Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Hardwood Windows Or Softwood Windows: Which Type Lasts Longer And Why?

By David Parsons


If you want to know hard wood windows or soft wood windows which will last longer and why it may not seem like a difficult question to be answered, since you would expect hard wood to be more durable than soft wood. In fact, you will find that in some instances hard is softer than soft and in others soft is harder than hard. While you are puzzling about this, you should realize that there are more features and characteristics that will affect your choice than just the name of the wood type.

Examples of hardwoods are oak, walnut, ash and mahogany. Softwood examples include Douglas fir, spruce, pine and cedar. Another type of hardwood that may surprise you is balsa wood. This is light wood and you would not choose windows of balsa wood. Yew wood is a softwood that forms a product more dense than many hardwoods.

When you look at the structure of these two types of wood under a microscope, you will see that they are significantly different. Conifers or softwood usually have just two types of cells, known as the longitudinal and the transverse cells. Hardwood cells are designed differently, because the move the nutrients and water in a different way than softwoods.

Using the label "hard" or "soft" is not the way you you should distinguish expected longevity of your wooden windows. You may want to consider softwoods such as pine for your windows. You will find many examples in building centers and stores.

Trees from which softwood lumber is milled tend to be faster growing. This feature means that the softwood frames and casings are more common and are priced lower than status windows. Because properly cared for windows will last many years, the life expectancy per dollar of price might not be critical. The cost of maintenance will probably be similar for each of the wood types.

If price is not an object, you may elect to go with wood that has a higher status or a more attractive appearance. For example, mahogany and teak are often used where the salt water spray will impact their appearance over years of use. Oak has a certain ambiance associated with it, but the wood is not typically used for windows.

When looking at hard wood windows or soft wood windows which will last longer and why, you should consider the price per year of use. It may not be significant enough to warrant going with the higher priced windows. Of course, if you can find renovated windows of hardwood, you may have the opportunity to have status symbol windows at a bargain price.




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