Meet Sarah. Her first home is an apartment she shares with her boyfriend in an older development just off the N11, one of Dublin’s busiest roads. She knew exactly how she wanted it to feel: bright, warm and quiet. When she got the keys, the place was a shell, and an apartment window upgrade was near the top of her list. The frames were dark brown on the inside, “really dragging down the look and feel of the apartment,” as she puts it.
In the video above, Sarah tells the story herself. Here’s how it came together.
Why the windows had to go
Looks came first for Sarah, but they weren’t the only reason. The building’s age meant the old windows were doing a poor job of keeping the heat in.
“This is an older building, so making sure we had new windows in was really critical to make sure we were insulated correctly.”
Then there was the road. Living just off the N11, the traffic noise could be loud.
There was one complication. Like most apartment buildings, hers has a management company, and its rule was clear: every window had to be dark brown on the outside to match the rest of the building. The only freedom was on the inside.
Finding the right showroom
Sarah shopped around and visited several showrooms before she walked into Fairco’s.
“From the minute I walked into the Fairco showroom, everyone was so welcoming. The showroom itself was really well designed and there was a huge amount of product on display, which I found really helpful in order to make my decision.”
She had brought photos of the empty apartment to show the team what she was working with. What stood out was the time they took with her: “The staff were just super knowledgeable and they really took their time in talking me through everything and explaining all the ins and outs of what it is that I needed for my apartment.”
Dark brown outside, white inside
The management company’s rule turned out to be easy to meet. Fairco’s uPVC casement windows can be made in one colour outside and another inside, so the exterior could match the building while the interior changed completely.
“They were able to pretty much match like for like on the exterior, which was great,” Sarah says. “So no problems from the management company.”
For the inside, she had been leaning towards cream. The showroom team suggested white.
“They said white was the option to go for. It just sits the best, it’s the most neutral, and it would brighten up the place a lot as well.”
She went with white, and chose triple glazing to deal with the road.
Installation day
Fitting windows in an apartment block means working in a small space, with shared hallways outside and neighbours next door. Sarah was impressed by how the team handled it.
“The team was lovely. They came on site and they cleaned up everything. They made sure everything was spick and span, even came with their own hoover to make sure that they weren’t using anything in the apartment.”
A brighter, quieter home
With white frames inside, the rooms are brighter, which was the point of the whole project. The difference from the road is just as clear.
“The triple glazing was incredible to block out some of that noise.”
Her verdict: “I would definitely recommend Fairco windows and doors.”
Planning an apartment window upgrade?
If your building has a management company, start by checking its rules on exterior colour and style. Dual-colour frames, like Sarah’s, let you meet those rules outside and choose freely inside. The guide to choosing new windows covers colours, finishes and what to ask before you buy.
If road noise is a problem, mention it at your survey. How much quieter a room gets depends on the whole specification, including the type of glass and how well the frame seals, as explained in reducing noise with the right glazing.
Homes built and occupied before 2011 may also qualify for SEAI’s windows and doors grant, depending on insulation levels. The grant page explains how it works with a Fairco project.
Bring photos of your home to the Santry or Deansgrange showroom, as Sarah did, or book a free consultation and a Fairco surveyor will come to you.
