The two basic functions of the windows in your home are to keep your property safe from the elements and to provide a way of seeing out and in that looks well, in keeping with the overall design of your property. Older properties, which were originally built with wooden windows, incorporate the feature of painted or treated wood into their overall design – so to retain the beauty and originality of the home it can be necessary to commission new wooden windows to take their place.
Wooden window designs using modern materials are possible in a massive range of older properties. As long as your home is not Grade II listed, you can do what you like with the windows – so you can commission a double or triple glazed design designed to improve the thermal and noise insulation of the home without compromising its appearance. The window frames can be designed as exact replicas of the originals, but made from modern woods treated with modern materials for better weather repellence and resistances to damp, mould and moss.
In a Grade II listed building, you may normally commission wooden window designs that represent an exact replacement of what went before. This means you must stick to single pane glazing and the same wood that was used in the original frame. You must also always consult in detail with your local planning authority before you carry out any work on a Grade II listed building, as every single alteration to these properties is governed by strict regulations designed to safeguard the original appearance and in some cases function of the building.
These considerations are in many wise best encountered prior to purchasing a Grade II listed property. In some cases you might find it more comfortable and more financially prudent to commit yourself to a non listed older property, which you can upgrade with modern more energy efficient windows. Those modern wooden window designs will give you just as much beauty with none of the heat leaking of the older materials.
Bear in mind, though, that changing the thermal efficiency of a property also changes its natural ventilation. There are knock on effects to commissioning energy efficient wooden window designs, which you need to examine in some detail before you proceed – or at least which you need to be aware of so you can put the right knock-on measures in place. An older property may become more susceptible to condensation when you add in modern windows – so be sure you incorporate ventilation into your proposal or your plan.