10 June 2026

uPVC or wooden window frames? A guide for your home

Maintenance, looks, price and your municipality's rules: the four considerations that decide the material choice — with the price consequences included.

The first consideration is maintenance. uPVC frames (€ 500 to € 1,200 per frame, including installation and glazing) need no repainting: cleaning with water and a soft brush suffices. Wooden frames (€ 700 to € 1,500 per frame) need periodic repainting — that comes with the choice and deserves a fixed place in your maintenance budget.

The second consideration is looks. Modern uPVC comes in a wide range of colours and with wood-grain textures, making the difference barely visible from street distance. Yet wood remains the benchmark on characterful facades: the profile can be made exactly to measure, from slender pre-war window sections to wide bottom rails. If you own a 1930s home with glazing bars, have both variants quoted side by side.

The third consideration is made not by you but by your municipality. For listed buildings and protected townscapes a permit applies and the heritage committee reviews the plan — wood is sometimes mandatory there and uPVC excluded. Check that before comparing quotes: it saves a disappointment halfway through. In an apartment the HOA also has a say over the facade.

The fourth consideration is the glazing, and it applies to both materials: HR++ is the standard, triple glazing insulates better but costs more and needs a heavier profile. Set your budget, request quotes in both materials and set them against the price index — then you choose with sense and with pleasure.