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Windows Design Dilemma Renovating

Windows - upvc or wood?

3 years ago

I have a bit of a dilemma we moved into a 1950s house and the windows need upgrading. They are wooden casement windows probably 15 ish yrs old. The windows have kind of dropped in the frames and they haven't been well maintained. I'm keen to replace with wood but they seem to look like plastic 🙄. Have quotes for both. 20k versus 30k for ~16 windows. Any advice?

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Comments (5)

Daisy England
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Timber windows are more expensive than plastic. There’s nothing like the beauty of a nice timber window although they do need to be maintained. Will you be painting them or staining them?

I have timber windows on the front of my house (had no choice as hubby is a joiner) and we have ours treated every other year which keeps them in good condition.
Jonathan
3 years ago
Well maintained wood windows will last longer than UPVC and don’t have to end up in landfill as wood can be recycled
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Hello Ffion, Please don't replace with White UPVC they are absolutely horrible. You are very lucky they are as nice as they are. So my suggestion is to paint with a primer like zinsser or another brand that will adhere to plastic and then paint a colour like charcoal, not too black.. If you were considering to replace the windows then definitely don't go down the upvc route. They devalue properties... but the good thing is that yours are nicer than most! I don't even mind the window panes too much as I think you will make gr8 strides just by painting the brown plastic.. Of course... this applies to the front door too... as you can do the same... Think a charcoal here too would be lovely... 2 nice square slate looking planters with something lovely either side of the door would be rather nice too.. Will you keep the little "porch" ? Could be nice without it... I like the brick too and would leave that alone.. :))
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I personally would want to know 1. how easy is that paint to apply etc? This is quite a big and messy job to do and knowing me I'd start and probably wish I hadn't half way through! 2. have a serious search online to see if you can find images of homes of your era and type WITH that type of window colour. You don't want it to look like a mismatch! We have those Cotswold soft green painted windows in last house, but went because of the stone and age of house. In fact the local council bylaws insisted they were painted this colour and could order you to return to this colour if you didn't!
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Stick with your instincts and to the values of the heritage of your lovely Victorian home.....go with wood and not upvc. I'm in a Victorian home in Scotland, and 115 years on we still have the original wooden frames (still in great condition) and with the new techniques of production, you'll not have to think about painting them for a long time, but will be happy to look at them for a long time and not regret having made the wrong choice!!!
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Thanks Daisy I am swaying more towards grey. Yes that's very true as we're one of the only houses with the original 80s windows still, so people won't pay out just for a different colour if there windows are still okay. We really love grey, I am just worried it'll look out of place or not as good as I'd be hoping. I may have found the solution... I've been googling today & noticed slim profile UPVC windows exist (Aluminium is out of our budget). As one thing that put me off UPVC grey Windows was that the frame seams more obvious than white somehow & I don't like the thick,chunky frame of some UPVC Windows so that maybe an option. Thanks again!
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HU-840414730
3 years ago
My beautiful teak windows are coming out this week!! (Now I'm getting upvc.)They are almost 30 yrs.old and were always well maintained. However, with the sun beaming down on the front of the house, the windows warped and there is water dripping down in between the double glazing. I can't WAIT to get rid of them!!
Sonia
3 years ago
Those aren’t your only options. There is painted aluminium or metal too, but upvc is the cheapest option and can come in colours other than white. I have white upvc and they are so easy to maintain and have good insulation.
sarh123
3 years ago
I agree with Jonathan -wood is so much better to use. But when I left my beautiful wood windows in the last house I did breathe a sigh of relief not having the spring and autumn check of the windows by the decorator. They were top quality but still take work. I’m now replacing windows in the new house and reluctantly going for upvc as we’re getting older and don’t want the maintenance, price difference and the new house doesn’t justify them. However If I were still in a character house I would feel guilty putting in upvc.

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