Doors and Windows for Flats: Aluminium vs uPVC vs Wood

Aluminium, uPVC and wood doors plus windows compared on dust, noise, grill and net cost for Moroccan apartment blocks.

Street dust + 2am traffic ruins wood windows in 2 years. In a 2nd-floor Agdal 900 sq ft facing boulevard, aluminium sliding + uPVC bedroom + grill + net cut dust 70% + noise 12 dB for MAD 18k. Ventilation balance in bathroom ventilation mold control.

Aluminium: the street-face default

Sliding aluminium 25mm (MAD 180-260/sq ft): dust-proof with brush seals, zero paint, grill + net shutters slide same track. Cons: conducts heat — west face needs thermal break (+MAD 40/sq ft) or room +2C. Sound 28 dB with 5mm glass, 34 dB with double 6+6.

Pick champagne/white powder-coat 60 microns, not silver anodized that pits with sea air in Casa/Tanger. Drain holes + mosquito brush must be in quote — missing = rain pools + mosquitoes.

uPVC: quiet bedrooms

uPVC casement (MAD 260-380/sq ft): 38 dB quiet + airtight + no paint 10 years. Cons: heavy — needs RC lintel, not partition; white yellows 10% in west sun (pick laminated woodgrain west). Steel reinforced 1.5mm, multi-lock, not single latch that warps.

Best: bedrooms + street face where sleep matters. Payback: AC 20% less with airtight + blackout. One Agdal bedroom dropped night noise 68 to 46 dB — sleep without plugs.

Wood and flush doors inside

Interior: flush MR ply + laminate (MAD 2,200-3,400) — stable, paintable same white for rhythm. Solid teak (MAD 8k+) only entry + pooja where touch matters. Hollow particle interior swells at mop + slams hollow — reject even MAD 800 cheaper.

Entry: 38mm flush + SS hinges 3x + tower bolt + eye + night latch. Polish both edges + top (unpolished top wicks monsoon). Gap 6mm bottom for exhaust makeup air in windowless baths — sealed doors whistle.

Grill, net and safety math

Grill MS 12mm + wall 4-inch embed every 2 ft (MAD 90/sq ft) + insect SS net slider (MAD 45/sq ft, not fiber that tears). Child lock 36-inch height + 4-inch bar gap max — 5-inch toddler head passes. Curtain track recess 6x4 inch in cove hides hooks + raises height 3 inch versus wall rod.

AC indoor 8 inch below ceiling + 4-inch drain slope to bath/balcony — flat drain overflows onto gypsum. Transparent pipe test 1L before closing board.

Cost table Morocco 2026 (8x4 window + 3x7 door)

Aluminium sliding + grill + net: MAD 6,200-8,900
uPVC casement + multi-lock: MAD 8,300-12,200
Interior flush laminate: MAD 2,200-3,400
Entry 38mm + hardware: MAD 4,500-7,000
Whole 2BHK (6 windows + 5 doors): MAD 38k-58k mid

US $4,200-6,500 full flat.

Install checks

Plumb laser ±2mm, packers + PU foam + silicone both faces, not cement alone that cracks. Sash slides one finger — gritty means track unlevel, fix day one or rollers die year 1. Felt pads + door stop every door — handle hole in wall costs MAD 300 to patch.

Keep section + color code + key numbers photo — future roller/lock same profile or shutter mismatches.

FAQ

Sliding or casement for dust? Sliding + brush for living (view + net together), casement + compression seal for bedrooms (airtight quiet). One flat both — not one type everywhere.

Can I keep wood windows with retrofit? Brush seal + silicone + net slider MAD 1,200/window cuts 50% dust, but rot + paint yearly remains. West + street: replace; courtyard + shade: retrofit ok.

Noise test: prove dB before paying balance

Agdal boulevard 68 dB night — aluminium single 5mm cut to 52 dB, uPVC double 6+6 to 44 dB, both closed + blackout. Phone dB app test: outside railing, inside closed, inside + blackout. Hold 10% balance until night test passes — one contractor swapped 6mm for 4mm, test caught 6 dB miss, replaced free.

Seal check: A4 paper closed in sash pulls with resistance = compression ok, slides free = gap. Incense smoke around closed sash drifts = leak, steady = sealed. Dust test: white tape on sill 1 week — grey = brush missing, black = track drain blocked. Fix week one free under snag, month six costs call-out. Keep section drawing + color code + spare rollers photo in flat file for 5-year maintenance without profile hunt.