Installers are often presented with an either-or proposition: PVC or aluminium. However, for most trade professionals working on the ground, the reality is far less binary. Instead, it’s about practicalities: what’s right for the job, what fits the budget, what the client expects, and, crucially, what makes the install as smooth and efficient as possible.
A good trade supplier doesn’t just offer both materials, they understand how and where each one performs best, and how to make that performance easily accessible for the installer. This is something Astra Windows, a Greater Manchester-based fabricator with over three decades of experience, has built its reputation on.
Established in 1989, Astra Windows has long supported UK installers with a dual-material offering: premium aluminium and reliable PVCu, both manufactured in-house. But what defines Astra isn’t just its product range. It is also the company’s ability to understand how different projects demand different solutions, and how to support trade professionals across the full spectrum. “Installers aren’t asking whether aluminium or PVC is ‘better’ in theory,” says David Jackson, Managing Director. “They’re asking what’s going to install easily, perform well, and keep their customers happy in the long term. That’s what we focus on, making sure every product we supply does that job properly.”
Although we could debate which material is theoretically superior all day, real installers don’t work in theoretical conditions. They work on tight schedules, with real customers, real deadlines, and reputations on the line. Astra Window’s role is to make sure whatever material is chosen, it installs smoothly, performs reliably, and helps the installer move on to the next job with confidence.
In recent years, aluminium has moved from niche to necessity. Homeowners and architects are demanding slimmer sightlines, larger glazing areas, and premium finishes, the kind that PVC often struggles to deliver. Installers are recognising aluminium not just for its looks, but for its dimensional stability, long-term durability, and growing ease of use. Systems like Astra’s ALUK windows, sliders and commercial entrance doors, ALUNA bifolds, Jack Aluminium internal doors and screens, and Signature entrance doors are designed around the realities of trade work with batch consistency, installer-friendly detailing, and quick-fit componentry built in. These are essential features for tradespeople trying to complete more jobs with fewer headaches, and sufficiently tight margins.
Furthermore, in commercial settings, aluminium is fast becoming the only viable option. This is another area where fabricators and suppliers have had to up their levels, adapting to the latest expectations. Astra Windows also provide curtain walling and shopfront solutions, with a strong focus on safety features like integrated finger trap protection and PAS24 system compliance, to give installers the confidence to tackle higher-spec jobs with less risk of post-fit issues.
That said, Astra Windows isn’t pushing an either-or agenda. Its in-house PVCu window and door systems remain a core part of its offer, and for good reason. In applications where simplicity, budget, or legacy aesthetics dictate the spec, PVC still delivers. For many of Astra’s trade customers, the value lies not in being forced to choose one material over another, but in having access to both, supported by a supplier who understands how to make each one work to their advantage.
Astra backs its product range with services that matter to fitters: quotes turned around in 24 hours, nationwide delivery direct to site, and a team that prioritises clear, straightforward communication. It’s this focus on practicality, not just product, that has helped the company build long-term relationships with many installers across the UK, as it aims to position itself as a complete partner, where installers can get everything they need.
