Sash Window Replacement Wood Or Plastic? Which Is Cleaner For The Earth?

Sash windows have been found in properties since the early days of construction. They have been found to be the major type of window for about the last 300 years. But you may be thinking about your sash window replacement plastic or wood? If you are worried about which is better for the environment, then you should think very carefully before you decide.

Depending on how many of your windows need to be replaced, then you could have several options about what to do. If only one or a few need replacement, then it would probably be best to stick with the type you have already. But if they all do, then you have a real choice. Many people are trying to cut down on the number and types of plastics they use and so environmental researchers believe that wood is a better choice for many reasons.

But the problem is that wood windows can be more expensive than plastic. It may also be in people’s minds that using wood products is a needless drain on resources in which trees need to be chopped down, whereas plastic windows are made from petroleum products. Other aspects of uPVC are attractive, such as their insulation properties, they are easier to clean, and may be seen to be easier to replace. Also, plastic windows can be locked so people think that they are more secure than wood.

In fact, all these assumptions are false to some extent. In terms of overall outlay, although good quality wood windows may be more expensive, they will pay for themselves much earlier than plastic ones. This is because of lower maintenance costs over the years.

The way it is made, plastic uses petroleum by-products and is much worse for the environment than wood from a sustainable forest. Also, plastic does not degrade in landfill for many years, and when it does, leaches hazardous toxins into the earth. Wood is a completely organic product and is broken down in a matter of years by insects in the soil.

In the end it is up the the householder to look at the pros and cons and to examine all the up to the minute evidence. At the moment, on the face of it, wood is a far better option if the environment is being considered, but it may be that in the future, composite plastics prove to be a far better bet.

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