Replacing wooden windows with plastic ones

Windows are one of the main channels for heat loss, so replacing windows in a wooden house with plastic ones is a mandatory operation in a set of measures to reduce heating costs. It is also important that when installing modern double-glazed windows inside the house, the noise level is reduced by an order of magnitude.

The only objection that can be opposed to the beneficial qualities of PVC windows is that they do not quite fit into the concept of an eco-friendly home and require the installation of additional supply and exhaust ventilation channels.

This is true, but all other solutions are either insufficiently effective in sound insulation and thermal protection, or are much more expensive.

Separately, we note that modern wooden windows almost completely replicate the design of PVC windows; just like plastic ones, they can be two- or three-chamber, but at the same time, they are more complex to manufacture (hence, more expensive).

To learn how to install new windows in a log house yourself, read our article “How to install PVC windows in a wooden house yourself: step-by-step instructions.”

Pros and cons of wood

Wood has a number of advantages and disadvantages. Its numerous advantages are quite significant.

Beautiful material. Natural solid wood has such an attractive textured relief that it cannot be compared with any other building material.
Strength, durability. Timely care and the use of special processing compounds extend the service life of products.
The simplicity of wood processing allows you to create structures of non-standard geometric shapes (in the form of an arch or a circle).
Ease of repair and replacement of failed parts of the window unit.
High thermal insulation rate. The natural porosity of wood, the presence of air in the capillaries, allows wooden frames and shutters to dampen sound vibrations. They retain heat better, unlike a plastic profile of equal thickness. This is an important quality for those living in harsh climatic conditions.

The disadvantages of wood products include several features.

Sensitivity to moisture. When exposed to water, the properties of wood deteriorate. This leads to a change in the shape of the structure.
Use of chemicals for processing. This reduces the environmental friendliness of the material.
High price.
The need for periodic staining.

Wood, even treated with special mixtures, is characterized by high flammability.

When deciding which window is better to install, wooden or plastic, it is worth considering all the factors.

Advantages of wooden windows

There is a widespread belief that a plastic window is much better than a wooden one. However, is it really that bad? Despite popular perceptions, wood structures have many advantages:

Environmentally friendly material . Old frames were produced back in the days when they had no idea about harmful industries and the addition of various impurities to building materials. Modern technologies, although advanced, often hide great dangers to the health of consumers. PVC (polyvinyl chloride) used in the manufacture of plastic windows, when burned, releases toxic substances that are dangerous to life. This applies to most polymers when they reach the point of decomposition. As a result, the air becomes real poison, with a high concentration of harmful substances. The decomposition process is also called depolymerization, a remedy for which has not yet been found. After some 8-10 years of using a plastic structure, the material used gradually becomes dangerous (if the surface layer of the profile is severely damaged) for surrounding people. Installing a new window in the bedroom is more dangerous - as a rule, there is no ventilation in the room, and the toxic formaldehyde released freely walks around the apartment, stimulating the growth of dangerous diseases. Compared to such dangers, a wooden frame becomes a more attractive option.
The service life of a high-quality wood product significantly exceeds that of its plastic counterpart. Many people know that a frame made of natural wood can last for decades. Almost half a century of service without major structural damage is common for wood. A window for the average homeowner has not yet been invented that would faithfully serve for such a significant period, not to mention the fragile fittings installed in the PVC structure, which require periodic adjustment and sometimes replacement.
Possibility to choose a color to match the interior . The most effective and easiest way to transform a wooden frame is to paint it to match the color of the interior. Finding the right shade will not be difficult at all. With a complete restyling, the frame is cleaned with a grinder and then polished. Repair work is simple and does not require additional protective equipment. If the issue of painting arose when installing a plastic window, you will need especially durable overalls, the degree of protection reminiscent of chemical protective equipment for military personnel. Health is threatened by harmful substances released during processing. They penetrate the human body through the nose, mouth, are absorbed by the pores of the skin, and come from the air.

From our previous article you can find out which PVC windows are best installed in your home and why.

Pros and cons of PVC

Several qualities are considered to be the advantages of metal-plastic products.

Low heat loss, which is provided by 2 rubber sealing circuits. These elements prevent outside air from entering the room.
Excellent sound insulation.
Functionality. At the request of the customer, plastic structures are supplemented with auxiliary elements. They allow the doors to be opened in any direction.
The price of plastic products is lower.
Possibility of making different shapes and sizes.

When replacing wooden windows with plastic ones, you need to take into account the quality of the raw materials.

The disadvantages of PVC window blocks include:

lack of room ventilation with hermetically sealed doors is the cause of poor air circulation, condensation, and mold;
the release of toxic substances during combustion increases the risk of poisoning during a fire;
high maintenance requirements - periodic lubrication of mechanisms, replacement of seals and small elements.

Finding a good company will help prevent installation errors.

An incorrectly installed structure will cause numerous problems.

Advantages of plastic systems

By installing plastic windows, you get several advantages at the same time:

Get rid of drafts forever.

Plastic structures will ensure the tightness of the room, and you can ventilate the rooms by simply opening the doors slightly to the ventilation or ventilation mode. There is no need to annually seal cracks in wooden frames.

Easy to maintain.

The doors are very easy to operate with just one handle.

Minimal maintenance for plastic doors.

They do not need to be painted or impregnated with antiseptics or varnish. It is enough to lubricate the valve mechanism through special holes once every 2 years, and also once a year to clean it from dirt, and then lubricate the rubber seals.

Excellent appearance.

White or brown doors look much more attractive than shabby wooden frames.

The duration of active use is more than 30-40 years, subject to certain operating conditions.

During this time, the surfaces do not lose their color.

Plastic doors can not only be swung open, but also opened slightly in different planes, providing the maximum level of comfort.
High heat-saving and sound-proofing properties of plastic structures.
Plastic does not support combustion.
When heated by sunlight, plastic does not emit formaldehyde and is therefore harmless to health.

Restoration

It is not necessary to replace wooden windows with plastic ones when they are in satisfactory condition. It's better to restore them.

Repairs are carried out in the following cases:

damage to the paint layer;
breakage of fittings and misalignment of sashes;
the appearance of cracks;
formation of cracks on glass.

Compliance with restoration technology will help to recreate an old, shabby window. The characteristics of a properly repaired structure are no different from a new one.

Repairing a wooden window is a significant saving of money and a reduction in home heating costs.

Reasons for replacement

But there are cases when restoration is impractical. Reasons for replacing a wooden window:

dried out wooden structure;
complete loosening of the frames;
loose structure;
the appearance of dark spots under the paint (this indicates that the material is affected by rot);
serious damage;
severe deformation of frames.

It will no longer be possible to eliminate these defects through reconstruction. It is necessary to replace wooden windows with plastic ones. This will improve the quality of living in your home and minimize heat loss.

Features of old wooden windows

Before answering the question about the need for restoration, you need to understand that any window frames have a certain service life. In addition to their unaesthetic appearance, windows installed decades ago have the following disadvantages:

mold and mildew, which cannot always be seen with the naked eye;
rotting processes inside the tree;
appearance of insects;
cavities, holes and cracks on the internal and external surfaces of the frame and inside;
airflow and low noise insulation;
insufficient thermal insulation.

All this is not only unpleasant to the eye, but also poses serious threats to human health.

Consequences

Many owners complain that problems arise after installing metal-plastic double-glazed windows.

The appearance of condensation and mold.
A draft from the sash is solved by replacing the seal or adjusting it.
Draft from under the slopes. It is necessary to remove the old slopes, carry out work on insulation, waterproofing, and sealing the surface.
Handle jamming can be eliminated by cleaning, lubricating the mechanism, and replacing parts.
Distortion of the sash or the entire structure. They can be eliminated by adjustment or complete replacement of the structure.

Chips and cracks may appear on the glass. In these cases, the seal is broken. To eliminate this, the glass unit needs to be replaced.

Problems that arise as a result of replacing a wooden window with a plastic one can be easily solved. To avoid mistakes when installing it yourself, the work is entrusted to a specialist.

Installing a window with changing the opening size

Upper joint

In an old log house, the size of the window opening is not at all critical. It is easy to expand, which is often done by many owners of wooden houses who want to make their homes more sunny.

When changing a window and increasing its size, the most important thing is to correctly calculate the size of the opening, since most often the expansion is carried out to adapt to a certain format of the window frame.

During the calculations you should take into account:

The type of casing and the thickness of the boards from which it is made (usually 50 mm);
Tolerance for laying the seal between the casing and the ends of the logs (3-5 mm);
Technological gap and dimensions of the external window frame, if calculations are performed to match the opening with the given window dimensions (gap size: from 10 to 20 mm).
Window sill thickness;
The height of the compensation gap above the top crossbar of the casing (60 - 100 mm, for old houses 50 mm is enough).

Next, markings are made around the old opening using plumb lines and level gauges and a new opening is cut out.

Let us remind you that the opening should be marked in such a way that its upper and lower edges intersect the logs in the center. This recommendation is relevant only for log houses; in houses made of profiled or laminated timber, the upper and lower edges are already “formatted” in the required way.