Wood Windows

Well... if you read my resume you know that I have extensive experience with Wood products.  They have name recognition and a wonderful look. They are truly outstanding....when you build your home and you have it built for the window sizes available through your manufacturer. But here's the bad news... if you aren't building your home with wood windows in mind, they really don't fit as easily as we'd hope they would.  

Example: A size I order a lot in Texas is a 36" X 52" retrofit brick window (actual size 35 3/4" X 51 3/4"

Andersen, Pella, Kolbe and Kolbe, and Marvin build windows in certain sizes...no bigger...no smaller...have a look at the sizes available at Andersen Double Hung Window Sizing Chart  Or at the Pella Size Chart.

Andersen's closest size offering is 35 5/8" X 48 7/8".  Great for width, Just under three inches shorter than my preferred size.

Pella does offer custom sizing in the Architect Series but it drives the cost up to 750 and up, then jamb extensions, interior casing and labor is on top of that.  Note that the closest we get to a 35 3/4" X 51 3/4" from Pella is a 3347 (33" X 47") in standard sizing. Both considerably narrower and shorter than my preferred size.

It is up to the carpenter to make most wood windows fit in that opening and look good...Custom Sizes are usually not available, and too pricey when you do see them.  This can be expensive in labor due to build outs, build ins, and trim costs to case the interior and exterior. 

I've never done a house full without having at least one or two windows end up being 3 or 4 inches too short or two narrow.......this means building in and wide interior trim at the very least, and in many cases, sheetrock...topping compound...texturing. and interior wall painting to attain our finished product. 

Most wood windows require jamb extensions that float them to the inside of the home (flush with the interior sheetrock) where they are then cased with interior door casing (similar to our bow and bay units or your front entry doors) .  If you desire an actual window sill... you need to special order that at the time of the placement of your order. 

Installation Cost : Varies from unit to unit but starts at $250.00 per window.  Twins count as two units.  Trim costs are additional.

These require extensive planning.  I recommend looking through the companies web site (whoever it may be) and determine which models are closest to the openings in your home. When we compare the exact unit sizes of the unit your considering and compare it with the opening sizes on your home it helps paint a picture of how much trimming,  filling or cutting will be necessary to install the windows in your home.

My personal favorite here is the Jeldwen.  It has the aluminum exterior (that just looks more "commercial" to me as opposed to Andersen's vinyl exterior).  It can run from 700 to 1200 dollars for the unit.

There are options for many applications

The wood window of the future isn't wood at all.  Alside has a wood grained interior vinyl unit. Royal Windows makes a simulated divided lite window in vinyl. They are both more cost effective than a true wood unit and can be custom sized.   

These are some of the most interesting alternatives to standard wood that I've seen.  Both options can really look like wood.  They have the wood look, custom sizing, grids, argon gas, maintenance free exterior and a reasonable price tag.  Grids can be standard white, sculptured white, simulated wood, or brass between the panes.  They are available in standard spacing or a variety of custom grid set ups. For the divided lite aesthetic you really do have some choices in vinyl if the exterior colors of white or beige are acceptable. For a Wood Grained interior you have some choices as well but are still relegated to white, beige, or a chocolate brown exterior. All other exterior cladding colors and paintable exterior products will be wood units.