What wood is suitable for window frames. Moisture resistant. What do they think about double-glazed windows made of oak

Wood is considered one of the most ancient building materials and an experienced specialist, carpenter or joiner, always knows what kind of wood is needed for a particular product. Differences can be quite significant depending on the type of tree, its age and place of growth. The main thing, of course, is the type of wood: one has hard wood, the other is loose, one has a beautiful texture, and the other has no growth rings at all. One grows quickly, the other slowly, one is cut down in a neighboring forest, and the other is brought from overseas, which means that the cost of such materials is different.

Let's move on to the specifics and see what kind of wood they make domestic producers.

Pine

Pine wood is the most common material for building joinery, including windows. have Excellent value for money and quality, primarily because pine is considered the most common coniferous tree, perfectly adapted to the climate from moderately southern to the most northern latitudes. Pine is easy to process, the relatively low density of its wood allows products to be processed protective compounds increasing its moisture resistance. According to the regions of growth, the southern and northern pines differ in the density of wood - the most valuable is the northern pine, which has denser wood and a small distance between the annual rings. Traditionally the most quality material obtained from Karelian, Angarsk pine and other northern regions. Interestingly, harvesting time also matters: a tree cut in winter gives minimal shrinkage.

Larch

Larch- this is a Siberian tree, although it is also found in Europe, but it was the Siberian that gained fame the most moisture resistant of all conifers least prone to decay. It is larch that builders choose wooden houses near water bodies for laying the lower part of the house: in case of a possible flood, rotting does not threaten it. Larch wood is durable, has a beautiful texture with bright growth rings. Larch belongs to hardwoods, products made from it are strong and durable, but it is difficult to process. Large quantity resin pockets makes the carpenter's work even more painstaking. Windows have been made from larch for a long time in the north, as from the least thermally conductive wood, they are made everywhere now, they are more expensive than pine, but much cheaper than oak.

Oak

Of all hardwoods, oak stands apart. Not only for his majestic appearance, but also for his hardness included in proverbs. The composition of oak wood includes a lot of tannins, it is quite heavy and difficult to process, and requires a long drying time. Although the windows and doors of ancient European castles are made of oak, our modern domestic manufacturers use the wood of trees grown in the foothills to make windows. North Caucasus. Oak frames work well for windows large sizes , because they will not shrink under the weight of the double-glazed window.

Linden

beautiful and healing tree linden has not very strong wood, but has another excellent property: a pleasant aroma and no harmful emissions from hot moist air. This makes it indispensable for the manufacture of windows. for a bath, steam room or sauna. This is why its use in the production of windows is limited.

Meranti

Deciduous tree native to Malaysia, belonging to the group that make up the so-called the Red tree. It is considered the most popular of this group and is widely used in Europe, due to its relatively low cost compared to other types of valuable wood. However, our domestic industry classifies Meranti as an exotic breed, primarily because of the richness of its own forest resources. In addition, although the actual processing of meranti wood is not too difficult, on an industrial scale it requires certain skills and special rooms equipped with powerful ventilation. The reason is simple: instead of the usual shavings, meranti wood produces wood dust. A feature of the structure of meranti wood is its diversity color shades which makes selection difficult.

Cedar, poplar, alder, aspen

This is a list of well-known tree species from which windows are not made. They have beautiful wood, but too soft and unreliable, which can not withstand the weight of double-glazed windows.

According to statistics, when choosing wood for windows, many people take into account the opinion of friends, their own preferences and whether they have seen similar products somewhere else. And only a few listen to the opinion of experts. And this is important, if only because the quality and properties wooden windows largely depends on the choice of wood. Therefore, today we will talk about how to make this choice.

Types of wood for windows

In the manufacture of wooden windows, you can use a variety of wood species. There are no special restrictions here. At the same time, only a few are really common in this area. we have larch, oak and pine. Their popularity can be explained by the fact that these trees grow almost everywhere in our area. Accordingly, their cost is quite adequate.

Although you can also find windows from other species on the market. Constructions made of merbau and Siberian cedar are in demand. But they are also much more expensive. But according to operational properties practically do not differ from the same larch, for example.

And in order to decide which breed to choose windows for yourself, we suggest considering these three most popular options.

Pine

This is a conifer. There are resin passages in the wood. Thanks to this, it exudes a pleasant forest aroma, even if it is treated with special protective compounds. And it also releases special substances into the air that have a beneficial effect on human health. Therefore, if you install pine windows at home, it will become easy to breathe into the room. This is especially important for those who suffer from respiratory diseases.

The advantages of pine, which are manifested in the manufacture of windows, include:

• Flexibility and ease of processing. Working with pine is a real pleasure. Therefore, windows of any shape, including carved ones, can be made from it.
• High breathability. Pine windows provide excellent ventilation of the room.
• Ease of repair. Even if such a window fails, it will be possible to correct the shortcomings with your own hands.
• Durability. The structures have been serving for more than seventy years.
• Affordable cost. Due to the fact that pine grows everywhere and is easy to process, products made from are not inexpensive.

Pine Disadvantages:

• Fragility. because of strong blows or other mechanical influences on the windows may be damaged.
• Shrinkage probability. If the design is processed incorrectly, then it will respond to changes in the environment.
• Simplicity of appearance. Wooden windows made of pine do not look as attractive as those made of the same larch.

Larch

This is also a coniferous species, so it has all the same advantages as pine. And also next to their own. For example, larch windows look much more attractive. Especially if it is late wood, which has an unusual dark brown tint.

At proper processing such wood can last more than a century. And according to their technical specifications larch is thirty percent stronger than pine. Also, it doesn't wobble as much.

Advantages of larch windows:

• High strength. These structures are difficult to damage, even if subjected to severe stress.
• Warping resistance. Larch is a unique coniferous tree that practically does not rot and does not even allow neighboring structures to rot.
• Durability. Larch products successfully serve even more than a hundred years.
• Breathability. Such windows provide optimal air exchange.
• Benefit for health. Natural larch windows will fill the air forest scent and will have a beneficial effect on the health of those who live indoors.

Disadvantages of larch:

• Complexity of processing. Only specialists can cope with the manufacture of windows from larch, because there are many resin passages in the wood itself.
• Low resistance to mechanical influences. Such windows can be damaged if force is applied.

It is considered one of the strongest breeds. Oak windows can last for centuries. And even with aging, they only become more and more attractive. appearance if they receive the care they need.

Among the advantages of oak windows, experts highlight the high strength and hardness of the material itself. It is also easy to color. Also, oak perfectly resists various influences. He is not afraid of decay, does not crack over time.

But windows made of this wood also have disadvantages. For example, making them is even more difficult than larch products. And the oak itself is not easy to polish. Such structures are very expensive.

What to choose?

All three options are of fairly high quality. But the optimal ratio of both is observed precisely in larch. In terms of its parameters and cost, it is exactly in the middle. And the windows from it will perfectly complement any room.

The main material for the manufacture of wooden windows - three-layer glued beam, thickness from 78 mm. A common stereotype that best windows- this is solid wood in practice does not stand up to criticism.

Firstly, in the process of sawing, internal stress is removed from the tree, which prevents warping and deformation of the frames (the main disadvantage of solid wood windows).

Secondly, in the manufacture of timber, wood is culled - resin pockets, knots and cracks are removed from the boards, due to which the tree undergoes rapid destruction.

Thirdly, when splicing the lamellas first along the length and then along the width, a beam with fibers of different directions is obtained, due to which the resistance to deformation due to humidity and temperature changes increases by 75%, rigidity - by 35% (compared to the array).

Popular breeds for the production of wooden profiles

Traditionally, a board is used to make wooden frames. radial cut pine, oak and larch. Although other breeds are found in the catalogs of manufacturers ( meranti, ash, beech) in mass and serial production they are not in demand - only to order.

Pine

Inexpensive, soft and easy to process material, which is no less easily deformed during operation. Since the chips and scratches of unvarnished wood quickly turn blue and rot, in the production of windows, pine is often saturated with special deep impregnation compounds, as a result of which it becomes biologically inert and ceases to let air through.

Although the "environmental friendliness" of such wood after all treatments is very doubtful, it remains the most sought-after material due to its cheapness, availability on sale, warm golden color and beautiful structure with amber veins.

Oak

Oak wood belongs to the elite class due to its excellent strength properties and high aesthetic qualities. This lumber is much more expensive than softwood and is presented on the market in smaller volumes, since the wood is difficult to dry and requires specially sharpened tools for proper sawing.

The choice of a window manufacturer in favor of oak raw materials significantly increases the cost and, accordingly, the price of the product.

It should be noted that if the wood is not properly dried, the windows from the finished timber “lead” over time, so it is necessary to carefully monitor the moisture content of the raw material and comply with all technological standards. But this is with self-preparation.

And the purchase of a finished oak beam can be compared with the notorious pig in a poke - defects can appear only after 3-5 months. In addition, sashes made of this wood are heavy and require reinforced hardware fasteners.

Oak windows in without fail impregnated with an antiseptic from grinder beetles and varnished. Although wood is very resistant to decay, it cannot resist insects. Without varnishing, the oak turns gray, acquires a “flake of antiquity”.

Larch

Larch wood contains a high amount of gum and resins, therefore it is least susceptible to fungi, blue stain, decay and harmful insect activity. Its density is slightly lower than that of oak (650 kg/m 3 versus 720 kg/m 3), which guarantees high strength, which increases over the years due to the polymerization of the resin. But, unlike oak products, larch wood does not “suffer” from excess weight, so there will be no problems with fittings.

Larch is also whimsical for sawing, proper and long-term drying (the cycle is carried out in stages over 10-12 weeks). But technological violations can be detected immediately, and not within several months, like in oak: if the larch was dried incorrectly, leashes and cracks appear on the wood.

Decorative wood finish

Water-repellent varnishes and paints are used as a decorative and protective coating. Many of them very faithfully imitate the color of expensive wood (for example, pine is often "masked" under expensive meranti).

But the veneer, so popular with other wood products, is used quite rarely, mainly for pasting soft pine. But the quality of such a profile is not high: a thin slice of wood soon begins to bubble and peel off from the frame due to the difference in expansion coefficients various breeds when exposed climatic factors.

Useful materials

Which tree is best?

Made from three-layer glued laminated timber78mm, and smaller sizes - 68 or 56mm - are not suitable for Middle lane Russia. It is glued timber that guarantees the stability of the entire structure to weather conditions (such a window will not warp even over time), has higher strength and durability compared to ordinary timber the same section from the array. Prior to the manufacture of timber, the board goes through three stages of drying, after which the wood is culled: removal of knots, resin pockets, cracks. Then the finished board is spliced ​​into a beam along the length, and then along the thickness. For gluing, water-repellent glue is used, which makes finished window not hygroscopic. The different direction of the fibers and the water resistance obtained in this manufacture of timber can increase strength and prevent deformation of the window block during temperature changes. The strength of glued products increases by 80%, and rigidity - by 40% (compared to similar solid wood products).

For use lumber of such species: pine, larch, oak, ash, beech, meranti. And of course - a radial cut. Noble veneer glued to a pine profile is also used. According to professionals, the veneer begins to bubble (if thin) and peel off after a while, as there is a difference in expansion coefficients. different breeds under the influence of atmospheric and climatic factors. In addition, in the central part of the profile, as a rule, there is a single-layer material (massif) of pine. This significantly worsens the stability of the profile geometry, and the ends of the wings look unaesthetic.

Pine considered the most "democratic" material for manufacturing. It is even more widely distributed than larch, and is easy to process due to its softness, so it remains inexpensive. It is this softness that leads to the fact that after several years of operation, many dents and deep grooves remain on the frames and window sills. In scratches, wood devoid of varnish begins to turn blue and then rot. To prevent decay, porous pine wood is saturated chemical compounds deep impregnation method. As a result, it becomes inert to biological influences and approaches plastic in terms of environmental properties: it stops “breathing” and begins to release chemical substances into the space of the room. Nevertheless, pine is often chosen by those who choose windows in the price range good plastic- most customers recognize that pine windows still more environmentally friendly and beautiful.

Oak belongs to the elite class of wood. It is valuable for its outstanding aesthetic qualities, causes a feeling of reliability, solidity, it can often be found in expensive interiors. Oak lumber on the market is presented in much smaller volumes than softwood. How hard rock, it is difficult to dry and process. The choice in favor of oak greatly increases the price of window timber and, consequently, oak windows much more expensive. Unfortunately, more and more often there are reports that windows made of improperly dried oak “led” after a few months. In addition, oak doors are heavy, so it is recommended not to make them too wide so as not to overload the fittings. The wood needs to be varnished and protected from the bug: without varnish, the oak turns gray, and although it resists decay, it cannot resist the grinder bug.

Ash, beech, meranti. These look very nice. These species are quite expensive and rare: large-scale timber harvesting is not carried out, the distribution areas of these species are small, and part of the lumber is exported (not counting meranti, which, on the contrary, is imported). Meanwhile, for the eurowindow, for which great importance has high accuracy and static stability of the obtained profiles, these materials have practically not been studied. Before the advent of glued beam technology, windows were not made from them. And now hardly anyone can guarantee that such a window will last the allotted 25-50 years. And only a few customers agree to experiments. But today it is quite common to see mahogany windows in cottages. The answer is simple: as a rule, good varnishes very closely repeat the colors and even the iridescence of shades of exotic rocks.

Siberian larch. The hardness of this breed is at the level of oak. This means that there will be no dents or furrows left on larch frames and window sills. flower pots. Due to the polymerization of resins, the hardness even increases over the years. Larch windows resistant to biological destruction: blue, rot, fungi, bugs. Therefore, larch wood does not require chemical impregnation and remains environmentally friendly, releasing only natural phytoncides into the atmosphere. Larch is unique in its resistance to water - it practically does not swell, rot or warp. Siberian larch practically does not react to rain, frost, heat and dryness. As for the European larch, it also has these properties, although they are much less pronounced. The volumes of harvesting of larch timber are less than those of pine, but more of oak and other hardwoods. Larch wood is difficult to dry and machining. It needs programmable drying chambers, expensive cutting tool and the process must be supervised by highly skilled workers. Drying is carried out in stages and very slowly (the cycle lasts at least three months). True, if larch is dried with a violation of the cycle, then drying defects - cracks and leashes - are visible immediately, and not after several months, like in oak.

Combination windows

The materials used for bindings have their advantages and disadvantages. The desire to maximize the benefits and minimize negative traits each of them led to the creation of the so-called combination windows. They are subdivided into wood-aluminum, aluminum-wood and wood-plastic. When reviewing them, to compare prices, a window measuring 1.5x1.5 m (area - 2.25 m2) was taken with two sashes and two chamber double-glazed windows 32–36 mm thick.

Wood-aluminum. This is currently the most common type of combo windows. Aluminum is used to protect the wooden frame. The durability of such structures is more than 80 years (the minimum estimated service life). After surface treatment of aluminum products, they become resistant to corrosion caused by rain, snow, heat and smog. Germany and the Scandinavian countries are considered leaders in the production of such windows. Good Russian windows are made according to German, Finnish, Swedish technology, suggesting different variants combinations of these two materials.

We list their types:

1. Finnish type. The window unit uses two separate sashes. At the same time, the outer one is made of aluminum, and the inner one is made of wood. The sashes are connected to each other movably and can be opened either simultaneously or alternately. Fenestra's two-frame pine Primus costs $520-$530, Domus $560-$580, TIIVI $760-$1000. An oak window is twice as expensive because oak requires more thorough drying and processing. It is also possible that the sash binding is made of pine, and all other components are made of oak ($800–900). Currently, you can find windows made according to Finnish technology Russian manufacturers. These products are 10-15% cheaper than imported ones. However, we do not do vacuum impregnation of wood. It is carried out only by the Finns.

2. Swedish type. Such a window consists of two frames with paired bindings: external (made of aluminum profile with single glass) and internal (wooden, with double-glazed windows). The products are presented by TIIVI. The thickness of the box is 90–105 mm. The advantages of the window include the possibility of opening in two planes and a not very narrow window frame, which, nevertheless, allows mounting inter-frame blinds. Such a product, made in Murmansk, costs $860, and in Finland it costs $1,200.

3. German type. The wooden frame is protected by an aluminum trim, which is placed around the entire perimeter of the window. But the frame itself remains single. Window with tilt-and-turn sashes german technology using materials from Germany, costs $750–780 (pine) and $1,450–1,500 (oak). Fenestra launches Fenix ​​single frame windows. The cost of a pine product is 570-590 dollars. Russian windows made according to German technology will cost 500-590 dollars (pine), 550-560 dollars (larch), 900-1475 dollars (oak).

Aluminum-wood. This window has an aluminum profile frame finished with wood from the inside. The frame is strong, durable, well protected from any atmospheric influences. And from the room, the window looks cozy and warm thanks to the wooden lining that performs a decorative function. The advantages of such windows include their fire safety. In addition, aluminum gets dirty much more slowly than plastic. There is a window made according to Italian technology using Italian profile and wood, from $ 1,350 (with oak overlays) to $ 1,500 (with oak overlays). exotic varieties wood). A window made according to Italian technology, but from Russian materials, will cost 20% less. Wooden lining can be very different. It is only important to pay attention to the fact that the wooden lining is not glued or screwed to the wooden frame.

Wood-plastic. In this case wooden frame from the outside of the window is protected by plastic. In Russia, such a system is still not widespread. Plastic plays the same role as aluminum in wood-aluminum structures. Pine timber windows cost $570, oak windows $1,085, and mahogany meranti windows $670.

What determines the quality of wooden windows?

Raw material. His choice should be approached with great care. For the manufacture of windows should be applied really quality wood no visible or hidden defects.

Material processing quality. The wood of the window must be dried to the required moisture content in compliance with the drying technology. It must also be handled appropriately. modern materials with technology. Special wood treatment, including drying, impregnation, priming and painting, significantly increases the service life wooden windows. So, with the help of impregnation, wood is protected from fungi that destroy it, blue and mold, moisture drops are significantly reduced in it, which reduces the likelihood of cracks and deformations. At deep impregnation rot damage to the wood is prevented. After impregnation, a primer is made. The main purpose of primers is to create a reliable adhesion of the upper layers of the coating to the surface to be painted. For final finishing window blocks, both covering paints and compositions that reveal natural beauty wood texture. The paint layer regulates the humidity of the wood, improves the appearance of the window, and facilitates its maintenance.

The design of the window and its individual parts. To achieve high quality, it is necessary to use modern designs of both the entire window as a whole and its individual parts: glass, double-glazed windows, seals, fittings.

Appearance. One of important criteria, defining the class wooden windows, are their aesthetic properties. Beauty, elegance of profile shapes, cleanliness of surface treatment, color nuances of various types of wood are of great importance when choosing a window. Only high modern technologies allow to achieve high quality surface treatment, giving complex shapes profiles, etc. Casement windows of any of the above designs consist of a separate window frame and casement window sash.