A revealing look at windows: Aluminum, vinyl and fiberglass replacing wood

James and Tammy Kelly install a replacement window in a home in the Hidden Harbor subdivision.

For centuries, wood was the go-to material when it came to windows. But in recent years, when industry folks talk about wood windows, they dont really mean wood.

Nobody makes a true wood window anymore, says Matt Hullander, owner of Hullco Exteriors. Or there are only a couple of companies that do. I cant tell you the last time we sold an all-wood window.

When asked why the industry has virtually abandoned wood, Hullander doesnt hesitate with an answer.

Rot, paint, weather, energy efficiency, insects, he says.

A wood window these days means a hybrid of wood and either aluminum, vinyl or fiberglass. The genuine wood will be inside the home, protected from the elements and available for painting, while wood on the other side, facing out into the real world, will be fused with weather- and insect-resistant material. In the industry, theyre known as clad windows.

But looking a little deeper, the real reason for the lack of all-wood might be that old-growth lumber is hard to come by, and the newer wood does not hold up like the old stuff. Thats part of the message that Sarah Kurtz Walker, historic preservation planner with the City of Chattanooga, shares with homeowners in one of the four districts that operate under the citys Historic Zoning guidelines St. Elmo, Fort Wood, Ferger Place and Battery Place.

She explains to homeowners who request approval to replace their windows that their windows are very likely 80 to 100 years old or more for a reason because theyre sturdy enough to hold up and that its possible they can be repaired and the original character maintained while still improving their energy efficiency.

Ive done a lot of research on this because this one is the primary reason applicants come to us, to change their windows, and usually it is be more energy efficient, she says.

She first explains to them that less than 20 percent of a homes energy heat or air conditioning is lost through the windows. Most of escapes through the crawlspaces, walls and attics.

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A revealing look at windows: Aluminum, vinyl and fiberglass replacing wood