Are wooden sash windows better than plastics? This is the question many people ask these days, since energy efficiency is an important home budget factor. In this article, we will shed some light on the style and quality of a sash window manufactured today.
Quality materials and the production process
If someone says traditional sash windows they don’t necessarily mean old and cold. They mean precise craftsmanship with modern-day technology involved. This is a combination of 2 great values. A talented and experienced specialist uses all the benefits of today in order to provide the charm and beauty of classic timber windows. This is something an automated production line can’t do, can it?
You see, wooden sash windows made in London, for example, are extremely pleasant to look at. They have all the beauty a rustic house design requires. No better solution for a country estate, really. At the same time, the components used for production (gaskets, closing mechanisms etc.) come from the top shelf of modern engendering. And so do the tools used in the process of making such windows. Hence, vintage sliding up windows made of wood meet the standards of contemporary housing in Britain.
Are wooden sash windows energy efficient?
In terms of a window functionality, wooden sash products offer a bit less warmth efficiency than their plastic counterparts. Especially if these are single glazing windows with a basic construction in mind. However, natural timber sash is a great insulator itself. The wide range of product designs also accommodates different needs of today’s consumers. That means high quality double-glazed sash windows provide as much thermal insulation as it is technically possible. The performance gap gets small enough it becomes unnoticeable in everyday conditions. Furthermore, sash wooden windows can last for decades, whereas PVC products require fixing much sooner than most people expect. You just need to remember to treat the wood with a protective solution once in a while.
Time for conclusions. Wooden sash windows may not be as energy efficient as top-notch PVC constructions, but they are far superior in everything else. Especially when the classical housing design is in question. The fabric of real wood, those carved sash horns or Georgian bars… You simply won’t get this kind of charm from a plastic, that’s for sure. Sash windows made of wood can also be more durable if taken care of. Thus, in our opinion, they win.