Why is it worth replacing old windows with timber ones?
Timber is a material that has been used to make window joinery for a very long time. It is distinguished by exceptional elegance and refinement, and also by excellent performance. Plastic windows are also available on the market, but although they are cheaper than their timber counterparts, their appearance is far less attractive. If you are preparing to replace the old windows in your house and care both about their appearance and about excellent performance, invest in modern timber windows.
What characterises modern timber windows?
The timber windows produced today differ considerably from those of several decades ago, because the materials used to make them are of higher quality and the technology of producing them is completely different. Thanks to the use of modern machinery and production methods, modern timber windows provide excellent thermal and acoustic insulation and also effectively protect the interiors of a house against break-ins.
Windows of this type can be installed in energy-efficient and even passive houses, as they guarantee thermal insulation of the highest quality. They owe this to their construction and the materials used to make them (among others: thermally insulating panes, the warm edge spacer bar, laminated timber and appropriately designed seals). Also exceptionally important in their case is correctly carried out installation, thanks to which optimal isolation of the interiors of a house from the cold prevailing outside and from excessive noise coming from the outside world is assured.
Why is it worth replacing old windows with modern timber ones?
Replacing windows aims to improve the appearance of a building (both its exterior and its interiors), to give it appropriate energy efficiency and acoustic insulation. As regards performance, timber windows are not inferior to windows made of plastic, and even surpass them, guaranteeing for example lower thermal expansion, which means that even in intense sunshine they will not deform, or providing better thermal insulation (timber conducts heat considerably worse than plastic).
Another argument in favour of timber windows is their appearance. Natural timber suits every architectural style and every interior scheme, adding refinement and elegance to it. Besides the natural colouring of the timber itself, you also have a very rich palette of varnish and paint colours to choose from, thanks to which you will match their colour to the way your house is finished without difficulty. Timber windows can be oiled or finished with a translucent or an opaque varnish. The modern paint and protective coatings used in making timber windows not only protect them excellently against the unfavourable action of many external factors but also allow the timber to breathe, that is to transmit water vapour effectively.
The species of timber used to make windows are most often: oak, pine, larch or the exotic timber meranti. They are laminated, and the individual layers of sawn timber are glued together so that the grain of the timber runs in different directions. Thanks to this the windows are more durable, more stable and also far more resistant to the deformation that could occur as a result of the action of changing temperature or moisture. Modern timber windows therefore provide optimal airtightness and acoustic insulation, and also make a house elegant and at the same time welcoming.