Currently, there are three types of windows on the market — aluminum, plastic (PVC), and wood. Many potential customers are asking quite an obvious question — which windows are better? Like all products, different types of windows have their pros and cons. In this review, we will consider the main ones.

Pros and Cons of Wooden Windows

Wood is one of those materials whose properties are known thoroughly. It is natural, environmentally friendly, and, with proper operation, durable material with good thermal insulation characteristics.

A specific property of a tree is drying out. Over time, the resins contained in the wood evaporate, as a result of which the wooden parts decrease in size. Because of this, cracks appeared in the windows, and they lost their original tightness and heat-saving qualities.

In modern wooden windows like https://www.ecolinewindows.ca/location/calgary/, the details are isolated from the external environment with special protective coatings that prevent the wood from drying out. However, the service life of these coatings is limited, and they have to be restored periodically. Manufacturers recommend varnishing windows at least once every 5 years. Here is a list of the main pros and cons of wooden windows:

Pros:

• The material is 100% natural and eco-friendly;
• Maintainability: in most cases, you can paint the window yourself;
• Good thermal insulation properties (provided that the window is maintained in good condition);

Cons:

• It is necessary to regularly update and restore the protective paintwork of the frames;
• Limited options in terms of design;
• Expensive:
• Wood is a flammable material.

Pros and Cons of PVC Windows

For many people, it is important to keep the heat in the house, so many consumers choose PVC windows. Since plastic has thermal protection and tightness, it can easily cope with this task. However, such windows do not “breathe” at all, respectively, condensation will form. As a result, it is required to ventilate the room several times a day or install an additional aeromat ventilator.

Also, residents of megacities choose plastic windows for high soundproofing properties. Plastic double-glazed windows perfectly protect the house from extraneous noise coming from the street, whether it be the sounds of speeding cars or construction work.

In addition to these advantages, we can add that plastic windows are not afraid of rotting and pests. Unlike wooden frames, they do not need regular painting and impregnation with protective substances. Plastic windows are durable, easy to install and maintain. Temperature changes, like precipitation, will not cause any harm to plastic.

In addition to the traditional white, the colour scheme of the frame can be made in various shades or imitate wood. An important point is an affordable price compared to high-quality wooden, aluminum windows, which are several times more expensive than PVC.

Pros and Cons of Aluminum Windows

Aluminum is a lightweight and durable material, thanks to which aluminum window elements do not need to be reinforced. With equal strength and rigidity, they are narrower and more compact than PVC profile frames. An aluminum profile is used for glazing a large area — winter gardens, terraces, verandas, etc. Durable, light, and functional doors and sliding partitions are made of aluminum.

Since aluminum has a very good thermal conductivity, it is necessary to use special thermal insulating spacers and plastic spacers in the design of warm glazing. This complicates the design of warm aluminum glazing and increases its cost. Aluminum is an almost ideal material for cold glazing.

Pros:

• Compactness, due to good strength and rigidity, the frames are made narrower — this improves the light transmission of windows;
• Lightweight;
• Durability;
• High reliability;
• Undemanding in operation;
• The stylish and modern appearance of aluminum windows.

Cons:

• Aluminum retains heat worse;
• Complex and expensive technical solutions have to be applied to improve the thermal insulation characteristics.

Conclusion

At the end of this review, it is worth noting that each type of window has its pros and cons. Therefore, it is worth choosing based on your preferences. So if you need a large and durable stained-glass window, aluminum is definitely the best choice. If you want the most practical windows that will last for many years without repair, then PVC is worth it. And finally, if you think that naturalness and environmental friendliness is the most important indicator, then wooden windows are what you need.