Which window is better: plastic or wooden
The most important step in the repair of any house or apartment is the replacement of windows. Only by choosing the right window, you can count on good thermal insulation and long operational life. The main competitors in the market are plastic and wood. Which window is better: plastic or wooden – difficult to solve. To make the right decision, it is necessary to examine the proposals and independently understand the existing nuances.
Modern windows
Choosing a window, you can get confused from the first seconds, as the range is really impressive. Manufacturers use a variety of materials for making windows:
- PVC;
- glued laminated timber;
- solid timber;
- metal;
- combinations of these materials.
The most popular are plastic and wood. It is between them that one often has to choose a client. To find out which windows are better, it is necessary to consider their advantages, disadvantages, and also features of operation.
Very popular are the combined models, where the metal is in harmony with plastic or wood.
Plastic windows
It is worth noting that it is modern and polyvinyl chloride is more attractive due to its list of advantages.
Benefits:
- Convenient and practical PVC construction is easily mounted in any window opening, besides, you can cope with this work yourself. It is not necessary to call the wizard or use the additional services of the manufacturer.
- A high rate of thermal and sound insulation provide modern windows. They may also be different. Depending on the number of glasses distinguish one-, two- and three-chamber.
- The rubber seal will not let through the draft and frost from the street, which means that in winter time you will not have to plug gaps or glue the seal.
- The smooth and smooth surface of the plastic is easily cleaned with water or ordinary detergents, so window care will not cause any inconvenience.
- They do not need to be painted.
- The upper ventilation mode will allow fresh air to circulate properly in the room, and even in cold winters the temperature will not drop. In the summer, when the window opens completely, the included mosquito net will not allow insects to get inside the house.
- The modern design is complemented by high-quality and durable fittings that will last a very long time.
In order for all these benefits to be realized, it is necessary to choose a quality manufacturer, as well as closely monitor the installation process, since at this stage a maximum of errors is allowed.
If the white color of the plastic windows does not fit into the given interior, you can order a laminated plastic window of the selected color.
The second side of the medal are flaws, which also need to be considered:
- In each room there should be at least one opening window, otherwise in summer it will be very stuffy and hot, which will also affect indoor plants and air humidity indicators.
- It should be borne in mind that the main material is still artificial, which means that on hot days, under the influence of high temperatures, a small amount of harmful substances can be released from the structure.
- The most basic problem of plastic constructions is the impossibility of repairing mechanical damage, that is, plastic cannot be repaired or restored. Deep scratches, marks from strong blows and similar defects are solved by replacing the window.
Although polyvinyl chloride does not belong to fragile materials, it should still be handled with care.
Wood windows
This is no less common option. But, than wooden windows are better than plastic? It is also worth exploring the list of differences, advantages and disadvantages of the design.
Benefits:
- Environmental friendliness. Wood is a natural material that is used not only in construction, but also in decoration.
- Harmony. Wood combines very well with other materials, such as brick and stone.
- Air pocket. There is a sufficiently large distance between the doors, which made it possible to increase noise insulation and thermal insulation.
- Microclimate. Natural material breathes in a natural way, so the air will nest inside the room even if the window is closed. As a result, a comfortable microclimate will be created.
- Installation. As in the previous case, it will be necessary to take into account several important points, but in general, the process is somewhat simplified.
Manufacturers offer two options for windows made of wood - they are eurowindows and woodwork.
There are fewer disadvantages here, but you need to know about them:
- There is no way to lock the sash in the desired position. So, if there is a strong wind outside, the vents may break, slamming together.
- If the window design was made of poor-quality, poorly dried wood, then during the first year it will change its geometry. As a result, cracks will appear.
- Care requires a lot of attention and care. Windows will need to be washed from all sides, which takes a lot of time, considering that the frames are double. When airing a large amount of dust and dirt will get into the inner compartment, which means that wet cleaning will be needed here.
When buying, you should check the quality of the protective coating that covered the tree.
Wooden eurowindows
Before you decide which windows to choose, you should familiarize yourself with one more view - these are eurowindows from wood. Despite the fact that such models are a type of the above described group, due to their great popularity they are referred to as a separate category. Consumer excitement is justified by the following features:
- the use of natural materials;
- reliable windows;
- modern design;
- high-quality fittings.
Manufacturers pay special attention to wood. So, in most cases, glued laminated timber is used, which provides high strength as well as dimensional stability of the window. But it is worth remembering that only quality treated wood will not crack, crack and be affected by temperature and humidity.
Add a few more pluses:
- the ability to control and fix the valves in the mode of ventilation;
- availability of single-chamber and two-chamber models;
- air circulation;
- large selection of colors;
- high rate of fire resistance (additional processing with special fire retardants);
- the ability to carry out repair and restoration work.
Unlike its counterpart, eurowindows are practically free from shortcomings. Yet there is one important point - it is the need for regular coverage updates (once every 5 years). Modern paintwork materials are constantly being improved, which allows for updating less frequently than indicated in the instructions.
In the manufacture of glass for eurowindows no innovation is used, since the technology is universal and brought to perfection.
As you can see, each type of window has both advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, deciding which window is better, it is necessary to consider each situation individually. Equally important is the price. For example, wooden windows have a greater number of advantages, which should include naturalness, but unlike practical plastic, their cost is slightly higher.
Video
In more detail the comparison of plastic and wooden windows is carried out in the following video: