Buyer comparison

Aluminium frame restoration vs full replacement

Most faded shopfronts and curtain walls don't need replacing. They need restoring. The honest answer depends on the substrate, the access, and how long you need the finish to hold.

Option 01

Restoration on site

Keep the existing aluminium in place. Strip the surface, prime, recoat to a matched RAL. No reglazing, no scaffold closure of the entrance.

Where it wins

Keeps sound frames, glazing and gaskets in place
Works around live trading. No store closure
System selected after substrate testing
No planning consent. No new manufacture lead time
Glass, gaskets, ironmongery stay in place

Trade offs

Substrate has to be sound. We flag failure at survey
Service life shorter than a brand new factory powder coat
Some patch repair shows under raking light if the original was severe

Indicative cost: Priced at survey from frame condition, access, masking and measured scope
Service life: System and substrate dependent; manufacturer terms vary by specification

Option 02

Full replacement

Remove and replace the curtain wall or shopfront entirely. New frames, new glazing, new gaskets. Manufactured off site, installed on site.

Where it wins

Brand new factory powder coat, no wear on the substrate
Opportunity to upgrade the system (thermal, security, glazing)
Manufacturer terms apply to the selected new system

Trade offs

Capital intensive compared with retaining sound frames
Bespoke manufacture adds procurement lead time
Scaffold and closure of the entrance during install
Planning consent on listed and conservation frontages
Snagging the new install adds programme risk

Indicative cost: Specialist replacement quote required, including glazing, access and install
Service life: Per the selected frame manufacturer's documented terms

The honest answer

Which one is right for your scheme?

Choose restoration if the existing frames are structurally sound and you need the finish restored without a full closure. Choose replacement if the system itself is failing (thermal, security, water ingress) or the spec genuinely needs upgrading. The choice is set at survey, not in the quote.

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Send us the drawings or a few photos.

Where we can, we check access and the state of the surfaces before we price, so the quote matches the real job. Email drawings to office@astardecorators.com, or send photos on WhatsApp.

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