Hardwood vs softwood windows

0bened0

Hi

I'm currently replacing naff old leaky upvc windows with nice new wooden sash ones, and was wondering if anyone has any advice on whether its worth getting hardwood ones installed over softwood ones. I know that the hardwood will be harder wearing and I'm unlikely to have to do much, if any maintenance on them, but is it worth paying a third as much again to save the hassle?

Thanks

leveller2911

0bened0 wrote: »

Hi

I'm currently replacing naff old leaky upvc windows with nice new wooden sash ones, and was wondering if anyone has any advice on whether its worth getting hardwood ones installed over softwood ones. I know that the hardwood will be harder wearing and I'm unlikely to have to do much, if any maintenance on them, but is it worth paying a third as much again to save the hassle?

Thanks

A decent hardwood such as Sapele,Iroko or Oak will last far longer than softwoods with one exception. Some companies will pressure treat softwood to make it more durable but the down side its its not as stable as hardwood so it tends to expand and contract more during the seasons. The only decent softwood is Douglas Fir which is on a par with the hardwoods.All timber windows will need some maintenance over the years.

I would be interested to know what you have been quoted as a hardwood window shouldn't cost 33% more than softwood.

EDIT: Some hardwoods such as Meranti are not as durable as those I mentioned above.

0bened0

to compare costs, we have a large sliding sash window, with lead weights in softwood at £900, with the equivalent window in Utile coming in at £1180.

We live in a coastal area and so they are going to take quite a battering in the winter months.

leveller2911

0bened0 wrote: »

to compare costs, we have a large sliding sash window, with lead weights in softwood at £900, with the equivalent window in Utile coming in at £1180.

We live in a coastal area and so they are going to take quite a battering in the winter months.[/

QUOTE]


Those prices are very cheap, what size are they(height & width)?

What timber have they quoted for? Softwood pressure treated? Does the company have a website?.

If you on the coast I wouldn't recommend softwood and you will need to decorate them regularly.

Utile is a decent hardwood, along with being double glazed with lead weights they sound way too cheap to me.

0bened0

That window was just over 1100mm on a side. The price doesn't include fitting btw.

leveller2911

0bened0 wrote: »

That window was just over 1100mm on a side. The price doesn't include fitting btw.[/

QUOTE]


Roughly there will be approx £400 in material costs alone which leaves around £780-00 for labour to make it. There is a fair amount of work in a sash window but savings can be made by making volume so 5 windows will be cheaper per window than making one.

Are there any glazing bars in the sashes? This can add to the cost of manufacture.

Does that price include VAT?. If it does Its very,very cheap,almost sounds too good to be true so I would recommend getting 2 more quotes.

I would love to see some of their finished work and see what the workmanship is like. They may be fine but it sounds too cheap to me.

Fitting wise I always allow 1 day for 1 man for each window. Lay dust sheets in the room,take out the existing window,fit new,cord sashes,fit new inside linings and architraves and possibly tile stops to the outside and clear up/hoover up.

0bened0

We are having plain sash windows, without any bars. They are going to be factory finished. The guys doing it are Celtic Cross Joinery in Trewellard (can't post link!). The prices are ex VAT. Do you think softwood would be a bad idea in this sort of climate (west Cornwall)?

cyclonebri1

I wouldn't entertain softwood even if 25% cheaper.

The hardwood 10ft bay windows are now 25 years old, still look and infact are as new, they face the SWesterlies we get here too.

Fit quality and forget.;);)

electricdreams

I'm having the same deliberation, only it's not just the price difference. A fensa company has quoted me for engineered redwood heartwood windows, which includes a 10 year guarantee. An local joinery who specialise in wooden windows and orangeries have quoted me for hardwood sapele, but they don't offer any kind of guarantee and aren't fensa registered (so I'd have to do the building regs myself too)

Decisions, decisions

DirectDebacle

I too live on the S.W. coast. My softwood sash windows are now 150 years old. Well made and well maintained joinery should last for generations. In that context a 10year guarantee is really neither here nor there.

cyclonebri1

DirectDebacle wrote: »

I too live on the S.W. coast. My softwood sash windows are now 150 years old. Well made and well maintained joinery should last for generations. In that context a 10year guarantee is really neither here nor there.

I thing the issue is the timber your windows were made from was 100 years old forest grown when it was used back then, today they use 10year old "saplings" of the fastest growing timber.