any different just because they aren’t French, neither does this make these doors any less of a stylish addition to your home.

Indeed, they offer some great advantages over the alternative windows you could have. For example, unlike sliding patio doors, they do not leave some part of the frame in the way at all times, so there is a clearer view outside.

French or not, a set of these doors could be a great addition to your home.

If you want to get more natural light into your home, there are various ways of doing it. Larger windows, skylights and flat glass roof lights are among the ways you can do it.

The use of roof lanterns to provide extra light might not be the first thing you consider, but these products, while less familiar than things like skylights, can offer some great solutions to your desire to get more natural light streaming into your home.

Specific advantages of them include:

·       The offer an attractive focal point

·       Their angles allow more sunlight in

·       Their size can vary according to roof space and other requirements

·       They are insulated and energy-efficient

·       They can increase the value of a property

Lanterns can also be a bit more flexible than some products, as they do not require a flat roof, unlike a flat glass roof light, while they can even be fitted onto roofs with a few awkward and unusual angles, so they can suit a house with an unconventional shape.

Why Are Aluminium Frames On Roof Lanterns An Advantage?

Being made with lightweight aluminium frames, they are not chunky around the edges and this allows more light in than if materials like PVC were used, as well as helping them last longer and be more durable against weathering over the years.

The material used can make a significant difference. In recent years, it has been argued that the use of PVC in glass-dominated structures around the homes, such as conservatories, has actually lowered house values as they can soon look tacky and dated.

Instead, with classy aluminium and that all-important benefit of greater energy efficiency, roof lanterns offer a superb addition to the house that is invaluable throughout the year, helping to let loads of natural light in during summer days, while helping keep it insulated in the cold days of winter.

A growing number of homes are using aluminium doors, either for the back door leading to a garden, conservatory or veranda, but increasingly for front doors and around the house.

The main reasons why they are so popular are a mix of practical and aesthetic; the thin and lightweight yet highly secure and durable aluminium material is perfect for secure exterior doors, whilst the increased amount of glazing they enable allows for ideal daylighting potential.

Despite this, there are some myths, misconceptions and antiquated assumptions about aluminium that it is important to address. Here are three of the biggest, and what the truth really is about them.

Aluminium Frames Are Aesthetically Versatile

Aluminium as a construction material originated in more commercial and industrial builds, and because of this, early versions had a bit of an industrial aesthetic.

This is not true anymore for a few reasons, not least of which being that industrial design is massively popular these days in the wake of the rise of design movements such as shipping container homes.

Beyond the fact that industrial design is having a moment, aluminium is minimalist, sleek and available in a range of colours and finishes, many of which help to reduce any semblance of its industrial roots.

Aluminium Doors Provide Fantastic Insulation

In the past, aluminium doors were considered to lead to draughts and heat loss, but that was primarily a case of blaming the frame for what the window was causing.

Advances in double glazing mean that aluminium frames can sometimes be better for insulation than other options, particularly in the long term.

Aluminium Doors Are Highly Secure

Looks can be deceiving, particularly when it comes to glass and lightweight frames, but our frames and glass are strong, integral blinds can help to provide privacy and feature multi-point locking mechanisms which are rated up to EN 1627 Resistance Class 2.

If you are looking to install new windows in your home this summer, there are priorities that might be easily overlooked amid the summer heat. In particular, it may be very easy to ignore the importance of good insulation.

This is one good reason for fitting aluminium windows, as they can be combined with a wide range of insulating measures to help keep the heat in on a cold day.

For those who already have aluminium frames but no insulation, various DIY measures can achieve this effect. They include fitting rubber strips, adding spray foam insulation and applying window frame sealant.

However, there is no point in getting aluminium-framed windows fitted without insulation and then doing a DIY job on them. Instead, you can have the insulation built into them from the outset, ensuring that as soon as they are in place, they can keep your home warm.

A reason some may not think of insulation as being so important is the need to try to keep the home cool during the hot summer weather, something many would suggest needs to be more of a priority as the climate gets warmer.

However, that approach falls foul of a problem that homes in hotter countries face in reverse, Australia being a prime example.

Homes down under are designed to handle the heat, which means they are better at staying cool in their hotter summers than British homes. That means even though our temperatures in summer are generally colder, we will feel hotter inside.

However, the other side of that coin is that Australian homes are not well insulated against colder weather, which means they are some of the least well-equipped for dealing with cold weather.

One article noted that even a Canadian, coming from a country with some bitterly cold winters but homes equipped to handle them, had never felt colder indoors than in the Australian winter.

Given that our winter days are still significantly colder than those in Australia, there is no good reason to neglect insulation. However warm our summers get, we will still need it a few months from now.

When you’re a homeowner, renovations like replacing your windows might seem like a big job. For many of us, it’s tempting to make do with our current glazing, but there are several reasons why now might be the time to consider upgrading your windows. 

An obvious sign is if your current window frames are degraded, which means they no longer create a seal and therefore let draughts into your home. This could be seriously affecting the energy efficiency of your property and costing you more in heating bills. 

Depending on how old your home is, your existing window frames may have warped or become misaligned. Often the first sign that this has happened is that your windows are hard to open or close. Sometimes this can be fixed, but on other occasions the best solution will be replacing the windows in question. 

Timber frames are particularly prone to warping, so if this is a problem you’ve experienced you might want to consider switching to windows with aluminium frames to prevent this from happening again. 

Even if your windows appear in good condition, if they are more than ten years old it might be worth getting a window installer to take a look to see if new windows could add more than you imagine to your home.

It’s not just a case of updating the aesthetics. As the HomeOwners Alliance notes, glazing technology has moved on a long way in the past decade, which means modern windows often perform much better in terms of their energy efficiency. This means they will make your home more comfortable, as well as ensuring the exterior looks as good as possible. 

Of course, if you still have single-glazed windows anywhere in your property, start here. These types of windows are far less energy efficient than their double or triple-glazed counterparts. You’ll certainly notice a difference in the temperature of your home and your energy bills if you replace these with more modern glazing.