Hardwood Windows
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Discussion

TownIdiot

Original Poster:

3,527 posts

15 months

Friday 14th February
quotequote all
After months and months of pissing about I have finally managed to get some windows installed
The windows are excellent but the people we used have been flaky to say the least.

I've now got an alternative joiner and wanted to see what people thought about the wood options

The windows just installed are Sapele wood and were painted prior to installation.

The new people have offered Meranti, but have also said they can do oak.

These will be primed and undercoated but painted once installed.

The windows are multi-pane sash windows.

Any major advantages in which wood to use?

wolfracesonic

8,266 posts

143 months

Friday 14th February
quotequote all
If they’re being painted Google ‘accoya’ windows.

TownIdiot

Original Poster:

3,527 posts

15 months

Friday 14th February
quotequote all
wolfracesonic said:
If they’re being painted Google ‘accoya’ windows.
Yes, they must be painted, made of wood and the same design as current.

I wasn't offered accoya as an option so I will have a look

PugwasHDJ80

7,615 posts

237 months

Friday 14th February
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I wouldn't be using hardwood at all for painted windows, I'd be using engineered wood.

https://www.inputjoinery.co.uk/ worth a look....

TownIdiot

Original Poster:

3,527 posts

15 months

Friday 14th February
quotequote all
PugwasHDJ80 said:
I wouldn't be using hardwood at all for painted windows, I'd be using engineered wood.

https://www.inputjoinery.co.uk/ worth a look....
Thanks

Their options are
Oak
Sapele
Accoya
And laminated softwood.

So is your suggestion of "engineered" the laminated softwood option?

PugwasHDJ80

7,615 posts

237 months

Friday 14th February
quotequote all
I beleive (as we have their windows) that all of their hardwoods are engineered.

Its not the type of wood so much as the method of construction that was important to me- engineered woods (basically GluLam frames) are incredibly stable so are much less likely to warp and far less likely to rot.

wolfracesonic

8,266 posts

143 months

Saturday 15th February
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Accoya isn’t a timber species as such but heavily processed pine, probably the most expensive out of those options. Worth Googling.

Cow Corner

575 posts

46 months

Saturday 15th February
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In our previous house we had several timber patio doors replaced in accoya. They were south facing and painted in a dark brown colour (I can’t remember the paint system unfortunately) and when I recently visited the house, they still looked brand new after 5 or 6 years.

Expensive, but extremely durable and really worth considering if you want to minimise maintenance.

TownIdiot

Original Poster:

3,527 posts

15 months

Saturday 15th February
quotequote all
A lot of love for accoya

I was leaning towards oak but I'll have another word with them.

goingonholiday

296 posts

197 months

Saturday 15th February
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We live 1200 feet up on the yorkshire moors and had accoya 4 years ago. They look exactly the same as they did the day they were fitted!

worsy

6,225 posts

191 months

Saturday 15th February
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Cow Corner said:
In our previous house we had several timber patio doors replaced in accoya. They were south facing and painted in a dark brown colour (I can’t remember the paint system unfortunately) and when I recently visited the house, they still looked brand new after 5 or 6 years.

Expensive, but extremely durable and really worth considering if you want to minimise maintenance.
+1

Ours have been in several years and were spray painted in the factory. Minimal maintenance has been required in that time, just some touching up on the cills where birds have shat on them.

https://www.cpjoinery.com/bespoke-timber-windows

PhilboSE

5,290 posts

242 months

Saturday 15th February
quotequote all
goingonholiday said:
We live 1200 feet up on the yorkshire moors and had accoya 4 years ago. They look exactly the same as they did the day they were fitted!
I have a house taking all the North Sea can throw at it and the windows all look the same as they did the day they were fitted - 200 years ago!

To be honest once you move away from softwood and apply sensible maintenance then anything else hardwood/accoya should outlive all of us.

Meranti was all the rage about 20 years ago because it wasn’t much more expensive than joinery grade softwood. It’s a bit brittle and trickier to work than something like Sapele or Iroko which many have moved over to.

Thing about oak is that the grain shows through the paint - which you may want, or not.

Accoya is good stuff and turns pine into something more durable - at a cost.

okgo

40,589 posts

214 months

Saturday 15th February
quotequote all
wolfracesonic said:
Accoya isn’t a timber species as such but heavily processed pine, probably the most expensive out of those options. Worth Googling.
I’ve just had 11 Accoya sash windows put in - they are a joy to use and look excellent. The opinion of the place who sold them was that they’ll likely do a decade without needing to even be looked at externally - maybe more.

They look almost exactly the same as the single glazed wood units they replaced but obviously block much more noise and let zero draft in. Only downside was cost at over £30k

TownIdiot

Original Poster:

3,527 posts

15 months

Saturday 15th February
quotequote all
okgo said:
I’ve just had 11 Accoya sash windows put in - they are a joy to use and look excellent. The opinion of the place who sold them was that they’ll likely do a decade without needing to even be looked at externally - maybe more.

They look almost exactly the same as the single glazed wood units they replaced but obviously block much more noise and let zero draft in. Only downside was cost at over £30k
I'm looking at roughly 3.5k per window. The difference in the cost of materials isn't that great in the grand scheme of things.
I'd be happy sticking with Sapele but I've not been impressed with the way the process has gone, hence moving joiners.

costsmonkey

177 posts

172 months

Saturday 15th February
quotequote all
okgo said:
I’ve just had 11 Accoya sash windows put in - they are a joy to use and look excellent. The opinion of the place who sold them was that they’ll likely do a decade without needing to even be looked at externally - maybe more.

They look almost exactly the same as the single glazed wood units they replaced but obviously block much more noise and let zero draft in. Only downside was cost at over £30k
We are also in London and looking foir decent long lasting timber windows - might you be able and willing to say who you used for your installation. The other firms mentined in the posts above look good but are all some distance away. Thanks

okgo

40,589 posts

214 months

Saturday 15th February
quotequote all
costsmonkey said:
We are also in London and looking foir decent long lasting timber windows - might you be able and willing to say who you used for your installation. The other firms mentined in the posts above look good but are all some distance away. Thanks
London Box Sash was who I went with. I was very impressed with it all.

costsmonkey

177 posts

172 months

Saturday 15th February
quotequote all
okgo said:
London Box Sash was who I went with. I was very impressed with it all.
Very kind and much appreciated, thank you.

Aluminati

2,921 posts

74 months

Saturday 15th February
quotequote all
We also have Accoya, no swelling or jamming between seasons.