Windows PVC or Wood

bauderline

Folks,

I need some good advice from the industry professionals that frequent this forum... I'll keep it brief and get to the point...

I am building a decent sized house and I now need to make a decision regarding windows, all along I was going to go with PVC because I know of a very good quality supplier up North and the price is very good at around €18k - €19k .....

Now I am in two minds as to what to do, the entire house is clad in donegal quartz with a yellow brick and sandstone sills and looks VERY well. I am starting to wonder if installing the PVC windows will detract from the quality feel the stonework gives.

The couple of quotes I got for wooden windows are in my opinion, steep. I got a quote from one well known and reportedly good value pine window supplier and it is upwards of €40k.

An extra €10k I could live with, but double the money ? Sweet J........

Is this what I should expect ?

If anyone knows of a wooden window firm that WILL give me a good quote please PM the details. If they are based in Northern Ireland all the better !!


P.

S.L.F

If I was doing a job like that I'd get sizes of the window reveals, go to a joinery and have them make windows to fit the reveals.

Then get a painter to prime all the windows on a day rate.

Then get a glazier to come and measure the windows for glass and fitting of glass.

Then get a chippie to windows in and put on all the metal work.

Then get the painter back to put under coat and finish coat on the windows.

Or you could just employ some one to get all the jobs done for you.

SLF

RKQ

IMO Timber looks better with real natural stone.
But I have seen some very attractive aluminium windows on stone buildings that look very well, normally prime colours like red, yellow, green or navy blue, look very well. Not a great fan of the popular "grey".(all Ral colours are available).

Pvc is a matter of personal choice and budget. €40 sounds expensive.
Get quotes from Ireland, UK, Sweden, Denmark, Germany & Poland.

muffler

As stated the natural timber windows will be much classier looking and more traditional and will compliment the stone. They will cost you more and you will have to maintain them. You than balance that against a cheaper window - both in looks and appearances.

However if your budget restricts you from going for the timber windows then a woodgrain effect PVC window looks quite good (from a distance)

Monty Gerhardy

muffler wrote: »

As stated the natural timber windows will be much classier looking and more traditional and will compliment the stone. They will cost you more and you will have to maintain them. You than balance that against a cheaper window - both in looks and appearances.

However if your budget restricts you from going for the timber windows then a woodgrain effect PVC window looks quite good (from a distance)

Whats 'traditional' about natural timber windows?

I can think of very few instances in Ireland where windows were not painted.
I would deem the unpainted timber window a fairly modern fad. I would also say it is rare that they look well with a stain or translucent finish (in an Irish context) but its all in the eye of the beholder

Monty

Mellor

Monty Gerhardy wrote: »

Whats 'traditional' about natural timber windows?

I can think of very few instances in Ireland where windows were not painted.
I would deem the unpainted timber window a fairly modern fad. I would also say it is rare that they look well with a stain or translucent finish (in an Irish context) but its all in the eye of the beholder

Monty

Nobody suggested unpainted windows.

Natural timber windows, was refering to timber over uPVC

muffler

He forgot to read the part where I said they had to be maintained.

And then again maybe he decided to ignore it just to be confrontational.

galwayrush

Has to be Timber. Get the sizes and go to a few local Joinerys, you will get a better price.

S.L.F

muffler wrote: »

As stated the natural timber windows will be much classier looking and more traditional and will compliment the stone. They will cost you more and you will have to maintain them. You than balance that against a cheaper window - both in looks and appearances.

Plus the fact that new man made windows just don't last as long as well made natural ones.

muffler wrote: »

However if your budget restricts you from going for the timber windows then a woodgrain effect PVC window looks quite good (from a distance)

A very very far distance............

like the next county:D

Calluna

From what I've seen (but haven't got quotes from north or abroad) the 40K is in the right ballpark. I felt the same that the cost was crazy - especially if you had to paint/maintain, etc. I would say you should price around and play them off against the others - I was disgusted with the difference between starting and finishing prices I had with our various window quotes. How someone can drop by 6 or 7G and look you in the eye afterwards, just beats me. When you've got your final final quotes make the call on whether the cost is justified for the 'look'. There are lots of people who won't even notice....but if it really matters to you...that's all that matters. Just don't do it, to please the crowds - it's your money.

jfly57

slight digression from the subject; we've already decided to go pvc (wood effect- we think they look pretty good) for our new extension after 23 years of regular maintenance of wood windows! We have looked at a couple of companies and see that the wood effect creation is borne on a thin plastic layer glued to the frame/ sash body. Having seen the effect of the power of uv light from the sun I wonder how long this plastic layer will weather the onslaught of the uv. I would have thought that the wood effect would have been moulded into the frame/sash. I want to know from some experts out there if moulded wood effect exists and is it recommended over the plastic stuck-on type we saw.
All comments welcome.

West 1

uPVC windows against timber windows?

Timber is sustainable, and repairable, plastic isnt and it takes longer to make a plastic window than a timber one which will outlast plastic for years.

Maintenance? with a full painted finish from the factory they may just need maintained at about 3-5 yrs or so, but its worth it AND you could change the colour if you so wished. What happens when you get fed up with the plastic made to look like wood effect?

budgie22

timber all the time the wood effect on my windows is peeling and blistering after 9 years

BryanF

That's nice. This thread is being locked as it nearly as old as the windows.