Glazing of openings in residential premises does not always allow the use of plastic structures, which have already become traditional. Country houses, log cabins, as well as some design solutions look more harmonious if the translucent openings in them are filled with wooden windows.
We are not talking about Soviet-made products familiar to many, which are still found today in some high-rise buildings. Modern wooden windows are complex, high-quality and environmentally friendly structures, and their presence, as a rule, indicates the wealth and serious approach of the owner to the arrangement of his home.
Construction of wooden euro windows
The design of modern wooden windows includes the following elements:
- Frame. The basic component, which is directly mounted into the opening. It is made of massive laminated veneer lumber to give the product maximum rigidity.
- Doors. They are installed in a frame, can be opened or closed. The profile of the valves is less massive than that of the supporting structure, as it is not subject to significant loads. In addition, excess weight negatively affects the fittings, contributing to their premature failure.
- Double-glazed window. Occupies the main area of the window. It is mounted either in the sash or directly in the frame (in blind elements). In wooden structures, as a rule, high-quality double-glazed windows are used, providing a high level of heat and sound insulation.
- Accessories. A set of mechanisms designed to ensure the opening and closing of structural elements in the appropriate positions. These mechanisms include canopies, handles, shut-off valves, etc.
- Seals. To ensure a tight fit of the frame to the sashes, the windows are equipped with elastic seals, which are mounted in special grooves of the wooden profile, in most cases on both sides (from the street and the room). This element is the first to fail, as the rubber loses its elasticity, so the seals are made removable for ease of subsequent replacement.
- Additional elements. After installation, a drainage strip made of a metal or plastic profile is installed on the outside of the window. A window sill is mounted on the inside of the room, which is also made of wood. To protect the wood from the harmful effects of the environment, an aluminum profile can be installed outside the structure on the frame and sash.
As mentioned above, the frame and sashes of wooden Euro windows are made of laminated veneer lumber. This is done in order to eliminate deformations to which solid bars of large cross-section are subject. Deformations occur as a result of seasonal changes in ambient temperature and humidity. Since it is quite difficult to dry wood to zero, it dries out a little already in the product. As a result, the beam warps, and if it is a single piece, the deformations will be significant, which will cause problems with closing and sealing the structure. Parts made from several elements do not have these disadvantages.
As a rule, 3-4 blanks (lamellas) are re-glued, and it is necessary to ensure that the direction of the fibers in two contacting lamellas does not coincide.
Templates from the corner
Halva Sr. assembled a box of two lamellas to make it easier to select quarters and grooves for seals with a circular saw. There was no dried timber of the required thickness, either solid or glued, on sale at that time; we had to make do with material with a smaller cross-section. But the timber we found was dry, already jointed on all sides. The frames were glued onto a smooth fugue due to the lack of a comb of suitable width. To be on the safe side, the structure was reinforced with self-tapping screws - diagonally, from the edge to the center (the fastener heads will later be hidden by a quarter). After the final blowing with pneumatics, the finished frames were given to the eldest son for finishing - for putty
Windows made industrially are no better than so-called do-it-yourself windows - the photo confirms this.
The grooves for fittings in the sashes are selected based on its type and dimensions. To simplify his work, Halva the Elder made metal templates, according to which he selected all the necessary grooves.
Halva senior
Before cutting the tenon and groove, I prepared the grooves for the locks - I made a template from a bent steel angle. The holes are 8 mm in diameter, the screw hole is 10 mm in diameter. First, mark the centers, then drill 8 holes - depth 26 mm. I set the stop and used a hand router to combine the holes into a groove, dimensions: depth 28 mm, width 8 mm. I did without length limiters - the boundaries of the groove can be felt to the touch.
Types of double-glazed windows
- Euro-windows of German type. A variety of window structures is as close in design as possible to plastic products. Its main components are a massive frame with a cross-section of approximately 70x80 mm, equipped in opening models with less massive doors (profile 60x70 mm). The cross-section of the timber used allows the use of up to three sealing contours and a double-glazed window with a depth of over 40 mm. If opening is not provided, the glazing is installed directly into the frame. German Euro-windows are most often equipped with tilt-and-turn fittings.
- Wood-aluminium. In essence, these are modernized German-type windows. Since wood does not withstand exposure to the external environment relatively well, manufacturers have improved the design by protecting it from the outside with aluminum profile linings. There are also options in which, instead of overlays, a full-fledged external glazing contour (aluminum frame and lightweight sash) is used.
- Aluminum-wood. If in the previous version wooden windows were protected with aluminum, then in these products the situation is the opposite. The German-type structure is made entirely of aluminum profiles and is sheathed on the inside with linings made of wood, usually valuable species.
- Finnish. Quite large and massive products, the depth of the frame sometimes exceeds 20 cm. The sashes in Finnish windows are arranged in two circuits and are connected to each other by a special mechanism to ensure synchronous opening. There is a gap between them (5-7 cm), which is often used to install built-in blinds. The outer sash in some cases is made of aluminum (or wood with an overlay).
- Swedish. Structurally similar to Finnish counterparts, but have more compact dimensions and less weight. The doors in them are located much closer, which allows the use of tilt-and-turn fittings.
Finnish version
Do not forget about the so-called Finnish windows, which are characterized by the presence of a wide frame and a pair of sashes that open sequentially one after another. In this case, one simple glass is inserted into the sash adjacent to the street, and the internal structure is made with the expectation of a single-chamber double-glazed window. In the production of external sashes, not only wood can be used, but also aluminum.
Both doors are mounted on a solid wood base using a sequential opening mechanism. Windows made using Finnish technology are quite attractive, but in comparison with their German counterparts they are noticeably inferior in terms of quality indicators.
Accessories for wooden euro-windows
Unlike plastic products, wooden structures have a noticeably greater mass, which forces the use of more durable and wear-resistant mechanisms. Otherwise, fittings for wooden windows are similar to those for other translucent structures and are classified depending on the following factors:
- Sash opening direction;
- The method of opening the sash;
- Material used for production.
By opening method
- Rotary. Applicable for models that provide only one-sided swing opening of the sashes, for example, in Finnish windows. It can also be installed in any other structures (except sliding ones) depending on the customer’s wishes.
- Tilt-and-turn. This type of fittings, in addition to the traditional (hinged) opening option, allows you to set the sash in ventilation mode by tilting it in a given direction.
- Sliding. Installed on a certain type of structure (English windows), it includes a set of components and mechanisms for moving the sashes in the horizontal or vertical direction.
Material for making fittings for wooden Euro windows
Wood structures use mechanisms made of metal, plastic and combined materials. There are also wooden elements, such as decorative trims or handles for locking systems.
Naturally, the most loaded components of the structure are equipped with durable metal devices; plastic or combined parts are used mostly for decoration or in areas that are not subject to serious mechanical stress.
No. 1. Frame material
The frame of wooden Euro windows is made not from solid wood, but from three-layer laminated veneer lumber. This design provides the window with the greatest durability and resistance to negative environmental factors. It’s almost impossible to find a frame made from solid wood today, but if suddenly someone offers something similar, then you shouldn’t opt for this option.
One of the most important parameters of the frame is the type of wood, which largely determines the properties of the window. The most commonly used breeds are:
- pine. Coniferous wood is cheaper, but does not have record durability. Pine, due to the presence of resin passages, will exude a fresh forest aroma, which has a positive effect on the microclimate of the room. According to the degree of resin, pine comes in two types: tar and dutitsa. The first option is resistant to moisture, so it is recommended for use in areas with high humidity. Coniferous species are also characterized by increased softness: on the one hand, this is a minus, since dents may remain, but, on the other hand, softness allows frames of any configuration to be made from pine;
- oak is the hardest and most durable species, which will ensure maximum durability of the structure. The disadvantages include heavy weight, so the thickness of such a profile should be the minimum acceptable. Oak wood retains heat worse than coniferous wood. The process of preparing the material involves drying the wood; this is a technologically complex process and the correct execution of it affects durability and many other performance indicators. Since it is impossible to understand when purchasing how correctly the drying was carried out, it is better to trust your choice only to trusted manufacturers;
- larch has become the most popular choice today, because it combines the advantages of the two previous options. This is a lightweight wood with high strength and low price. An additional advantage of larch is that if there are any violations during the wood processing process, cracks and deformations immediately appear, which are noticeable to the naked eye, so choosing high-quality larch is much easier than choosing high-quality oak.
Wood species used in production
Wood species (from left to right): oak, larch, pine.
The following wood is most often used as a material:
- Pine. A common inexpensive coniferous species, it is widely used in construction and has all the necessary qualities for use in the manufacture of window structures. Pine is resistant to moisture, quite durable with appropriate processing, and is also the most accessible and easy to process. Considering the price of wooden windows, only the highest quality materials are used in their production. That is, there are no knots, resin pockets and natural defects in it, in addition, only fine-grained wood that does not contain a core is suitable for the manufacture of Euro-windows.
- Oak. Strong, hard and very durable material (100 years or more), with beautiful texture and color. The main disadvantage is the high cost due to its rarity, labor-intensive preparation and processing difficulties. The high specific weight of oak imposes a number of restrictions on the size of the opening doors, since not every fitting is able to withstand the loads that will arise later. Exposure to direct sunlight can also negatively affect oak (discoloration, cracking). Therefore, in window structures, it is either covered from the street with aluminum overlays, or in the process of gluing the timber, external slats from a different species (pine, larch) are used, which also has a positive effect on the price.
- Larch. Perhaps the most popular breed at the moment, as it combines a number of advantages of the options mentioned above. It is resistant to atmospheric influences, not as strong as oak, but still significantly stronger than pine, durable, resistant to putrefactive formations and fungus. All possible defects (deformations, delaminations) on larch appear at the preparation stage, which allows you to select a better quality material. Of the minuses, it is worth mentioning its significant mass, comparable to oak.
Peculiarities
The front door serves as protection from cold, noise, and atmospheric manifestations of nature. But the main function is to ensure the safety of property and residents. Interior doors delimit the space of the house and prevent the spread of sounds and smells.
In this regard, entrance doors in a wooden house are subject to increased requirements for strength, resistance to moisture and ultraviolet radiation, and durability.
The main feature when installing in a wooden house is the installation of the door block in a casing or metal counter-frame. This will avoid deformation when the wooden beam shrinks.
How to choose?
When choosing a wooden Euro window, you should pay attention to the following points:
- The type of wood, the quality of its processing and paintwork. The most affordable products are made from pine. If you follow the production technology and subsequent proper care, pine windows will last no less than plastic ones. However, if funds allow, it is better to install at least larch . The performance qualities and appearance of this material are noticeably better than those of pine. In addition, hardwoods require less attention; they require re-varnishing much less often, especially on the inside. To minimize the impact of atmospheric factors from the street, you should pay attention to models with aluminum overlays or an additional contour.
- Characteristics of the installed double-glazed window. The translucent part of the window is the largest in area in the entire structure. Therefore, the level of heat and sound insulation largely depends on it. For residents of apartments located near busy highways, active construction sites, or other sources of noise, it is advisable to select double-glazed windows with different chambers and glass thicknesses.
Also important is the internal filling of the chambers, for which it is optimal to use an inert gas, such as argon. - Quality of fittings. If a window manufacturer claims to use branded fittings, it is worth checking for the presence of marked factory inscriptions on it. The color of the fittings must be uniform (except for specific design solutions). The presence of unnatural pigmentation, darkening or corrosion indicates the use of low-quality materials by the manufacturer. It’s definitely worth testing the doors – there shouldn’t be any play or sagging when opening.
Peculiarities
Even before choosing, at the construction stage, call a professional measurer. Some companies provide this service free of charge when placing an order. Errors made during self-measurement are difficult to correct. Work on measuring the parameters of the doorway and the width of the frame takes into account the opening/closing direction. If these are doors in bathrooms, then they always open outward.
Example in light colors
For other rooms there are no strict rules regarding the direction of opening; it is recommended to use common sense or your own concepts of convenience. You can take a closer look at sliding and folding doors.
The selection of materials depends on the budget. Reliable, but prohibitively expensive, are reinforced options made from valuable species. A cheap but aesthetic option is veneered canvases.
Having decided on the material and budget, we move on to choosing a manufacturer/seller. Many people recommend buying manufacturing companies. But a more practical option is to order a product from companies that sell on behalf of several factories at manufacturer prices - it becomes possible to compare quality and cost.
Wood in the interior
If you wish, you can make the door yourself. No special knowledge is required for this. You will have to read the instructions to make it, but if you have experience, it is not difficult to create a sliding or folding model.
Approximate prices
Frame made of laminated veneer lumber with double-glazed windows (fixed window, without sash):
- Pine – from 6,000 rubles per m²;
- Larch - from 8,000 rubles per m²;
- Oak - 11,000 rubles per m².
Double-leaf German type (one leaf opens):
- Pine - from 10,000 rubles per m²;
- Larch – 13,000 rubles per m²;
- Oak – 18,000 rubles per m².
Wood-aluminum windows:
- Double doors, oak trim on the inside - from 40,000 rubles per m²;
- Solid, without doors, oak finishing - from 15,000 rubles per m²;
Finnish windows, made of oak with an external aluminum sash - from 35,000 rubles to 45,000 rubles.
Preparatory stage
Any construction work consists of a preparatory, main and final stage. When making a window, the preparatory stage includes the selection of carpentry tools and optimal raw materials. In addition, it is necessary to make a detailed drawing, which shows not only the general dimensions of the frame, but also the dimensions of all components.
Required Tools
To work you will need the following tools:
- hammer;
- drill;
- screwdriver;
- glass cutter;
- chisel;
- milling machine;
- grinding machine;
- saw.
The list is not exhaustive. If you want to save as much as possible, you will also need a circular saw. In this case, you can buy any wooden canvas and cut it into the required pieces yourself.
Necessary materials
Wooden window frames are mostly made from dry or laminated wood, but in some cases new plywood sheets can be used as a raw material.
Plywood is the cheapest and lowest quality option. Suitable for indoor windows only. Even well-treated with protective impregnations, plywood quickly picks up moisture and begins to crumble.
A solid wooden beam is a good and relatively inexpensive solution. The disadvantage is that such a board can move, which will lead to a change in geometry
In addition, you need to pay attention to ensure that there are no cracks or knots.
Laminated wood is an excellent choice for making a frame. Firstly, it is light in weight, but at the same time quite durable due to its multi-layer nature. Secondly, this type of wood is not susceptible to sedimentary influences and deformations.
It is recommended to use 5x5 cm timber for the frame.
In addition, you will need:
- wooden glazing beads;
- PVA glue;
- wood screws.
It is advisable to stock up on putty, stain or antibacterial impregnation in advance.
Pros and cons in contrast to plastic windows
Advantages:
- Wood is a natural, environmentally friendly material that does not evaporate toxic substances harmful to health.
- Wooden windows look much more aesthetically pleasing, even in comparison with products made from expensive textured PVC profiles.
- The high thermal insulation characteristics of wood are combined with good absorption of external noise.
- With a relatively small weight, the wood has sufficient strength, which ensures the preservation of external attractiveness over a long service life.
Flaws:
- High price. Even the most budget designs, manufactured using the latest technology, are quite expensive compared to their plastic counterparts.
- Violation of the production regime, in particular the preparation (drying) of the material, often leads to subsequent deformations of the product, which is quite difficult to eliminate.
- Less practicality compared to plastic products, especially when it comes to soft wood (pine).
Offers from manufacturers
If you are not inclined to make a window yourself, then here are some offers with prices from manufacturers as an example:
- Wooden block 1000 by 1000 mm without window:
| Parameter | Description |
| Weight | 15 kg |
| Material | Conifer tree |
| Height | 1000 mm |
| Width | 1000 mm |
| Glass |
|
| Manufacturer country | Russia |
| Price | 2790 rubles |
Sample window 1000 by 1000 mm without window
- Wooden block 1160 by 1170 with a window:
| Parameter | Description |
| Weight | 20 kg |
| Material | Conifer tree |
| Height | 1160 mm |
| Width | 1170 mm |
| Glass |
|
| Manufacturer country | Russia |
| Price | 3715 rubles |
Sample window 1160 by 1170 with a window
Care and operation
Modern wooden windows do not cause significant maintenance difficulties, as was the case with their counterparts made in Soviet times. However, some points require some attention. The paintwork on the frame and doors must be renewed periodically. The update frequency depends on the type of materials used and the type of wood. Soft woods, such as pine, require repainting more often than hard woods (oak or larch).
Also, when using soft wood, you should remember the possibility of dents, even with minor mechanical impact. If you leave a massive flower pot on a pine windowsill, a dent will most likely appear within a week. It is worth noting that this only happens with soft wood (pine, spruce); to leave a dent on oak or larch requires impacts that happen quite rarely in everyday life.
Otherwise, caring for wooden Euro-windows is the same as for plastic products. They can be washed (preferably without fanaticism) with warm water or chemically neutral detergents. You will also have to replace the seals over time (7-10 years).
Subscribe
Conclusion
Making a wooden window with your own hands is an opportunity not so much to save money as to express yourself. For many years, a beautiful, environmentally friendly design will remind you not of the money spent, but of your own skill.
Everything related to the technical parameters and features of Euro-windows, as well as step-by-step instructions, diagrams, installation details and characteristics of products from different manufacturers are discussed in the “Windows, profiles, glazing” section. Details of the manufacture of the wooden windows mentioned in the article are laid out step by step in the topic “Report on the creation of wooden windows”. After studying the article about the technology of gluing boards, you will learn how to obtain high-quality and durable timber for future frames. How to replace wooden windows with your own hands without dismantling the old frame - a video about new technology answers this question.
Subscribe to our Telegram channelExclusive posts every week
Selecting a profile
First of all, you should find out whether you plan to use ordinary sheet glass or double-glazed windows in future wooden frames. Each option has its own advantages: in the first case it is low cost and the possibility of cutting it yourself, in the second case it is lower thermal conductivity.
The thermal conductivity of a classic window is greater than that of a double-glazed window
One of the features of double-glazed windows is a special inert gas, which the manufacturer pumps between the individual sheets. Over time, its concentration may decrease. Do not be alarmed in advance - heat loss through the window, if it increases, will be minimal, it will practically not be noticeable.
There is also a special hybrid version - the so-called Finnish Eurowindow (or Scandinavian). It includes sheet glass and 2- or 3-chamber double-glazed windows. This approach will allow you to achieve high thermal insulation.
Finnish windows have the highest thermal insulation properties
The simplest and at the same time reliable and popular solution today is the option with a pair of glasses, between which there is an air gap of 2 cm or more in width . Another option is to make your own wooden windows with single glazing and double frame.
Advantages and disadvantages of window and door structures: PVC and natural wood
In the external walls of wooden houses, both plastic windows and windows made of natural wood are installed for lighting and ventilation. Window openings are covered with boxes with inserted glass elements - this can apply to windows made of various materials. It is believed that the advantage of PVC windows is double or triple glazing, where two or more glass sheets are collected in a sealed box. Such double-glazed windows can also be added to a window made of natural wood, which is an undoubted advantage of modern production. We remember the familiar wooden windows and doors of the Soviet era as not being of very good quality, but the use of modern technologies and the arrival of global manufacturers on the market has significantly changed the situation in the production of wooden windows.
We will consider in more detail which windows to install in a wooden house. Windows made from natural wood are much better adapted to our climatic conditions and do not cause harm to health. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) reacts with decreasing temperature by increasing the brittleness of the material. During the manufacturing process of PVC, heat is generated; a stabilizer is added, specifically designed to avoid thermal decomposition of the material. The stabilizer strengthens the PVC with a protective shell. As a stabilizer for polyvinyl chloride profiles, many modern industries use metal and lead compounds, which is far from safe for health. There are safer PVC production technologies that use zinc and calcium as stabilizers. The technology of such production is more environmentally friendly, but leads to a significant increase in the cost of the PVC profile, and, accordingly, the entire glass block.
Wooden windows are completely environmentally friendly. They have significantly better thermal insulation compared to other materials. Unlike PVC windows, wooden windows “breathe” even when the sashes are tightly closed. A wooden window provides a constant flow of fresh air, passing it through the wood, without losing thermal insulation, and without collecting moisture condensation on the glass. Such windows have a low coefficient of linear thermal expansion and are highly frost-resistant. The advantages of wooden windows also include maintainability, which is relevant nowadays.
The modern construction market offers its consumers a huge selection of entrance and even interior doors with glass from a wide variety of materials. However, doors made of natural wood are in the lead. The reason is that such doors have a number of advantages. Doors in a wooden house made of natural wood will be an aesthetic extension, and many years of experience and practice have shown that they are durable in use. Such doors have high heat and sound insulation, have a representative appearance and are aesthetically harmonious.
