Wood windows can be ‘unit’ preassembled or glazed in the field by a skilled laborer. Field glazed wood windows are still installed in new construction, but have become a bit of a historical trade with the rise of preassembled unit windows.
Unit windows come in stock sizes but can also be custom fabricated for specific openings. Wood windows are most commonly made of clear, kiln-dried, straight grain wood, and are water-repellant treated. Common wood types are:
-ponderosa pine
-southern pine
-douglas fir
Redwood and walnut are also available and sold as a more ‘exotic’ or premium window.
Also composite wood windows (joined/glued, OSB, and LVL) are becoming increasingly used and typically have wood veneer on the inside and aluminum or vinyl on the outside. Solid wood window are also often clad on the exterior with aluminum or plastic to improve weather-resistance and life.
Some finish options might be plain stain, primed ready for paint, pre-painted, preservative treated, or even clad with vinyl. Wood frames are typicallly thicker than aluminum or steel frames but are more effective thermal insulators. Wood windows can require more maintenance usually requiring repainting/recoating/restaining every several years. Also high moisture areas and exposure are rotting and decay.
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