Architects need to meet increasingly demanding performance targets while balancing the aesthetic and functional requirements of each building.
Our secondary glazing can help you achieve your goals. Whether your priorities are acoustic, thermal or security performance, we’ll work with you to find the right solution for the building, its occupants and your brief.
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Why work with Selectaglaze?
Founded in 1966, Selectaglaze was among the first companies to offer secondary glazing in the UK. Over six decades, we've built our expertise, driven innovation and continually developed our products. Today, we offer one of the most comprehensive and versatile product ranges on the market. To maintain the highest standards of quality, we manufacture, install and manage our secondary glazing in-house at our factory and timber workshop in St Albans. This gives us oversight of every stage of the process. When you work with Selectaglaze, you get one team, one point of contact and clear responsibility throughout your project. Discover our whole story here.We always start with the windows
If there’s one thing to understand about secondary glazing, it’s that it has to be well fitted to work well. That’s why we measure every single window opening by hand and then craft bespoke secondary glazing for each one. Selectaglaze is the only secondary glazing company to use timber subframes, not because they’re quicker to install or easier to produce, but because they give the best fit and the best performance. This method creates a tight fit for every window opening and a true, plumb edge for our high-quality aluminium frames to sit against. Because our secondary glazing is fitted independently of the primary windows, it’s a fully reversible solution, an important consideration for heritage buildings. To learn more, see our primary considerations for secondary glazing.
Our designs respect the windows
Architects often worry that secondary glazing won’t be sympathetic to a building. Design choices are key to making it feel like the right choice, but not always in the ways you might expect. Matching colours can work well, but carefully chosen complementary colours can sit better against the original frames. And while slim frames might seem the obvious choice for large windows, proportionate frames often sit better with the original design. All our frames can be powder-coated in RAL colours or wood-grain effects, and we can advise on what will work best for the building. You can also choose custom ironmongery: handles, locks and finger pulls can all be tailored to complement the original windows. When every little detail is considered, secondary glazing can feel like the only choice for the building. See our guide to designing sympathetic secondary glazing.Technical knowledge you can draw on
When you first contact us, you will be allocated a member of our technical sales team, who will be your point of contact for the whole project. As an employee-owned business, we're excellent at retaining our people. In fact, some of our team have been with us for 20 years or more, and they work with architects every day. So, when questions arise, you'll talk to someone who understands your project's requirements but also the challenges you face.
We'll work with you on specification
Specifying secondary glazing doesn't have to be a long, drawn-out process. In a 30-minute call, we can usually establish your key requirements. After assessing photographs and drawings of your existing windows, we come back with a tailored solution that considers how the windows operate and the space available. We also provide CAD details of our products on our website, which can be implemented into existing drawings of the window opening. You can see how the glazing fits alongside blinds, curtains, bulkheads and architraves. Our products are backed by laboratory acoustic test data and independent thermal simulations so you can specify with confidence. For more detail, read our guide to specifying secondary glazing.We understand conservation requirements
The only group we work with as much as architects is conservation officers. Whether it’s a tight deadline, limited capacity or a particularly sensitive building, we can take on the glazing side of your listed building consent (LBC) application for a fee. We have a high success rate, though approval can’t be guaranteed. Our service includes:- Carrying out a detailed site survey
- Producing CAD drawings of the window openings
- Writing comprehensive Design and Access Statements
- Submitting the application on your behalf
A reliable partner on site
Once the specification is agreed, installation needs to run smoothly. We work with many of the UK's leading main contractors and know how to fit around the wider programme. Find out more about working with main contractors.Sustainability woven into everything we do
With construction generating two thirds of the UK's waste, retrofit is becoming an increasingly important part of architects’ efforts to preserve embodied carbon and improve building performance. At Selectaglaze, we always try to walk the talk on sustainability. We've been Planet Mark certified since 2019. Our products use FSC-certified timber and lower-carbon aluminium, with emissions of 6kg CO₂e per kg against an industry average of 16.7kg. We're also increasingly involved in the circular economy. Read more about how secondary glazing is the sustainable option.
