Wood frame windows — look warm, but they keep you busy

Before the 60's all window frames (everything on the window except for the glass) were pretty much made of wood. They could be easily customized to any size or shape.

Many wood frame windows still exist; if you maintained the exterior properly to prevent moisture from rotting the frame over time, you will have a good warm window frame. The key word here is maintained, meaning lots of hard work. Wood windows need to be painted or stained regularly especially on the sun side where the wood is most stressed.

Wood windows are still manufactured today and used mainly in instances where existing wood windows affect the home's character, perhaps a heritage home. They are perhaps painted a certain colour and the owner wants to replace one and need it to match the others. Log homes still like using wood frames as well, as they can be stained to match the logs.

When I say wood windows are warm, I mean the frame only. Wood windows before the 60's were manufactured with a single pane of glass (not a sealed unit, which would be two panes of glass with a spacer between to keep the inner glass warmer.) One pane of glass was a very cold addition to a warm wood window, so today most glass in the northern hemisphere would be a double pane sealed unit.

In the new age of energy efficiency, mass production and freedom from maintenance, wood is being phased out and replaced by composite materials. There will always be window manufacturer making them because in a retrofit situation, when trying to match an existing look, there will always be some level of demand. For example, Notre Dame Cathedral!