Timber-look upvc sash... anyone?

[LadyHalesBroach]

Hive mind, has anyone replaced their windows with timber/wood ‘look’ upvc sash windows?

How much cost roughly per window and any recommendations for suppliers?

We were going to do it but ended up moving instead. Best we found were this company:

www.sashwindowsuk.com/

We've replaced one so far because we don't have the money to do the whole house at once. £950 for supply and fit of a 1m x 1.7m double glazed tilt and turn sash window, white wood effect. Local firm.

Think carefully before replacing original windows in period properties - some people will pay more for original windows and you could de-value your home! There are companies which will renovate your windows, add draught proofing etc. Which will cost less than new windows. 100 year old windows have been made with wood which is much longer lasting than any new windows would be.

If your house feels cold you might be better off with good secondary glazing and you keep the period charm of your house.

I would agree with bilbodog. Be very very careful replacing original windows with UPVC. It never looks anything other than cheap and nasty. There are so many great options for upgrading existing sashes to double glazing.

Not the OP but we weren't/aren't replacing original windows. We're reinstating sash ones to replace the grim "40% offer yelled at you by salespeople if you do much as step near B&Q" plastic ones all over the house.

Such snobbery around UPvc windows! I trust the "wood is best" brigade ensure the wood used to make their windows is ethically sourced rather than shipped half way around the world from a rainforest that's being deforested to make way for palm oil production.

Many people are unable to afford to replace windows with wood, I know when I replaced mine, wood came out at double the cost.

I have been researching this, we don’t have sash windows though.

Have a look on this site to see if they do Sash Windows: www.benchmarkwindows.co.uk/

Thanks for the advise but I’m actually replacing ‘modern’ double glazing installed by previous owner in the 90s with more sympathetic ones.

Up can wood never looks great though. In the past houses had painted windows by and large. We have modern wood sash windows in our London flat. They are painted white and look smart. Wood look would have been awful.

In some instances wood upvc can be great but in the right property.

My pix didn’t attach!

We are putting uPVC flush sash windows in our extension. Things have come quite a long way from bog standard white bulky PVC frames.

Something a bit like this;

www.heritagewindowcollection.co.uk/the-collection/flush-sash-windows/

Would I love to have wood? sure... But there is no way we could afford it and the maintenance on our existing wooden ones is a pain in the bum.

We paid 5k last year for bay (3 windows) and 2 bedroom windows. Victorian house with high ceilings, so the windows are big.

That was without the 'wood effect' foil covering though. Would have been an extra grand, IIRC, but we decided it wasn't worth it (did a drive by of a house the company had installed them in).

We're happy with the look - not as nice as wood, but much better than the ones we replaced.

@BustPipes Would you mind telling me your ceiling height/window size? We need to do our bay and two bedroom windows but we also need to do ::gestures at cursed house:: everything so trying to figure out if it's a thing we should even try to get quotes for or just live with while we save/piss money up the wall on this wreck.

@burritofan

No problem - I know the feeling!

Bedroom windows 2 x 100cm x 170cm - £1k each
Bay 1 x 90cm x 180cm + 2 X 70cm x 180cm - £3.2k

The firm we used comes round and measures up and gives you a quote. Once you've accepted that, the proper fitter comes and measures up properly, and then they make them ( takes a few weeks) and fit.

The preciousnessness about plastic windows does make me laugh.

Fine if you’re in a period house worth upwards of £500k, and also can afford to invest in quality new wood, and to pay for quality decorators over the years.

Where I live the average Victorian terraced house costs under £150k, the original windows were ripped out in the 60s (along with the doors), and the weather makes installing plastic a necessity.

We had new Sash windows last year. We put real wood in the front and fake wood effect UPVC in the back.

I joke to my husband that the fake ones look nicer and more realistic. They also open inwards for easy cleaning. I wouldn’t install real wood again.

I have had these for about 11 years now and love them:

Bygone Sash Windows

The timber effect foiling is key, and integral horns rather than stuck on later!

Looked into this a few years ago for the same reasons as the op. There are wood-effect upvc windows out there that are very convincing - I assumed from looking at the display in the shop window that I was seeing two white-painted wooden sash windows. Only one was wood. I remember it all being explained, and one of the details was that they had mortise and tenon joints rather than the diagonal joints you see on upvc windows. The frames were also the same dimensions as if they were originals made from wood, which is not usually the case.

They weren't cheap, but they weren't as expensive as wood either. The shop we visited had three lines - these, wood and a standard upvc sash window as the cheapest option.

I'd budget around 1k per window for supply and fit. Look for though horns (not stuck on), mechanical joints (not diagonal), deeper bottom rail, narrow meeting rail. Can you tell I've spent a lot of time looking at windows lately?
pvc sashes are never going to have the charm of original windows, but if they're long gone I think they're an excellent compromise.

I’m going through this mainly as my bay window is very leaky. I’m hoping to replace the front of the house windows (1 huge bay and 3 windows) and keep original wood sashes at the back which have already been refurbished and now to be painted.

I’m using the roseview heritage collection with integral horns and foiled wood effect. It costs 1k per sash window and bay is £1850 but would cost more if sash bay.

We've just had the 'traditional' upvc window installed. Honestly, it looks way better than our wooden ones!

We recently put wood effect upvc windows in an outbuilding and they are not nice. Yes they have a wood effect but there is no getting away from the fact they still look like UPVC and I paid for all the upgrades to get them looking the least upvc possible.

If you buy upvc they will look like upvc!

@birdbrained looks lovely. Do you mind me asking what supplier?

Some of the flush upvc foiled windows do look very good now , they look better when they don’t have the plastic cill on them and are fitted on to brick or stone cills. I think if they fitted fake little butt hinges on them a lot of people would not be able to tell the difference.

I wouldn’t fit wooden windows anymore upvc and aluminium have come along way from when they first hit the market years ago , and will only get better.

The window about is from residence ( you can just see it at the bottom ) 🙂

The ones like that with the timber joint detail look good . A few companies do it as opposed to the mitre joint on the corners.