Oak Windows or Wood grain finish on Plastic

Yorkie1

uPVC windows will always require less maintenance than wood, and will almost invariably be quite a bit less money than wood.

When I came to replace my original windows with DG ones, I wanted wood, but couldn't afford it and didn't want the hassle of maintaining them. Briefly considered aluminium ones to give the colour effect I wanted through painting, but eventually went back to the uPVC choice.

I completely agree with the poster who suggested that you look at a property where the oak effect uPVC have been installed. I have seen some which look really cheap and nasty, and not really like wood at all. If you have paid a lot of money for windows, you want to be sure that they look like what you expected.

murphydog999

We are going though a similar process, however we have 34 windows to replace so it makes a hell-of-a difference to what we choose.

I know it's slightly different to you, (but you may want to consider it) I've seen painted wood and foil-backed painted uPVC windows side by side in a showroom, and looks-wise you cannot tell the difference.

A lot of the 'plastic' wood effect doesn't look right. I drove past an old property yesterday that had, quite clearly, changed their windows to oak effect, plus oak effect front door, and even with it being set well back off the road, you could tell they were plastic. It ruined the look of a lovely old building.

Some companies products are better than others, you need to see samples in the flesh, in my opinion the lighter wood effect tends to look more artificial than darker wood colours.

We would prefer timber but I really can't see the budget taking it, if you haven't looked at foil-backed painted uPVC, it might be worth investigating?

Here's a couple of links
http://www.glasstecwindows.co.uk/products/window/25-coloured-windows
http://www.rehauhome.com/colourselector.aspx

pka_2

thebaldwindowfitter wrote: »

why is it that this forum is now becoming a forum where people feel the need to put other peoples ideas down

thebaldwindowfitter wrote: »

your initial response and your opinion i feel is unwarranted .

A little bit hypocritical there don't you think?

thebaldwindowfitter

pka wrote: »

A little bit hypocritical there don't you think?

Not at all , your opinion in the first instance could of been worded better ie instead of you saying that one of the options the op has as being crap im sure as an educated person you could use other words .After all you found a different way of giving your opinion in your second post

ValHaller

thebaldwindowfitter wrote: »

Not at all , your opinion in the first instance could of been worded better ie instead of you saying that one of the options the op has as being crap im sure as an educated person you could use other words .After all you found a different way of giving your opinion in your second post

I don't think that the way in which the opinion was expressed is all that important.

It is a valid opinion too. If I was buying a house, then wood effect uPVC would put me off big time. I think it looks naff, really naff. Now, if it has an effect on the possible resale of the property, it is right to mention it so that OP can take it into account in making their decision.

Sorry to say, I think you doth protest too much. Is it the case that you have an interest in selling wood effect uPVC?

LEJC

Again I come into the thread having almost finished a total refurb on a house....
I guess you have a total budget for all your work and what you need to do is fit something in keeping with that budget...
Yes I agree with the others who say wood will be expensive and you say that tradesmen have also indicated this too ...but have you actually had anyone give you a price?
I ask this because there is a diiference in peoples expectation of what is expensive and to be honest if you value the inclusion of solid wood windows then it could turn out to be the better..although more expensive option

What you also need to make sure that doesnt happen is that your budget runs away with you...its very easy to upgrade things in the beginning of the project but you need to make sure that you have sufficient funding to finish everything to a comparable standard...again its lovely to have expensive windows but you also need to consider the price of a kitchen or bathroom etc.

I would have loved to install wooden double glazed sash windows in our property but the reality of it was that it would have been at the expense of the kitchen...which is something we use on a more regular basis than the casings of the windows...

just to put things in perspective for you we are renovating a 2 bed property completely and we are not far off finishing...its taken a year and we have had to do a little more work ourselves than we would have liked in order to stay on budget...but we should bring it all in at around £40k

cyclonebri1

I think you got this 1 very wrong BWF, we all misread from time to time, best action is admit it and regain some credibility, made enough upcocks myself to know this.


Oak window frames??, :money: they are not, ask anyone who lives in a conservation area or in a listed building.

The other issue is, even if you went with an oak window, is that after a year or so it takes on a silver colour that looks nothing like you mat think oak should look like.
Oak isn't finished, by which I mean it ages naturally and loses it's golden brown colour, if you want it to look like new oak, then it has to be plastic.

Edited to say;

I absolutely love solid oak, have it everywhere internally, PVCu oak windows?, nah, not for me, they simply look artificial.

Each to his/her own OP, you make your own decision.:T:T

thebaldwindowfitter

ValHaller wrote: »

I don't think that the way in which the opinion was expressed is all that important.

It is a valid opinion too. If I was buying a house, then wood effect uPVC would put me off big time. I think it looks naff, really naff. Now, if it has an effect on the possible resale of the property, it is right to mention it so that OP can take it into account in making their decision.

Sorry to say, I think you doth protest too much. Is it the case that you have an interest in selling wood effect uPVC?

i think youll find if you read my posts you will find i havent said to go for either what i have objected to is somebody calling one of the ops choice crap and i dont see the need you yourself give a similiar opinion naff you use though you have liked the posters comment because you agree with there view this is a public forum where people are asking opinions not to be bullied into having something because certain people call there second choice .I only buy a certain german brand of car but am not that blinkered that i cannot see the good in others

thebaldwindowfitter

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

I think you got this 1 very wrong BWF, we all misread from time to time, best action is admit it and regain some credibility, made enough upcocks myself to know this.


Oak window frames??, :money: they are not, ask anyone who lives in a conservation area or in a listed building.

The other issue is, even if you went with an oak window, is that after a year or so it takes on a silver colour that looks nothing like you mat think oak should look like.
Oak isn't finished, by which I mean it ages naturally and loses it's golden brown colour, if you want it to look like new oak, then it has to be plastic.

Edited to say;

I absolutely love solid oak, have it everywhere internally, PVCu oak windows?, nah, not for me, they simply look artificial.

Each to his/her own OP, you make your own decision.:T:T

i admitted i got the ops original post wrong on post 12 .what i dont agree to is to many people on here trying to bully people with there opinions

ValHaller

thebaldwindowfitter wrote: »

i think youll find if you read my posts you will find i havent said to go for either what i have objected to is somebody calling one of the ops choice crap and i dont see the need you yourself give a similiar opinion naff you use though you have liked the posters comment because you agree with there view this is a public forum where people are asking opinions not to be bullied into having something because certain people call there second choice .I only buy a certain german brand of car but am not that blinkered that i cannot see the good in others

Indeed this is a public forum and the OP is asking opinions. Someone said they look 'carp', I say they are naff. Those are opinions.

If you think the finish is wonderful, then say so. But you look rather pathetic - or even hypocritical - trying to make out that people are bullying for expressing their opinions on wood effect uPVC, while all the time you are trying to bully people into not expressing adverse opinions about wood effect uPVC.

Are you embarrassed because you have done your house in wood effect uPVC?