Sash windows - wood or uPVC?

[MightyMeerkat]

Just that really. I've had a quote and due to COVID and Brexit the cost is pretty much the same for wood and high spec uPVC. I'm tempted by wood because they look the best. But I like the idea of no maintenance with uPVC. Any experiences? Would it affect you buying a house if it had wood or uPVC? Most of my neighbours have uPVC and they look okay.

I have a newish build with wooden windows. They are less than 20 years old, but rotting in places and would need painting every few years to keep them in good shape. The cost of scaffolding and for a decent painter has out me off doing this. I would go UPVC to avoid the upkeep.

I've just paid for wood because our property is victorian so wanted to be in 'keeping' for older properties uPVC can devalue the property as people put a premium on the heritage and original features.

Yes, wooden windows need maintenance but at least they can be maintained with paint and the work of a skilled joiner. Once uPVC start to deteriorate you have no choice but to replace.

It depends. If they are really nice UPVC sash windows with all the pretty bits that wood ones have that look just the same and that work the same way, then I'd probably be happy with UPVC. If they're not, then I'd go for the wood.

I'd go for high end composite, the sash ones that look fairly indistinguishable from wood. I have upvc, cheaper ones, and will be changing them as soon as budget allows. But I have had wood ones, and if primed and painted properly last quite some time before needing maintenance- had some 6-8 years and look fine.

We put in Masterframe Bygone collection UPVC sash windows about 3 years ago and have never regretted it.

We live in a conservation zone so they were the only UPVC product we were allowed to use. They look absolutely perfect, are extremely high quality and honestly no-one can tell they are not wood.

We have had so many compliments about them since they were installed. A lot of which start with people telling us how much nicer our wood windows look than nasty UPVC!

https://www.masterframe.co.uk

Thank you all. The ones I've been quoted for are the Bygone ones. I think I've decided on UPVC. I just can't face the maintenance of wood. Especially having lived with painted shut windows for the last 5 years - it was awful during the heatwave!

I recently had wood put in. Every day I look at them and think about how I'm glad we paid the extra for the wood ones! I don't think it affects the value of a house but if two neighbouring houses were for sale and otherwise identical I'd buy the one with wood. This is all assuming it's an old house!

I've got the Masterframe upvc ones as well, and don't regret it. Definitely worth paying extra (I think it was about 10%) for the wood grain effect finish, rather than the shiny plastic. The integral horns really help them look like the real (wood) deal too!

We had sashes from Bygone Windows (don’t know whether they’re still going) which are made with period detail and with a wood effect UPVC which you have to get up close to, to see that they’re not the real thing.

We had neo-Georgian type sashes with those little panes. - the wood bits were a nightmare to paint, and they needed doing every 3 years, which took forever* or cost a fortune if we paid someone else. The new windows have exactly the same style of pane dividers, on the outside, not plain strips in between the glazing, like most UPVC windows.

They were considerably more expensive than standard UPVC windows but were entirely happy with them.

*the last time I did it, it took me 3 whole days to paint the double sash of our bedroom window, and that was just the inside.

@ChequerBoard

We put in Masterframe Bygone collection UPVC sash windows about 3 years ago and have never regretted it.

We live in a conservation zone so they were the only UPVC product we were allowed to use. They look absolutely perfect, are extremely high quality and honestly no-one can tell they are not wood.

We have had so many compliments about them since they were installed. A lot of which start with people telling us how much nicer our wood windows look than nasty UPVC!

[[https://www.masterframe.co.uk]]

These do look fantastic. Are you able to share approx cost?

I agree with PP, on a period building, wood (or wood effect like the masterframe linked above) makes such a difference. It just looks so much better. I do think people 'mark down' period properties that have non wood looking windows. I remember a friend offering on a house, and reducing the offer price by the cost of having to replace the shiny uPVC.

Any reason you are going with sash? What era is your house? Have you considered stainless steel?

We currently have wooden, crittal, but going with a stainless steel, heritage look. uPVC is just too fat and plasticy looking and not in keeping with what is currently there. If your house is fairly modern, a thin uPVC can look ok.

I don't think they use the same quality seasoned wood today we have original wooden sash windows they are 134 years old the wood hasn't rotted, why can't people make things that will last

Wood, you can always tell plastic and I think it looks awful, especially on sash windows. If you want plastic, maybe just convert to regular windows it’s probably cheaper.

@ChequerBoard they look great. Have been looking for companies to quote on a bespoke window we need replacing and they look perfect, thanks

If you’re interested in sustainability rather than just a 25-20 year medium term time frame, wood is the thing. It might need maintenance but not not replacement and landfill.
Lots of houses still have their original sash windows and ifaintained will last many more years still. But to go for this option you need to be considering more than just price and maintenance levels while you live there. Most people say they are interested in green issues...but it doesn’t extend to things which might require more work or possibly higher price.

@AllTheCakes I suspect your new build had softwood windows, whereas made to measure sash windows are usually hardwood and last.
They do need maintenance but ours is currently on a 8yr cycle so it's not too onerous and we pay someone to do it.
We replace 150yo wooden sashes (because we wanted them to be double glazed) and there was no rot.
We replaced with hardwood made to measure sashes because they could be made to replicate exactly what we had and are beautiful. People can't tell them from the originals from outside but we can tell as they now open, and are very warm!