Crittall-style windows,
the steel look, in warm aluminium.
Slim aluminium heritage windows with the narrow frames and glazing bars of old steel windows, but thermally broken, double glazed and powder-coated, so they stay warm and never rust. From Smart and Origin, made to measure and fitted across Suffolk and Essex by Admiral’s own team. Take a written price away, and decide in your own time.
- Slim, steel-look frames
- Any RAL colour
- Showroom in Ipswich
“They have just completed a new-build property for me in Smart Aluminium and their knowledge and advice from product selection through to installation and care has been first rate.”
The heritage systems we fit
- Smart Alitherm Heritage
- Origin
The steel look, in aluminium.
Photos from Smart and Origin, who make the heritage aluminium windows and doors we fit.
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In a bedroom
- Shown
- Slim heritage windows
- Photo
- Smart Systems
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In a period room
- Shown
- Black steel-style windows and French doors
- Photo
- Origin
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Doors to match
- Shown
- Slim steel-look doors and glazing
- Photo
- Smart Systems
Product photos from the makers’ own brochures: Smart Systems and Origin. See the real thing in our Ipswich showroom.
What are Crittall-style windows? Steel looks, aluminium inside.
Steel windows, the kind Crittall made famous, have slim frames and a grid of glazing bars. They went into countless 1920s and 1930s homes, and the Art Deco buildings of the time. Today’s aluminium heritage windows keep that look and add what steel never had: insulation, double glazing and a finish that won’t rust.
- Slim frames and sightlines, with horizontal and vertical bars
- A thermal break inside the frame, so the metal doesn’t carry the cold in
- Powder-coated in any RAL colour, one colour outside and another in if you like
- Period handles to match: Smart offers monkey-tail and bulb-end handles
Replacing steel windows, or adding the look.
Most people come to us for one of two reasons: their old steel windows have had their day, or they love the look for a new kitchen, extension or conversion.
Old steel windows
- Single glazed, cold and prone to condensation
- Rusting frames that stick, and paint that never stays put
- Replaced like for like in look, with modern glass and seals, so the house keeps its character
Smart designed its Alitherm Heritage range as a direct replacement for steel windows, it says, for projects where planning asks for sympathetic materials, listed buildings included.
The look, somewhere new
- 1930s and Art Deco homes, inside and out
- Barn and warehouse conversions
- Kitchen extensions and garden rooms, with steel-look French doors or bifolds to match
Listed buildings and conservation areas.
Slim aluminium heritage windows are made for homes where the look matters to the council as much as to you. Every case is decided on its own, so this is what to expect.
What councils look for
- Frames and bars as slim as the originals, in the same pattern
- The same way of opening, and a colour to match
- For a listed building, listed building consent before any window is changed
How we help
- We survey the windows you have and match their pattern
- We give you the product details your council asks for
- If the originals must stay, secondary glazing adds warmth from the inside
Any colour. Any layout.
Colours and finishes
Black and anthracite grey are the classic choices, but any RAL colour is possible, matt or textured, with marine-grade coatings for homes near the coast.
- Black
- Anthracite grey
- White
- Cream
- Textured
- Grey out, white in
The squares are only a guide. See the real finishes in the showroom.
Ways to open
Smart lists these for its Alitherm Heritage windows. You choose, pane by pane:
- Fixed panes, for the most glass
- Single or double side-hung casements that open out
- Top-hung casements
- Tilt and turn, opening inwards
224 reviews. Not one below four stars.
Three reviews about aluminium, as they were written. Admiral invites every customer to review on Trustpilot, good or bad.
4.9/5
Also rated 4.9 from 30 reviews on Google. Figures checked 19 October 2026.
- Smart aluminium
“Having worked with a number of window and door companies over the years I feel very happy to be able to recommend Admiral Home Improvements as one of the best.”
Richard Brand - Aluminium, at height
“Admiral were excellent on a particularly difficult project involving 2 nr aluminium rounded head atrium windows which had to be surveyed and installed at high level.”
Eve Fellingham - Straight answers
“…answering all my questions on specifications meeting my requirements and building regulations.”
Dreamer
From first call to final clean-up.
Clear advice, a price in writing and our own team for the fitting. Four steps, at your pace.
Tell us what you need
Send the quote form, call us, or come and see every window style on display in our Ipswich showroom.
Free survey
One of our own surveyors measures every opening and talks you through frames, glass and styles. It costs nothing.
Your written quote
Take it away and decide in your own time. No pressure, and finance if you’d like to spread the cost.
Fitted by our crew
Made to measure and fitted by Admiral’s long-serving fitters, who clear up and take the old windows away.
Spread the cost. Over 1 to 10 years.
Finance through Novuna at 12.9% APR representative, on amounts from £500 to £25,000, with a 10% to 50% deposit.
There’s also a buy now, pay later plan at 14.9% APR, with your first payment put back 6 or 12 months. Finance is subject to status.
Your figure, not our price.
£100.54a month for 5 years
After a £500 deposit. Total payable £6,532.40, including £1,532.40 interest. An illustration only, not an offer of credit.
Representative example: cash price £8,000, deposit £3,000, amount of credit £5,000, 12 monthly payments of £444.70, total charge for credit £336.40, total amount payable £8,336.40. 12.9% APR representative.
Finance is subject to status. Admiral Home Improvements Ltd (FRN 1053043) is an Appointed Representative of Ipswich Trade Frames Ltd (FRN 794166), a credit broker, not a lender, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Finance is provided by Novuna.
See every style before you choose.
Full-size, working displays of windows and doors in uPVC, aluminium and composite, with parking at the door. Book ahead and we’ll make sure an adviser is free.
Visit our Ipswich showroom
Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 4.30pm
- Monday to Friday
- 7.30am to 4.30pm
- Saturday and Sunday
- Closed
Hampstead House, Felixstowe Road, Nacton, Ipswich IP10 0DE. Parking right outside the door.
Questions about Crittall-style windows.
Anything else? Request a quick callback or call 01473 659062 and ask us straight.
How much do Crittall-style windows cost?
Every window is made to measure, so the price depends on the size, the pattern of bars, how many panes open, the colour and the glass. One of our own surveyors measures every opening for free, and you get a written quote to take away. Finance is available at 12.9% APR representative.
Are these Crittall windows?
No. Crittall is a trademark of Crittall Windows Ltd, the steel window maker. Ours are aluminium windows made in that style by Smart and Origin, which is why they’re called Crittall-style.
Aluminium or steel?
Aluminium heritage windows look like steel but are lighter, don’t rust and have a thermal break inside the frame, so they’re far warmer than old steel windows. Smart calls its Alitherm Heritage range a modern, lightweight and cost-effective alternative to steel.
Are they warm enough?
Yes, for a replacement window. In England, replacement windows must reach a U-value of 1.4 W/m²K, or energy rating Band B, and we confirm the rating for your windows, with the glass you choose, in your written quote.
Can I have them in a listed building or a conservation area?
Often, yes, but your council decides, case by case. Smart says its Alitherm Heritage windows have been approved for projects by several local authorities, Essex County Council among them. A listed building needs listed building consent before any window changes. What to expect.
We live near the coast. Will they last?
Aluminium doesn’t rot, rust or need painting. Near the sea we specify a marine-grade finish and tell you what the maker’s guarantee covers, because guarantees get shorter close to the water. A wash every few months keeps the finish looking good.
Can I have doors to match?
Yes. Steel-look aluminium French doors and bifolds, with glazing bars to line up with your windows.
How long do they take?
They’re made to order in the colour and pattern of bars you choose. We’ll give you a timescale with your written quote, and agree the fitting date with you.
Which areas do you cover?
We fit Crittall-style windows across Suffolk and Essex from our showroom in Ipswich, including Felixstowe, Woodbridge, Kesgrave, Stowmarket, Hadleigh, Manningtree and Colchester. Put your postcode in the quote form and we’ll confirm.