What Can Replace a Wooden Window?

Nothing. Here are at least 10 reasons why you should not give up on wood:

1. Wooden windows are beautiful.

No one has any objection to this anyway, everyone loves wood. But wood seems to invalidate the saying “he who loves the rose bears the thorns” because it has no thorns. Does the “beauty” of a wooden window come from its appearance or from the fact that it is the “right” choice for the task it serves?

2. Wooden windows are long-lasting.

British standards give a 60-year service life for pine joinery, while it is possible to find windows around us that have been working for 100 years. If you don't believe us, ask Greenpeace: the lifespan they give for PVC windows is 20-25 years. In addition, wood does not rust, corrode or become brittle under the influence of ultraviolet rays.

3. Wooden windows do not change size and shape.

Wood has superior mechanical properties. The bearing capacity of wood, its resistance to warping and bending, and its ability to not change size with temperature changes make it the most ideal material for window production. For example, metal joinery changes size with temperature, which affects the fit between the frame and the sash, as a result, the air leakage of a metal joinery can double between 20°C and 50°C. The same temperature change does not make any difference in wooden joinery.

4. Wooden windows are easy to maintain and repair.

The slogan of PVC window manufacturers, “no maintenance required” is very interesting. PVC and aluminum do not accept maintenance! You may need to paint wooden windows every 5-8 years, but you can use them for 100 years. However, you have to throw away your PVC window after 25 years at most. Even the most damaged, rotten wooden window is easy for a carpenter to repair. The rotten part is cut out and thrown away, and solid material is added instead. The fact that wood has a high screw holding ability is also a great advantage, you can easily replace broken hinges and renew the window handle.

5. Wood takes all shapes.

Wooden windows offer unlimited shape, texture and color possibilities. Also, of course, you can change the color if you get tired of looking at the same window.

6. Wooden windows are safe.

Since solid wood does not warp or bend, it is resistant to wind loads. Thieves do not like wooden windows either. It is not easy to cut wooden joinery like PVC or to separate the sash from the frame. In order to overcome this problem, complex and expensive mechanisms have begun to be used in windows other than wood, but these are still unable to cope with skilled thieves.

7. Wooden windows are economical.

Due to all the above mentioned features, even the initial investment cost of wooden windows is lower than PVC and metal windows. There is a mistake we often make when comparing prices. The comparison should be made between two products that show the same performance. In the long run, wood is much cheaper than its alternatives.

8. Wooden windows are easy to install.

Wood is prone to errors. Minor dimensional errors in the blind frame or the window itself can be corrected by an ordinary carpenter during installation.

9. Wood is a champion in thermal insulation!

The thermal insulation properties of wood are 400 times higher than steel and 1800 times higher than aluminum. The thermal insulation properties of a window are not only dependent on the frame material, of course. The type of glass used, its assembly, the space between the frame and the sash, the metal fasteners used, and the installation of the window to the wall are all very important. When all other conditions are equal, the thermal insulation value of a wooden window is 10% better than PVC and thermal bridge aluminum. The most important issue that is often overlooked is that a window maintains these properties throughout its life. This is the most important advantage of wood as a window material.

10. Using wood protects the environment.

Let's give just a small example here. You spend eight times as much energy to produce a PVC window as you do to a wooden window of the same size. Its superior heat insulation properties, the low environmental pollution it can cause during the production process, and most importantly, its renewable source make wooden windows unrivaled in terms of the environment. For more information, you can check out the "Why Wood" section.

Those who have trouble with their wooden windows are certainly smiling while reading this article, but continue reading. The fault is not in the wood. The fault is in the design, specification or production. Wood is such a perfect material that not everyone shows enough attention and care, relying on this feature. The needs of our age also require modernity in wooden window production.