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EXTERNAL ENVELOPE
fashion, with TV shows promoting large bi-fold doors, for example. Again these are perceived to be unsuitable for timber, so architects “end up sleepwalking into aluminium.”
Busting the durability myth Another misconception is timber’s durability. Many are still under the impression that not only does timber not last, it is both difficult to maintain, and can move and twist over time.
Most of the architects currently only consider timber on projects where they need to match to existing or where there is a planning requirement, for example a historic project.
Researchgate.net calculated that an
aluminium window creates four times the amount of carbon emissions of a timber equivalent
Few of the participants seemed to be aware of the advances made in timber fenestration in the past 20 years – the fact that, made to Wood Window Alliance standards, they can last up to 80 years, compared to 35 years for PVCu. Companies working to the tested standard use sustainable, defect-free engineered timber which prevents twisting and warping and is strong, stable and an excellent substrate for the advanced coatings. They also incorporate optimal
designs and processes with water shedding angles on cills and beads, end grain sealing and the use of microporous paint that lasts up to 10 years without needing to be recoated.
The legacy of poorly made wooden windows of the past still hangs heavy in the minds of most clients, and it would appear that architects don’t feel confident enough to argue this with them.
It is clear that the high performance timber windows industry has not done a good enough job of educating architects about the benefits of modern timber windows, the fact that they can last twice as long as PVCu, the technology and tested performance they deliver, the long guarantees and low maintenance required. Nor have they provided architects with the inspiration to see timber windows in a contemporary light, something the Scandinavians, for example, have no issue with. It is time we stood up for the environment, by changing our approach to timber windows, and recognising their benefits in practice.
Tracy Pomfret is head of marketing at George Barnsdale
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
ADF DECEMBER 2022
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