At first glance, everyone has the impression that PVC windows are the best solution for renewing old windows, often made of wood. However, the question is not as simple as we propose to see below since it is necessary to consider the frame but also the glazing, of course.
In principle, the wooden window is essential because it is made with natural materials, generally local or nearby, while PVC comes from petrochemical products which have nothing local or ecological. Whether oak, beech, larch or even pine, these are only western species; exotic wood windows are rare on the market.
Indeed, the price of wooden windows can be a prohibitive selection criterion for small budgets. However, as in large projects, it is necessary to distinguish between investment budgets and operating budgets:if you pay less for a PVC window when you buy it, you will spend more each year on the heating budget since its performance in terms of thermal (and acoustic) insulation are much lower, while a wooden window will be more expensive to buy but will allow you to reduce your energy bill each year.
In addition, if you are renovating an old house, changing the frames to put PVC windows would not respect the style and would break the aesthetics. Of course, PVC windows imitate wood but no connoisseur is fooled! Conversely, wooden windows offer completely contemporary models that have nothing to envy to PVC windows that will look very "cheap".
Also be aware that a regularly maintained wooden window will have a longer lifespan than a PVC window. The latter ends up suffering from periods of heat wave while the wood will also adapt to humidity, knowing that it is treated against insects.
In terms of glazing, PVC or wood, the windows offer the same glazing options. Admittedly, wooden windows are top of the range, combining efficiency, aesthetics and environmental concerns.
If PVC dominates the window market, its price is the reason, especially since suppliers offer unbeatable entry prices. Be careful, the insulation (thermal and acoustic) will certainly be less efficient, the weather resistance will prove to be less and their change will take place more quickly, knowing that PVC, unlike wood, is still quite badly recycled.
As far as maintenance is concerned, if a simple sponge with cleaning product is enough to remove traces and dirt on a PVC window, do not neglect monitoring the seals and fixing mechanisms which can prove to be fragile.
In the end, PVC windows can be adapted to small renovation projects, which exclude large bay windows, and which fit aesthetically into the urban environment. But wooden windows will give more character, and therefore value, to your home.
