ᐅ Renovating Leaky Wooden Windows or Installing New PVC Windows

Hello everyone,

We have 9 windows in our house, 5 of which are floor-to-ceiling windows.
The windows are 36 years old.
They are made of wood, some are quite drafty, and the paint hasn’t been renewed for years.
The wooden windows have a U-value of 3.1.
The new double-glazing has a U-value of 1.1.
You can currently hear the cars from the street side.
The cost to replace the window seals and repaint is around 2000 euros.
New plastic (uPVC) windows with window sills including installation would be about 13,000 euros.
In my opinion, renovating the windows is not worth it; new glazing, seals, and fittings would cost around 4000–5000 euros.
My gut feeling says new windows...

What do you recommend?
The carpenter does not guarantee that the seals will be 99% airtight if replaced.

Thank you very much.

If the budget allows, I would install new windows.

This way, you have peace of mind for the time being, and maintenance effort is reduced. You also get better insulation.

rick2018 schrieb:

If the budget allows, I would install new windows.
That way, you'll have peace of mind for a while, and the maintenance effort will be lower. You'll also get better insulation.

Thank you.
Our house is not insulated.
Double or triple glazing?
Because of the risk of mold.

Best regards

Ciko1981 schrieb:

Our house is not insulated.
Double or triple glazing?
Because of mold risk.

Definitely triple glazing. It doesn’t cost much more and the glass feels better, not as cold to the touch.
Mold has nothing to do with the number of panes. Both are sealed well. The windows are also properly installed airtight.
==> always heat all rooms reasonably and ventilate properly

nordanney schrieb:

Definitely triple glazing. It doesn’t cost much more, but the glass feels warmer and less cold to the touch.
Mold has nothing to do with the number of panes. Both types are sealed properly. The windows are also installed airtight.
==> always heat all rooms reasonably and ventilate properly

Is that really true? We recently replaced our windows and had the same question. After research and confirmation from our energy advisor (which doesn’t guarantee it):
Windows are still supposed to have the worst U-value to ensure condensation forms there rather than on the wall... With an uninsulated wall and triple glazing, that might no longer be the case.
According to the energy advisor (though this isn’t certain either), even a thin layer of insulation—he mentioned as little as 1cm (0.4 inches)—is enough for the wall to insulate better than a triple-glazed window.

By the way, we’re very happy with our new windows. To my surprise, the biggest benefit for us isn’t the reduced draft sensation (which is definitely noticeable), but the significantly better sound insulation, at least here in the city.

renovierer schrieb:

Is that really the case? We recently replaced our windows and asked ourselves the same question. The result, after research and confirmed by our energy consultant (which doesn’t necessarily mean much):
Windows are still supposed to be the component with the worst U-value, so that condensation always forms there instead of on the wall... With an uninsulated wall and triple glazing, this might no longer be true...
According to the energy consultant (again, not guaranteed), even a thin insulation layer (I believe he said just 1 cm (0.4 inches)) is enough for the wall to insulate better than a triple-glazed window...

By the way, we are very happy with our new windows. Surprisingly, it’s not the reduced draft feel (which is definitely noticeable) that is the biggest benefit for us, but the significantly better sound insulation... at least here in the city

Do you have triple glazing?
Is there external wall insulation on your house?
We had three different companies here, and none recommended triple glazing because there is no insulation and mold could develop.

Then one company from Weru came along and said that if the masonry is thicker than 30 cm (12 inches), there is no mold issue with triple glazing. Of course, proper ventilation is still necessary.
And the best part: triple glazing is subsidized by the KfW, so you get 20% of the total cost reimbursed.

Best regards