- How Much Do Wood Windows Cost to Install?
- Average cost: $600 — $1,258
- Wood Replacement Windows
- Pros of Wood Windows
- Things to Consider Before Installing Wooden Windows
- Clad Wood Windows
- Types of Wooden Windows
- Primed Wooden Windows
- New Construction Wood Windows
- Wooden Windows: Benefits, Types and Costs
- Types of wood for wooden windows
- Softwood Timber windows
- Hardwood Timber Windows
- Oak windows
- Benefits of Wooden Windows
- Long lifetime
- Environmentally friendly
- Energy efficiency
- Insulation
- Wooden window designs
- Weather resistant
- Increase value of home
- How much do wooden windows cost?
- Considerations of wooden windows
- Regular maintenance
- Could rot
- Price
- Wooden window maintenance
- Composite Windows: Best of Both Worlds
- Get free quotes for wooden windows
- A Guide to Wooden Window Frames
- The Basics of Wooden Window Frames
- How Much Will Your Wooden Window Frame Cost?
- How to Maintain Your Wooden Window Frames
- Energy Efficiency for Wooden Frames
- Summary: A Classic Choice
How Much Do Wood Windows Cost to Install?
Average cost: $600 — $1,258
Homeowners on average pay around $725 per wooden replacement window, including installation. The installation costs will vary depending on which window brand you choose, the window style (casement, double hung, etc.) and average local labor costs – usually around $38 per hour. Wooden windows are more expensive than vinyl replacement windows or aluminum window installation. – which can be installed for as low as $375 to $685 or cheaper depending on quality.
Wood Replacement Windows
Wood replacement windows are traditional and durable, and they provide excellent insulation. Sections of wood frame windows are cut precisely in a miter that is shaped like the box frame. The window frame and sashes are all constructed from wood and milled and routed into the customized shapes for your home window type. They are generally nailed, screwed, and glued together. Caulk is also used to help seal the sections of wood used to construct the window frame. Read below about some of the benefits of installing replacement wood windows.
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Pros of Wood Windows
- Replacement wooden windows have a traditional charm that looks great in older or modern homes. There are many different types of wood window to choose from, and they can be painted or stained different colors to work with just about any design that you have in mind.
- Wood is an excellent insulator, and wooden windows can be highly energy efficient when paired with quality insulating double paned windows or triple paned glass windows.
- Wooden windows aren’t susceptible to the expansion and contraction that new vinyl windows, aluminum window types, or fiberglass replacement windows can suffer from during temperature changes. While wood expands and contracts from moisture exposure, properly painting the frame will reduce this risk. Wood is durable and known for standing up to hard use. Hardwoods are particularly resilient and will hold up over time when well cared for. Wooden windows are also less likely to lose their seal than vinyl or aluminum. Some homeowners prefer to
- Wood window frames are considered a “green” window installation choice since they can be reused, recycled, and sustainably sourced. Many wood windows can even be composted once the paint is removed.
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Things to Consider Before Installing Wooden Windows
- Wood windows are one of the most expensive window installation options on the market today, though the price to install depends on the type of wood used. Hardwoods tend to be more expensive but they are also the most durable. Due to the higher cost, buying wooden window frames should be considered a long-term investment for your home.
Clad Wood Windows
As mentioned above, wooden windows are extremely reliable and aesthetically pleasing, but they are known for rotting or suffering the effects of weather over time. However, this issue can be solved by aluminum or fiberglass wood clad windows. An aluminum or fiberglass exterior is used on the windows to help protect the wood from harsh weather conditions. This helps keep the windows in good condition for longer while preserving the charm of wooden windows on the inside of the home.
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Types of Wooden Windows
When shopping for a wood window frame, consider the type of wood that you want. For example, pine is one of the most affordable types of wooden windows, while mahogany is one of the most expensive because it suffers less from expansion and contraction than other wooden window types. The other types of wood used for wood windows are usually made up from accoya, idigbo, iroko wood, sapele, softwood, and softwood (European redwood.)
Primed Wooden Windows
If you plan to paint your wood windows, you can save yourself a lot of time and trouble by choosing wooden windows that come pre-primed. They generally aren’t any more expensive than bare wood windows and will save you time during the installation process.
New Construction Wood Windows
When buying wooden replacement windows you’ll have to decide between windows designed for new construction versus replacement windows. Most of the time, the replacement windows will save you time and money, unless you are having windows put into a brand-new house that doesn’t have windows yet.
Replacement windows lack the nailing flange, so they are designed to fit into an existing window frame. These windows are smaller and more affordable, and they can be installed in less time. New construction windows are only desirable when windows are being put in for the first time or when the old frame rotted out or needs to be replaced entirely.
Wooden Windows: Benefits, Types and Costs
Wooden windows can give your home an elegance and charm that just can’t be achieved with more modern materials, both inside and out. With some care wooden windows can be a very long-term option for your home, which means that you don’t have to worry about replacement windows for many years.
To help you decide whether wooden windows are the right choice for your home, we’ve put together the benefits, costs and everything you’ll need to consider in this article.
Types of wood for wooden windows
You’ll be met with a few different options when it comes to choosing the type of wood for your windows.
Softwood Timber windows
Softwood will often be much cheaper than hardwood and suits contemporary and period-style homes. It might have stains over it but they’re usually painted and will require a fresh coat every few years. The most stable and durable type of softwood is Douglas fir.
Hardwood Timber Windows
Hardwood is more stable and durable than softwood as it’s slower growing which gives it a tighter grain. This also means that you’ll get more life out of it than softwood. Oak is a popular choice of hardwood.
Oak windows
This can be a very expensive option, so why choose oak? Well, it carries a lot of benefits such as being very stable and durable which makes it the ideal choice for your windows.
Benefits of Wooden Windows
Wooden windows can bring many potential benefits to the outside and inside of your home, we’ve listed some of the benefits below to help you decide if they’re the right choice for you.
Long lifetime
Wood has a very lengthy lifetime and could be part of your home for as long as 60 years.
Environmentally friendly
Unlike other materials used for windows (such as uPVC) wood is a completely natural material. In some cases, trees are replanted to replace the timber used to manufacture windows.
Energy efficiency
If lowering your carbon footprint and reducing your home’s impact on the environment is important to you then you will make great strides with wooden windows. With a potential lifetime of 60 years, you could reduce the CO2 output of your home by almost a tonne during that period.
Insulation
Wood acts as an excellent insulator which will help to keep the warmth inside and not allow it to escape.
Wooden window designs
Plenty of choice when it comes to the design from the type of wood to the colour.
Weather resistant
If the wood receives the proper maintenance then it’ll be resistant to the weather.
Increase value of home
All of these benefits come together to potentially help you increase the value of your home.
How much do wooden windows cost?
The price of ready made wooden windows will differ depending on the type of wood, the size of the window and the manufacturer. We’ve put some potential costs together for a 90mm x 60mm casement window in the table below.
Type of Wood | Potential Cost |
---|---|
Softwood | £825 – £925 |
Hardwood | £925 – £1,700 |
The table below compares the potential price of ground floor casement windows with different materials.
Size of Window (mm) | Timber | Aluminium | uPVC |
---|---|---|---|
600×900 | £850 – £950 | £550 – £600 | £500 – £600 |
900×1200 | £1,200 – £1,300 | £650 – £750 | £750 – £850 |
1200×1200 | £1,350 – £1,450 | £750 – £850 | £850 – £950 |
These potential softwood and hardwood window prices don’t include installation, which will vary depending on the installer. For this reason, we highly recommend getting quotes from at least 3 different installers to give you the greatest chance of finding the best deal for you and your home.
Considerations of wooden windows
You can have wooden windows fitted to your home for as long as 60 years so it’s important to consider the possible downsides before having them installed.
Regular maintenance
Need to be well looked after which can be done by having them refinished or painted.
Could rot
Wood that isn’t well looked after becomes vulnerable to rot.
Price
It’s also worth noting that wooden windows are more expensive than other materials used for window frames such as uPVC and aluminium.
Wooden window maintenance
No matter the material of window, it will require some sort of maintenance for you to get the most out of it. If you’re able to take the time to look after your wooden windows then you could be looking out of them for many years to come. Here are a few steps you can take to maintain your wooden windows:
- Just wiping the wood down with a dry cloth every couple of months to remove any dirt and dust can help to prevent mould from forming
- If you choose to paint the wood then use UV protected paint will block sunlight to protect the wood
- Remember to clean the windows themselves before doing the frames as dirt can run into them from the glass.
Wooden windows are well worth maintaining because, given the right care, they can outlive other materials by a significant number of years.
Composite Windows: Best of Both Worlds
If you like the idea of having wooden windows but don’t want to have to think about the maintenance required to get a lengthy life out of them then composite windows might be worth considering.
Composite windows give your home the charm of wood on the inside, thanks to a timber (softwood or hardwood) core, but have an external cladding which is normally made from aluminium. Not only do they require less maintenance, the aluminium makes these windows incredibly durable.
Get free quotes for wooden windows
Looking to fit wooden windows around your home? Then you’ve come to the right place. Using Windows Guide, you can get free no-obligation quotes from up to 3 local window installers. All you need to do is take a couple of moments to complete our simple online form and before you know it, fully-qualified window installers in your area will be in touch.
A Guide to Wooden Window Frames
A wooden window frame was once the standard choice for a window. Wood is a naturally strong insulator, and it also gives your home a uniquely classic, often rustic, look. Read on for more information about wooden window frames.
The Basics of Wooden Window Frames
Despite the long tradition of wooden window frames, they require much more maintenance than vinyl, aluminum, composite, or fiberglass window frames. As a result, today many homeowners are choosing different materials for their windows.
That said, if your heart is set on the naturally beautiful wooden window frame, never fear. Today there are a few different options for improving your wooden window frame’s durability and energy efficiency. Some window manufacturers offer window frames with a wooden interior and a fiberglass exterior, offering the natural beauty of wood alongside fiberglass’s durability.
Other options to improve the durability of your wooden window frame include vinyl or aluminum-clad frames. These frames feature a wooden interior with a vinyl or aluminum exterior. This option provides a low-maintenance, more durable window frame for your home’s exterior alongside the warm look of wood for your home’s interior.
How Much Will Your Wooden Window Frame Cost?
A wooden window frame is more expensive than vinyl or aluminum, though less expensive than fiberglass. The cost of your wooden window frame will also vary, depending on the window manufacturer and whether or not you’ve chosen a fiberglass, vinyl, or aluminum exterior. A double-hung wooden window frame will cost about $550 to $750 per window. A small casement wooden window frame will cost about $650 to $850.
A wooden window frame provides a classic look. | @ fotolia.com / timonko
How to Maintain Your Wooden Window Frames
Wood is extremely prone to warping, cracking, and rot from changes in temperature and humidity. Because of this, wooden window frames require regular maintenance. Homeowners should examine their wooden window frames once a month for signs of warping and rot. It’s also important to regularly apply a sealer or preservative to the wood, every 12 to 18 months.
Homeowners can remedy signs of rot by wiping the frame’s surface with fine steel wool and mineral turpentine. It may also be necessary to remove severe rot with a chisel and fill the area with a wood putty. For small cracks, homeowners can lightly sand the area before applying a sealer or preservative. With proper maintenance like this, a wooden window frame can last for decades.
Energy Efficiency for Wooden Frames
Wood is a natural insulator, so a wooden window frame generally has a strong thermal performance and will keep your home snug. A wooden window frame with a fiberglass exterior will provide even more energy efficiency. Again, keep in mind that it’s important to properly maintain your window in order to ensure that it provides you with an efficient, airtight seal.
Summary: A Classic Choice
Although wooden window frames require more work than their vinyl, aluminum, or fiberglass counterparts, they are a beautiful addition. Additionally, you can choose a different material for your wooden frame’s exterior to improve its durability. For more information about choosing window frames for your home, it’s best to consult with a quality contractor.