Hi all, I am looking for some advice and recommendations for hung windows for a traditional timber frame house that I am building near Montreal. I can't decide between UPVC and wood with an exterior coating. This is what I perceive the pros and cons of each but I could be wrong. UPVC Pros: -less maintenance - costs less - maybe have better thermal resistance than wood? - might give a better seal than wood which could warp etc.? - with interior wood trim would look ok with timber frame as I want the outside white anyway. UPVC cons: -Might not suite the timber frame style of the house -worse for the environment in terms of production Wood pros: - More authentic looking -better for environment during production Wood cons: - costs more -higher maintenance -might not seal as well All views would be welcome Thanks

richwood i just finished building a home that is timber framed in the great room 600 sq/ft
i went with the pvc windows better seal no need to worry about rotting down the road and less exspensive to buy i had mine ordered with a return jam so my maple trim fits nicely in place they were strausburger windows from waterloo ont . Very pleased with the finished look and quality What type of wood did you use for your timbers I used hard maple from my bush

Thanks Jimmy, good to know it looks all right. Our frame is made of mixed local species currently being sourced but will be mostly maple. I'm also now wondering if fibreglass windows are worth considering. So many decisions!

Windows are a huge expense and come in a variety of designs, styles, and energy efficiency ratings. For residential and light commercial projects, aluminum clad wood windows are the preferred choice. To stay within budget, work with standard window sizes, avoiding oversized, custom units. Beware: hardware upgrades can be costly. It will be important to have the designated architect or designer work directly with a timber framing company early in the design process to avoid any duplication of services and to ensure the integration of timber framing details into the plans. While experience with timber frame

Hi Richwood

More a question than an answer. I am interested in building a timberframe, also in montreal, can I ask what timberframe company, architect and contractor you went with, have you been happy with the results?

 

Thanks

Eric

Hi Eric,

The timberframe company we worked with are Hamlet Heavy Timberwork based in Rigaud http://www.heavytimberwork.com/ Overall, I was very happy with them. They did an excellent job and offered plenty of helpful advice during the design and building stages. I acted as my own general contractor. The design of the frame was done by Hamlet, working with our ideas. For the rest of the house we hired Susie Airde a local architechtural technician from Hudson to help work out the interior design and complete the final plans, and she was also good. There are more details and pics on our blog www.woodsinthewoods.blogspot.com

Good luck, and if you want any more info just let me know.

Richard

Hi Richard

I just found your mail. I had been having problems with my mail server, new security was sending everything to junk and I did not realize it. Wow, your pictures are amazing! I built a house in Vermont 5 years ago so I can relate to what you are doing. I slightly regretted then that I did not build a timberframe, but there are a lot of lessons learned that i will take to our new house. Do you have any sort of a cost breakdown you would be willing to share, it could be in unit price form. I am actually planning to build a timber frame extension to an existing house we just purchased in Beaconsfield.

Thanks for your previous answers and for the link to the blog.

Eric

Hi Eric, if you give me your email address I will send you some costings. I would rather not post them on this forum.

Cheers,

Richard