Timber windows

[Welderpaul]

A house near me has recently have new upvc windows fitted - frame a light grey colour.

Obviously impressed another house owner with stnadard white upvc frames - a man in a van turned up, spent well over half a day masking up the glass and surrounding brickwork on the front of the house - he didn't look too happy up a ladder with tape and paper in a slight breeze.

Then a compressor fired up and he spent well into the evening spraying paint - house now has dark grey window frames. No idea what the finish is like close up.

I just like the fact that my new white upvc frames are pretty much maintenance free. I've better things to be doing than sanding, striping, painting window frames.

I considered spraying them, but you just know the job wouldn't be the best. Likely they would need doing again pretty quickly. Some of the frames are also a bit too small and it looks like whoever did the silicone used his mother in law's face to smooth it off. Be nice to get rid of that too.
We have some full height french doors in one of the rooms that have sagged beyond doing anything sensible with. With the other changes we are doing in the house these would be more suited as glass to the top only as my OP pic.
They also offend my (mild) OCD every time I look at them.

I actually don't mind painting

 

[northwest]

Pella systems were doing softwood with aluminium cladding almost fifty years ago:

https://www.pella.com/ideas/windows/

I have a very good Pella Window System story, ended up with a guy dead in a hotel room along with a couple hookers (who weren't dead).

 

[gaz1]

whilst its not just painting its scraping and sanding per window before you even get to paint those windows

i havent got the patience for it as its bad enough painting gutters and barge boards on the property and those gable end barge boards

from my experience customers dont like the prices per window and more so when it involves gable ends and barge boards to do, hell they dont even like to pay for scaffolding up to do the job safely

 

[Robotstar5]

i had my hardwood windows made 40 years ago and still as good as new clean and paint them with micropourus paint every 2 years sadolin or farbal normaly about 80 quid a gallon but got a gallon for 35 quid from autojumble

My first house had all hardwood double glazed windows, I'd usually re-do them with Sadolin once a year, but did miss the occasional year, they were in excellent condition when I sold the house, first thing the new owner did was replace them all with white UPVC

the only (poor) photo I can find of when I owned it.

The new owners "improvements"

 

[RWD3M]

Wood grain UPVC

I had them fitted in my house over 30 years ago and need little more than a spray of oil every now and then.

 

[knighty]

old house here, and we need new windows (not long moved in)

I'd love hardwood windows... but there's no way I want the upkeep


tho I guess it's just what's important to you, there'll be other stuff people think I'm wasting my time with but I keep doing

 

[dobbslc]

Wood grain UPVC

I had them fitted in my house over 30 years ago and need little more than a spray of oil every now and then.

That's what we have. They look pretty good to me a d no painting, I hate painting.

 

[addjunkie]

old house here, and we need new windows (not long moved in)

I'd love hardwood windows... but there's no way I want the upkeep


tho I guess it's just what's important to you, there'll be other stuff people think I'm wasting my time with but I keep doing

Price is usually a huge factor when doing up a house, there are so many other things to spend the difference on. When I did this place I wanted off white wood grain upvc, but even the difference in price between plain white and off white wood grain was quite noticeable at a time when money was freely flowing from my bank account. Accoya was nearly double.

 

[Gritineye]

whilst its not just painting its scraping and sanding per window before you even get to paint those windows

I have 15 yr old south facing softwood windows that don't ever need scraping and sanding as modern quality water based plants were used from new.

I have 1921 made north facing windows in the front, sheltered under wide eaves, painted with oil based paint from new, the maintenance is never ending, and cracks return within months.

Water based paints just don't crack, they just go a bit dull and only need a rub over with scotchbrite and another coat of paint.

 

[Beeezer]

My first house had all hardwood double glazed windows, I'd usually re-do them with Sadolin once a year, but did miss the occasional year, they were in excellent condition when I sold the house, first thing the new owner did was replace them all with white UPVC

the only (poor) photo I can find of when I owned it.

View attachment 492558

The new owners "improvements"

View attachment 492557

Land Rover and trailer gone, vast improvement….

 

[Robotstar5]

Land Rover and trailer gone, vast improvement….

Replaced with a Range Rover and a new trailer

 

[Turbo]

We have a mahogany wood effect back door fitted over 30 years ago and it still looks good with no mainenance at all.

Across the street is a pine door on a utility shed. It was a good quality hand made door made by a local joiner.
It was fitted at the same time as the pvc door but has needed a lot of maintenance.
It has been painted every few years, had the boards at the bottom of the door replaced twice due to rot but it's going to have to be replaced this year as the rot has got too far this time.
When you count up the maintenance costs I think the pvc door is much better value as it will still be good in another 30 years.

 

[Gareth J]

It seems very location dependant. Here, not far from the Atlantic, have had wood windows and tried loads of expensive paints with good performance. But they all fail after a year or two.

The pvc ones there now look less attractive. But not having to paint is well worth it. Wood effect isn't convincing as the profiles are fatter. But a price worth paying for not having to paint.

A couple of caveats;
Frames are larger so, I regret not getting more as non opening. This makes a much more slimline windows that's also loads cheaper and seal perfectly.

Doors do feel cheaper. They're just more wobbly and have less weight to them whan using. Worth having wodd, aluminium or composite doors for a quality feel.