Which windows to choose - wooden or plastic

Those who have acquired a new home or have decided to overhaul the old one will invariably have questions regarding windows. What windows are better to put in a private house - wooden or plastic? And in a city apartment? And these questions are by no means rhetorical. Both those and other designs have their own advantages and disadvantages. Today we will conduct a small comparative analysis to make it easier for you to make an informed choice between plastic and wood.

Comparison of plastic and wooden windows by parameters

What is the difference in the arrangement of plastic and wooden windows

The main element of any window is the frame. What are the differences in the arrangement of plastic and wooden frames?

The frames of the plastic windows are made of a synthetic polymer - polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The blanks for them are PVC profiles cut into pieces of the right size, which are hermetically soldered together to form a frame. Inside, the PVC profile is divided by partitions into several (from 3 to 8) chambers - hollow sections independent of each other. The more cameras, the higher the noise and heat insulation of the window. A reinforcing steel insert is inserted inside the middle, largest in size chamber, which gives the frame additional rigidity and protects it from deformation.

But these are plastic windows, which everyone has long been accustomed to and which no one cries out for surprise. And what is wood? Of course, we are not talking about the "carpentry", widespread in our country in the Soviet era, but about quality (and expensive) products. Externally, modern wooden windows look almost the same as plastic ones. And in their durability, noise and heat insulation, they are not inferior to PVC windows. Since wooden windows with double-glazed windows originally came to us from Europe, they are often called ero-windows.

In the manufacture of wooden window frames, not solid wood, but glued beams are used. Why such difficulties? Surely, many of you have come across a situation where in the summer window sashes do not close well, in winter, on the contrary, there are serious gap sizes between the same sashes.

Using glued beam technology eliminates the problem of compression / expansion of the material as a result of temperature fluctuations. In terms of elasticity, glued timber is comparable to a reinforced PVC profile.Wooden blanks for frames are necessarily impregnated with special compounds that protect the wood from fungus, rot, insects, the negative effects of moisture and sunlight, after which they are primed and varnished. Double-glazed windows in wooden windows are used exclusively two-chamber.

Thermal insulation characteristics

One of the main indicators of window quality is its ability to retain heat in the room. The main window area is occupied by a double-glazed window, and it will be he who will determine the heat-insulating properties of the entire product. However, in this review we compare only the material of the frames, so we will try to find the answer to the question: do wooden or plastic frames have better thermal insulation properties?

To assess the thermal insulation properties of the material using the coefficient of thermal conductivity. The lower it is, the less heat is lost through this material. For plastic, this indicator is 0.15–0.2 W / m * K. The thermal insulation properties of a PVC profile directly depend on its width and the number of chambers.

The thermal conductivity of a tree primarily depends on the type of wood:

• pine - 0.15 W / m * K,
• larch - 0.13 W / m * K,
• oak - 0.15 W / m * K.

However, we recall that the frames of modern wooden euro-windows are not made from solid wood, but from glued beams, and its thermal conductivity is even lower - on average about 0.1 W / m * K

Other things being equal, wooden windows retain heat better than plastic.

Breathability

You still have not forgotten the old Soviet windows, in which huge gaps in which every year with the onset of cold weather had to be sealed in order to at least slightly reduce heat loss? With the advent of modern plastic and wooden windows, we got rid of this problem, but acquired another. The cracks in the "carpentry" brought us a lot of trouble, but they ensured a constant flow of fresh air. Tight modern windows tightly "clog" the room, preventing air exchange, resulting in increased humidity inside, and people experience a lack of oxygen. Let's try to figure out which window is better in this regard - plastic or wooden?

Polyvinyl chloride is a material that does not allow air to pass through. In order to prevent air from stagnating in the room where the plastic windows are installed, regular forced ventilation is required. An alternative is to install a ventilation valve on the window, providing fresh air even when the doors are closed.

Window with ventilation valve.

Many in this situation rely on "breathing" wooden windows. Wood, being a natural material with a fibrous structure, is really capable of passing air. However, the amount of oxygen penetrating through the wood is so small in comparison with human needs that it can be safely neglected.

In addition, the wooden elements of the eurowindows are impregnated with various substances that prevent rotting of the wood, its loss of color, the appearance of bug grinders, etc., and are varnished. Such impregnation further reduces the breathability of wood. From all this it follows that wooden windows, as well as plastic ones, need to be slightly opened periodically to ventilate the room. It is also possible to embed a passive ventilation valve into a wooden frame today.

The difference between wood and plastic windows in terms of breathability is negligible. And those and others do not allow (or almost do not allow) air, which means that the room must be purposefully ventilated.

Environmental friendliness

Today, environmental issues concern not only pundits, but also ordinary people, although the latter are mostly only on a household scale. Many begin to wonder how safe these or those materials surrounding us are. A lot of heated debate flared up around the windows.

Hurry to cool the ardor of ardent opponents of plastic windows. The polyvinyl chloride from which the profiles are made is chemically inert under normal conditions. It is no coincidence that it is approved for use in the food industry. Of course, do not forget about various stabilizers, modifiers, pigments and other additives that give the PVC profile its properties.

However, manufacturers of plastic windows value their reputation and therefore carefully monitor the environmental friendliness of their products, trying to replace all potentially dangerous additives with more harmless analogues. So, lead salts, previously used as a stabilizer for polyvinyl chloride, are replaced today with zinc-calcium compounds that are safe for humans. The products of all self-respecting enterprises that supply window structures to the market are certified. The results of examinations indicate that when exposed to sunlight and / or a moderately elevated temperature, PVC profiles do not emit any substances in the room.

We will, however, be honest to the end: an environmental problem regarding plastic windows still exists. And it will rise sharply in a few decades, when the service life of the window constructions installed today expires. The fact is that a method for the competent and safe disposal of polyvinyl chloride has not yet been found.

Wooden windows are an excellent option for those people who, on a subconscious level, do not trust everything that is obtained by chemical synthesis. True, this category of consumers should be reminded that wood that is ecologically perfect in the manufacture of windows is treated with all kinds of impregnations in order to protect them from insects, mold, rot, the negative effects of moisture and UV rays. All these compounds are also obtained chemically and in their pure form are also not at all beneficial to human health.

Wood wins plastic in the race for the title of “Most Environmentally Friendly Material”. However, all the "horror stories" about the dangers of plastic windows are baseless and greatly exaggerated. Today, both wooden and plastic windows manufactured in compliance with the technology meet all environmental requirements and standards.

Appearance and variety

Aesthetics is as important as functionality. The windows should be beautiful, fit well into the interior of the room and not discord with the view of the facade of the building. Compare plastic and wooden windows for their aesthetics and the ability to vary the appearance.

PVC can be used to make windows of any shape, including arched windows that are gaining popularity today. The only limitation concerns not the shape, but the size: it is difficult to make too small and, conversely, too large sashes. Amazing variety and affordable colors. Windows made of PVC profile can be painted in any color, as well as laminated for any texture, including any kind of wood. But still, the artificiality of the material will be visible to the naked eye, which does not always add beauty to the windows. If you have a wooden house, then plastic windows, even laminated ones, will look foreign.

Wooden windows are free from this drawback of their plastic competitors. Wood is a living material, which is why from an aesthetic point of view, wooden windows have no equal. They are ideal for country cottages, successfully fit into the architecture of old city buildings, perfectly complement the interior of modern apartments.

There are two options for decorative-protective coating of wooden window frames - varnish and opaque water-based paint. Most consumers prefer varnish, since it allows you to preserve the natural texture of the tree.

The color of wooden window structures is determined by the type of wood from which they are made. However, if desired, you can use a special primer, which gives the tree the desired shade.Using a primer, for example, a relatively inexpensive pine window can be given the color of oak, walnut or any other valuable wood species. This saves money and opens up great opportunities for designers. Another way to refine a cheap window construction is to cover its elements with decorative layers of more expensive wood species.

Wooden windows, like plastic ones, can be arched, but in this case there are significant restrictions on the size of the bending radius.

From an aesthetic point of view, wooden windows are unrivaled. Plastic windows provide, perhaps, great opportunities for designers to implement a wide variety of ideas, but with any design they will look artificial.

Durability and wear resistance

Any window, no matter how strong and reliable it may seem, can break under certain conditions or lose its original appearance. Which windows - plastic or wooden - better withstand the damaging effects of negative external factors? Of course, we will talk about the strength and wear resistance of the frames themselves, and not glass - the probability that the latter will be broken when a solid object enters it does not depend on whether it is plastic or wooden.

So what can happen to a PVC window? Under the influence of increased temperature, the frame is not much, but expands. As a result, if the window profile is not reinforced, it can be deformed. In addition, a frame made from low quality raw materials will most likely turn yellow. But, if scratches appeared on plastic as a result of carelessness of the owners of the house, then this problem is easily resolved.

Modern wooden windows, unlike products of half a century ago, do not stick and do not crack, however, unpleasant surprises can be expected from them. In particular, frames made of light wood gradually darken under the influence of sunlight. And by accidentally leaving a scratch on a tree you will have to “admire” for many years and even decades. It follows that owners of wooden windows should be very careful when handling them.

A tree is a tree and, if you don’t protect it, it may suffer from the rain, the scorching sun, and hail over time. A good alternative to wooden windows can be wood-aluminum, combining all the advantages of a wooden structure and the ability of aluminum to withstand the negative effects of the environment.

Wooden windows with aluminum trim.

Plastic windows are more durable and wear-resistant than wood. PVC is more durable: it has greater impact resistance, is not afraid of moisture, does not need to be painted. True, all this is true only for profiles made of high quality raw materials and with strict adherence to technology.

Life time

Modern windows, whether made of PVC or wood, are good, but, alas, not cheap. Therefore, before each owner of a house or apartment who has decided to install them in his home, a perfectly reasonable question always arises: how long will such a window last?

According to various estimates of specialists, the life of plastic windows should be from 20-30 to 45-50 years. This figure may vary depending on the properties of the compound used in the production of profiles, as well as on operating conditions. Many German companies, which are the undisputed leaders in the market of plastic windows, have developed and are constantly improving the technology for the production of PVC profiles specifically for the Russian climate with its frequent and strong temperature difference.

The service life of wooden windows depends on the type of wood used in their production. Windows with larch frames will last you the same 50 years, but pine windows will last 55-60 years.If you have not stinted and installed windows with oak frames in your house, then not only your children, but grandchildren and even great-grandchildren will be able to admire the surrounding landscapes from this window, because it will last at least 90 years. Blanks for wooden windows are treated with special compounds that enhance their resistance to external influences, which helps to increase their durability.

The service life of wooden windows may be longer than plastic. However, this is only true if the wooden windows are made with strict quality control and are protected by the most modern compounds.

Difficulty in care

Plastic windows are easy to operate. All that is required of you is to occasionally wipe the frames with a damp cloth, removing dust accumulating on them. Plastic does not require any special care.

Modern wooden windows also do not bring much trouble, as was the case with their counterparts several decades ago. However, occasionally you still have to work hard: it is recommended that the coating of wooden frames be updated after a certain amount of time.

PVC profiles are easier to maintain than wooden frames, since they do not require updating the external coating after a certain number of years.

Cost

Installing new windows is not cheap. You can, of course, save on the quality of the fittings, the thickness of the profile or glass. But is there any point in this savings if in winter you have to walk around the house in sweaters and woolen socks, if the glass freezes on a frosty day, and a puddle of condensation accumulates on the windowsill? You can save on the frame material. Wooden windows are more expensive than plastic. The difference in their value is approximately 50%.

A simple price comparison, however, is not entirely correct. The service life of a wooden window, as we have said, is longer than a plastic one, so it would be more correct to compare not the price of products, but the cost of their use per year. Accepting the conditional cost of a plastic window for 10 thousand rubles, and evaluating its life expectancy at 50 years, we get that the cost of annual use will be 10000/50 = 200 rubles.

For wooden windows, both the cost of the finished product and its useful life depend on the type of wood. For example, windows made of pine will last 60 years, of oak about 90. At the same time, the former are on average one and a half times, and the latter are twice as expensive as plastic ones. This means that the cost of annual operation of a pine window is 15,000 / 60 = 250 rubles, and an oak window 20,000 / 90 = 222 rubles. As you can see, plastic windows also benefit from this method of assessment, but now the difference does not look so significant.

Wooden windows are more expensive than plastic, and this is one of the main arguments in favor of the latter.

Our comparison of plastic and wooden windows did not allow us to identify an unequivocal leader: in some respects, wood is superior to plastic, in others, vice versa. Any final verdict handed down in this case will be exclusively subjective, because for each person the compared characteristics have different degrees of importance. For some, the main thing is to keep the house warm, others need good insulation, others are willing to sacrifice everything so that the new windows blend in harmoniously with the interior of their house or apartment.

It is possible that many were unhappy that they did not find a ready-made solution in our article. Alas, the answer to the question of which is better - wooden or plastic windows, they will have to look for themselves.