White uPVC is the default, and for two decades it was effectively the only option. That has changed. Laminated finishes now cover Walnut, Golden Oak, Metallic Grey, Dark Oak and Black — and the choice is no longer purely aesthetic, because finish affects how the profile behaves.
How a coloured uPVC profile is made
This is the distinction that matters most, because two products that look similar on a showroom sample behave very differently over ten years.
Laminated
A decorative film is bonded to the extruded profile under heat and pressure, before the window is fabricated. The finish becomes part of the profile. It does not peel, does not need recoating, and carries its own UV stability.
Because lamination happens at the profile stage, cut ends and welded corners need additional sealing during fabrication — which is part of why a laminated window costs more than the equivalent white one.
Surface coated
Paint or a coating applied to a finished profile. Cheaper to produce, and it sits on the surface rather than becoming part of it. Over time it can chalk, fade, or lift at edges and around hardware.
Through-coloured
Pigment mixed into the uPVC compound before extrusion. Colour runs through the section, so a scratch does not reveal white underneath. Limited in the range of finishes it can produce — you cannot achieve a convincing woodgrain this way.
When comparing quotes, ask which method is being used. A laminated profile and a coated one are not the same product at a different price.
The finishes and where they work
White
Still the largest share of the market, and not only for cost. White reflects solar radiation rather than absorbing it, so a white profile runs cooler and expands less. It also shows dust less obviously than dark finishes in Indian conditions.
Suits: most interiors, traditional architecture, rental and resale properties where neutrality has value.
Woodgrain
Laminates reproducing timber — oak, walnut, teak and mahogany tones. The reason this finish exists is that it delivers the appearance of timber without repainting, pest treatment or seasonal movement.
Quality varies considerably between manufacturers. A convincing woodgrain has grain depth and tonal variation; a poor one reads as printed pattern at close range. Ask to see a full-size sample rather than a swatch, and look at it in daylight.
Suits: traditional and classical architecture, villas, interiors with substantial timber elsewhere.
Grey and Metallic Grey
The dominant contemporary choice. Metallic Grey in particular has become close to a default on modern facades, because it gives strong contrast against light walls and makes glazing read as a deliberate element rather than an aperture.
Suits: contemporary architecture, minimal interiors, large glazed areas.
Metallic Grey and Black
Warmer than Metallic Grey, softer than woodgrain. Used where a metallic reading is wanted without the coldness of grey.
Suits: luxury residential, hospitality, interiors with brass or Black fittings.
Single-sided and dual finishes
A profile can be laminated on the exterior face, the interior face, or both — and they need not match.
This is more useful than it first sounds. A common specification is Metallic Grey outside to suit the facade, white inside to keep interiors light. Another is woodgrain inside to match joinery, with grey outside.
Dual-finish profiles cost more than single-sided. But specifying Metallic Grey on both faces when only the exterior is seen from outside is spending money on a surface nobody looks at.
The heat consideration
Worth stating plainly rather than buried.
Darker surfaces absorb more solar radiation. A dark laminated profile in direct afternoon sun reaches a higher temperature than a white one in the same position, and uPVC expands with temperature.
Manufacturers account for this — dark laminates use formulations designed for higher surface temperatures, and steel reinforcement controls the movement. It is not a reason to avoid dark finishes.
It is a reason to raise it for large west-facing openings, where the combination of a big frame, a dark finish and afternoon sun is the most demanding case. Reinforcement specification matters more there.
Choosing across a house
A few principles that produce a coherent result.
- Consistency outside matters more than inside. The facade is read as a whole; interiors are read room by room. One exterior finish across all openings almost always looks better than variation.
- Match the architecture, not the trend. Metallic Grey on a traditional villa can look imposed. Woodgrain on a minimal contemporary facade can look apologetic.
- Consider the wall colour it sits against. Metallic Grey against white render is high contrast and deliberate. Metallic Grey against grey render disappears.
- Look at a full-size sample in daylight. Woodgrains in particular look different at scale and under natural light than they do on a small swatch under showroom lighting.
- Think about resale. Neutral finishes carry better. A strongly personal choice may need to be lived with for the life of the window.
What it costs and why
A laminated profile costs more than white, typically in the region of twenty to thirty-five percent depending on finish and whether it is single or dual sided.
The cost sits in the lamination process itself, in the additional sealing of cut ends and welded corners during fabrication, and in slower production. It is not a surcharge for colour — it is a genuinely different manufacturing route.
Against that: the finish never needs recoating. Over a twenty-year life, comparing a laminated profile against timber that needs repainting every three to four years changes the arithmetic substantially.
The practical summary
Finish is the most visible decision in a window specification and one of the few that cannot be changed later. Glass can be replaced. Hardware can be replaced. A laminated profile is the profile.
Get a full-size sample, look at it against the actual wall colour in daylight, and decide with the facade in mind rather than the room. That is a half-hour that prevents a decision you look at every day for two decades.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a laminated and a painted uPVC profile?
A laminated profile has a decorative film bonded to the extrusion under heat and pressure before the window is fabricated, so the finish is part of the profile. A coating is applied to a finished profile and sits on the surface, where it can chalk, fade or lift at edges over time. They are not the same product at a different price.
Can a uPVC window be one colour outside and another inside?
Yes. Profiles can be laminated on the exterior face, the interior face, or both, and the two need not match. A common specification is Metallic Grey outside to suit the facade with white inside to keep interiors light. Dual-finish profiles cost more than single-sided.
Do dark uPVC profiles have problems in Indian sun?
Darker surfaces absorb more solar radiation and uPVC expands with temperature, so a dark profile in afternoon sun runs hotter than a white one. Manufacturers account for this with formulations designed for higher surface temperatures and with steel reinforcement controlling movement. It is worth raising specifically for large west-facing openings, where a big frame, a dark finish and afternoon sun combine.
How much more does a coloured uPVC profile cost?
Typically in the region of twenty to thirty-five percent over the equivalent white profile, depending on the finish and whether it is single or dual sided. The cost sits in the lamination process, the additional sealing of cut ends and welded corners during fabrication, and slower production.
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