Best Glazing for South Coast Homes
The charm of living near the South Coast is undeniable. Communities like Poole, Dorset (happily, the location of ODC’s headquarters) boast breathtaking views, invigorating sea breezes, and fabulous blue spaces to enjoy every day: big skies, loads of reflected sunlight and of course, the sea itself – it’s a great recipe if you’re looking to improve your health and wellbeing.
Add Blue Flag beaches, opportunities for water sports, a vibrant café and restaurant culture, contemporary architecture and great transport links, and you’ll agree it’s an ideal location for weekend boltholes, family homes and premium lettings.
What to look for choosing aluminium glazing for a south coast home
If you’re in love with South Coast living and about to renovate a seafront property or plan a new build home, here are ways to ensure your glazing measures up to the rest of your investment:
Maximise your daylight and views
Glazing designed with a high percentage of glass area and minimal visible vertical mullions will ensure you have the widest possible sea views. Choose sliding and bifold systems with the capacity to hold over-sized glass panes to enhance your connection to the outdoors.
Benefit from the highest Energy Efficiency
Reduce your reliance on heating and cooling systems for lower energy bills and a smaller carbon footprint, by opting for high-performance double glazing with the best energy efficiency ratings. If you’re considering a new build home in a sensitive Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, energy-efficient glazing is not just a choice for comfort, but helps you make a commitment to sustainability.
Solar control: UV protection for your interiors
In coastal homes that face south, strong sunlight can be both a plus and a minus. Rooms full of light are lovely to live in, but the sun can cause fading and damage to furniture, flooring, and artwork. One option is to choose solar control glass for your doors and windows. It has a metallic coating that provides glare control that clear glass doesn’t offer. Not only does it prevent harmful UV rays, it also ensures thermal comfort and over-heating as it reflects away up to 70% of solar heat. It adds to your privacy and comes in a variety of shades. However, solar control glass does limit light transmittance and glass daylight properties so it’s worth spending time with an expert architectural glass technician to explore daylighting strategies in any space.
Enjoy the low maintenance of tough finishes
Salt air, strong winds and driving rain all take their toll on paintwork. Aluminium window and door frames come with tough polymer-based powder coatings in a huge range of colours. Long-lasting and available in satin, matt and textured finishes, they are perfect for more exposed environments and release you from the worry of scheduling expensive maintenance.
Trust heavy duty windows to handle the elements
Homes along the South Coast are no strangers to the elements, and increasingly, extreme weather events. These factors can have a signifcant impact on buildings facing the sea, leading to increased maintenance costs and reduced energy efficiency. We recommend heavy duty windows and doors, glazed with two panes of tempered glass with an advanced polymer layer in between, designed to withstand strong winds and resist shattering upon impact with flying debris.
Get glazing for enhanced security near leisure sites and marinas
Windows and doors with enhanced security have robust construction and built in resistance to shattering. They’re more difficult for potential intruders to break, acting as a deterrent against burglary. This extra layer of security can give coastal homeowners peace of mind, knowing that their property is protected.
Appreciate noise Reduction in Popular Locations
The noise-reducing qualities of acoustic glass is another benefit that you might appreciate, especially if your home is in a popular holiday destination or near maritime traffic. Acoustic glazing can significantly dampen external noise, creating a calm, relaxing indoor environment after a long day outdoors.
Exceptional weather performing system needed to withstand extreme coastal conditions: Customer Project 1
With sliding doors, bifolding doors and a stunning five metre bay window, this cliff-top house has to handle the high winds and driving rain on the west coast of Wales. Raum Architects collaborated with ODC Glass on this unique project. You can read more about its dramatic construction story and its unique glazing solutions here.
Aluminium Glazing for Inspiring South Coast Renovation: Customer Project 2
Year round views across Poole harbour to Brownsea Island – read more about a coastal home transformed by full height sliding doors
Glazing for Fabulous New South Coast Home: Customer Project 3
Take a closer look at this fabulous Studland new build coast home with wrap-around glass walls overlooking the beach
Tech Talk: Aluminium Glazing for South Coast Homes
Get up to speed with essential specifications
Pre-anodised frames: before door and window frames are powder-coated, they are given a thin layer of aluminium oxide to increase corrosion resistance and support the adhesion of the powder coating. As well as protecting the metal frames, the pre-anodisation helps prevents chipping of the powder coat.
Marine grade paint: This is a thicker powder coating for the aluminium frames that has been independently tested using a Salt Spray Test Corrosion test using salt-laden moist air in an enclosed chamber. Marine grade coatings are tough enough to withstand typical conditions in a coastal environment. Windows and doors fitted in a ‘Marine Environment’ are recommended to be powder-coated to a thickness of between 40 – 50 microns.
EPDM seals: Adhesive waterproofing EPDM membranes create airtight and weathertight seals between door and window frames and your building’s opening reveals. They are used both internally and externally. They are strong and flexible, lasting for over 50 years without any signs of shrinkage, melting, hardening or cracking. The membrane remains functional at the temperatures from –40 to + 120˚C.
Solar control glass: again these are special coatings, but this time on the glass. They’re designed to reduce the amount of heat entering a building by reflecting and absorbing it. Solar coatings also filter sunlight for reduced glare. Opt for sliding doors with solar control glass and you might be able to do away with air-conditioning and blinds. Read more the benefits of solar control glass here.
Acoustic glass: this specialist glass reduces noise transmitted through windows and glazed doors. The glazing has a laminated pane which disrupts soundwaves and to help dampen external sounds. Perfect for busy marinas, apartment blocks and properties near popular foreshores, acoustic glass will really help when you don’t want to hear others also enjoying the great outdoors.
Integral blinds: Sandwiched between the double panes of glass, an integrated blind is a low maintenance, aesthetically pleasing way to achieve privacy and prevent UV damage from the sun in coastal locations. You can also specify remote-controlled roller blinds and manual pleated blinds for equally minimalist, stylish alternatives.
ODC Aluminium Doors and Windows for Coastal Properties:
Recommended products for renovations, extensions and new builds on the south coast
ODC800+ Sliding Doors The highest specifications in our range for enhanced performance
ODC300+ Patio Sliding Doors are our best slimline all-rounder with exceptional weather performance
ODC121 Bifold Doors With the most robust frames of any of our systems, they are the ideal specification for exposed locations
ODC75Si windows, sealed and super-insulated for the most exposed aspects, to ensure your home is snug, insulated and protected from the elements
Frameless Glass Balustrading offers essential wind protection and fall protection, whilst inside their invisible fixings preserve the views you love
Blinds and Awnings
When you need privacy and extra UV protection
High Performance Aluminium Glazing for South Coast Homes: A Sustainable Investment
Whether you’re planning a new build or looking to transform your existing property, the benefits of installing high specification windows and doors extend beyond protection from the elements. We’re sure it’s an investment that will pay off in the long run. Exceptionally long-lasting, sustaining elegant good looks, requiring minimal maintenance – they’re great for your peace of mind and a definite plus if you’re looking to resell in the future.
The ODC Glass team have years and years of experience designing, fabricating and installing doors and windows in properties all along the South Coast.
For expert advice, give us a call on 03300 586 792
