We would like to have wooden windows in our newly bought apartment which we are renovating at the moment. The apartment is old and we feel that alu-windows does not fit the "soul" of the apartment.
The constructor (and every local we ask) tells us that it is a bad idea with wooden framed windows as the temperature variation during a day vary a lot (this winter we've seen it vary from -4C to +18C within 24 hour, in summer we reach 42C degree some days).
Now, the constructor says that wooden-alu windows neither does not fit in this area because of the climate – what could the reason be behind his statement?
Best Answer
I live in Colorado, where it can go from 70F and sunny to 20F and snowing in a day. I have metal-clad wood windows in my house--not a problem. Wood window manufacturers try to use wood that minimizes movement. Aluminum has a larger linear coefficient of thermal expansion than wood (12.3 versus 3.0), so I don't believe aluminum would handle temperature variation any better than wood. Perhaps the contractor is worried about other climate effects. I wouldn't do wood that isn't clad in Colorado, for instance, because you would have to refinish it every year--our sun is brutal to wood products. Good windows are built in a manner to handle temperature fluctuations. Perhaps your climate is very extreme and I just don't know your local building requirements, but the contractor's reasoning sounds a little strange to me.