The history of mankind would be unthinkable without wood, a product of nature. To this day, this living material is a staple product in the world and has lost none of its importance. Wood is a pliant, regenerative raw material, naturally ideal for the production of windows. Not only because it is so easy to process and has excellent insulation properties, but also because its graceful appearance adds valuable character to a house in an impressive way.

Wood tilt and turn windows and doors, the perfect and elaborate combination of natural material and sophisticated technology guarantees the unique quality. The Eurotech-WinDoors tilt and turn windows and doors are not only a distinctive piece of nature but above all a perfectly planned and precisely constructed and manufactured piece of technology – beautifully crafted.

Timber construction

• 3 layer laminated durable timber (68mm/78mm or 112mm) prevents distortion (no warping, or twisting possible) even under extreme conditions (Central Otago).
• Glued double tenon corner joints for maximum strength and durability (which is far better than a screw in a mitre joint…)
• Timber has –compared to other window materials- the highest life expectancy when maintained.
• The IV68 timber window system is tested from most major test institutes in Europe regarding security, weathertightness and energy rating.
• Sounds weird - but timber windows are far more fire resistant than windows of any other material!

Hardware

• All windows and doors (Bi-fold-, Sliding- and Front Entrance Doors) are 3 dimensional adjustable (no jamming windows and doors, low maintenance)
• 10 years warranty on hardware (all hardware made in Germany)
• Very high security standard for windows and doors (multilocking system)
• Upgradeable hardware, even after years (electronic security handles, add. locking cams, convert turn into tilt&turn window, child safe locks…)

Finish

• Eurotech WinDoors uses the NZ approved SIKKENS system (waterbased)
• By spraying the SIKKENS product 3 times, a good long lasting film thickness is guaranteed. One  new coat on the exposed joinery after years and the windows look like new again.

The appearance of PVC or Aluminium windows will fade and can´t be renewed.

• SIKKENS maintenance kit can be supplied (prolongs lifespan of first coat)
• After years, the windows can be painted with a SIKKENS solvent based product which is available in the same woodstains and opaque colours.
• V-grooves and endgrain sealed. (protects the former “problem zone” of windows and doors)
• No painting on site necessary (no extra cost for painter, scaffold)
• Windows quoted including double or triple glazing, glazing included in quote

Energy

• The timber frame is a natural insulator and acts as a THERMAL BREAK.

Please note:: The U value of the glass is only the half truth and the half effect. Saving energy by having double glazing is smart, but loosing energy through an aluminium frame is not.

• 24mm double glazing standard, 32mm triple glazing optional
• Uninterrupted non rotting rubber seals. Windows remain draft free even after years.  A second seal can be fitted for additional sound proofing.

Timber – see the beauty and feel the difference

Stability

Because of the stability of timber and the resulting structural characteristics builders and architects treasure the incredible design flexibility of timber.  Eventually windows are the ”eyes of the building”.  The stability of timber has also a positive effect against burglars- e.g. only timber offers the possibility to construct big front of buildings.  Big surfaces and constructions in high wind areas are no problem.

Strength Durability

Timber is very strength and has by far the lowest Coefficient of thermal expansion of all window-materials (timber 0.003, Steel 0.012, aluminium 0.024, PVC 0.080 mm/m*K).

Temperature differences can cause extensive problems in other materials regarding the leak tightness (soundproofing, heat insulation, driving rain tightness and building-connectivity) as the dimensional accuracy of the profiles is not given anymore- but not with timber!

 Timber offers the best possible thermal insulation (K-value at 68mm timber strength is 1,1,- 1,3 W/m²K).  The excellent thermal properties of timber windows  reduces the radiation of coldness and therefore condensation.  This reduces the annual heating and cooling bill!

Maintenance

Timber is easy to maintain.  Modern, water-based and environmentally friendly lacquers can easily be painted by everybody (depending on the weather exposure the outside of windows should be painted every 4 to 8 years).   They will keep their natural look for decades.   The maintenance cost are far lower compared to e.g. PVC windows, as they have to be maintained- (due to the electrostatic charge) with chemical detergents.  There is no need to do this with timber windows.

For a proper maintenance it is necessary to check all seals and the hardware regularly (e.g. once a year).  So they will stay fully functional over a long period of time.  It is a lot easier to maintain timber windows than e.g. PVC windows.

Surface

The original beauty of the timber last for decades when painted all 4 to 8 years.  You can adjust the colours of the windows as you like- this is only possible with timber windows.  Even if the paint has been neglected for years, with modern construction methods the timber stays healthy and can always be repainted – the window looks like new!  Modern paints are environmentally friendly, breathable and protect the timber against UV.  The timber in the middle of the frame stays dry and because of the UV-protection lacquer the paint can’t exfoliate.  The ‘Peeling” of old lacquers only happened because the lacquers weren’t UV protected and breathable.  Our timber windows are- in contrast to other window materials- non-sensitive against climate influences.

Value Enhancement

In using timber windows you increase the value of your house- not only because of their long life expectancy.  Aluminium and PVC windows only cause a recycling problem.

It is really odd to see when builders or architects use PVC or aluminium windows in a ecological valuable (timber) house – the whole project seems to be worthless.

Modern timber windows offer an outstanding noise protection.  Some softwoods can achieve – in combination with the correct glass- a noise reduction of up to 52dB.  They are even suitable for airports.  Behind such windows you can enjoy classic music and the noise from the street stays outside.

Scopes of design

Timber windows offer a nearly unlimited scope of design for architects and builders.  Only timber windows are strong enough to build very large frames- no other material offers this strength.

 No other material which is used for windows is more durable than timber.  Construction and quality of workmanship guarantee a long lifespan.   Even today there are timber windows in use which are over 200 years old, even though they haven’t been build with modern techniques.  With the modern manufacturing and surface treatment  methods a timber window can- when maintained and build in correctly- have a life expectancy which far higher than any other material.

Aluminium: The "Sweat" Problem:

Aluminum windows tend to produce "sweat" in the winter, leading to mould growth. The hidden mold growth can be hazardous to those allergic to mould. Further, if the mould produced spreads to the wood structure of the house, it can rot.  You don’t have this problem with timber windows.

Vapour Diffusion

As a natural material only timber is able to absorb water vapour from the ambient air, to store it and to release it again.  This leads to a comfortable and healthy environment.   Only timber windows are able to use the vapour diffusion to deliver the surplus moisture to the outside.  An unique protection against mould in the building!  If the air becomes to dry (e.g. in winter-heating periods), the timber window gets the necessary humidity from the outside and gives it to the inside. This healthy climate exchange is caused by the structure of the timber-cells.

Driving Rain tightness

Because of the excellent strength of shape timber windows have the highest firmness and therefore the best driving rain tightness.  As timber windows are not temperature sensitive and their stability is not effected by anything, the driving rain tightness exists for decades.

In case of a fire timber keeps its strengths for a long time.  With the carbonisation of the surface an insulation layer has been developed and the timber can only burn slowly further in depth (because of the low heat-coefficient).  While thermoplastic melt at 120-130 degrees, timber windows can stand temperatures of up to 250 degrees without problems.   Windows with fire protection glass can avoid a spread of the fire by  up to 90 minutes.  This means that the frames of timber windows stay longer in a stable condition than frames of other materials.  A PVC and aluminium frame can warp quickly, the glass will burst.  The sudden Oxygen supply can have a devastating effect.

In contrast to PVC there is no development of dioxins, Furan and salt acid when timber is burning.  Toxic gases like dioxin, which are released if PVC is burning, are in 80% of all house fires the reason for the death of the inhabitants. Timber burns as well- but the development of fumes are by far not that strong!  This smoke emission also makes it difficult and dangerous for firemen to extinct the fire.

Repairs

Only timber windows can easily be repaired when damaged or scratched

Cost Effectiveness

Seen over the years timber windows are far more cost effective than every other material. If it is included in the calculations that they can last much longer, they’ll be a lot cheaper.  The cost of the paint and the time involved to paint them will be neutralised by the chemical detergents which are necessary to clean other materials- and the time to clean them.

Cosiness

Only timber windows give the feeling of cosiness and comfortableness.  Their surface temperature is very comfortable.  Timber has a positive effect on the indoor environment and therefore has positive effects on your health.

When growing, the tree consumes CO₂ (main cause of the greenhouse-effect), but delivers oxygen for the atmosphere. It also retains solar energy. When the lifespan of wooden windows is over they can be recycled environmentally friendly.  When been burnt, Heat and CO₂ will be released- but not more as what has been absorbed while the tree was growing!  350kg of CO₂ or bound in one m³ of timber!  Only timber has a positive eco balance, especially as substitutes like PVC and aluminium can´t be produced indefinitely by exhaustible raw materials.

Energy Input

A PVC window need 7 times more energy to be produced compared to a timber windows, while an aluminium window needs  12 times more energy.

Electrostatic Charging

PVC windows can be electrostatically charged, what leads to additional dirt (soaked from the air) at the window.  The degree of pollution is therefore far higher than with timber windows.  Because of the electrostatic charge the cleaning from PVC windows- from the inside and outside- is only possible with chemical detergents.  This is NOT necessary with timber windows.

Temperature problems

PVC windows are very temperature –dependant.   They are soft in the heat and unstable, in a great cold they are brittle and hard. As a consequence especially bigger sashes bend in summer , which most of the times can’t be reversed by adjusting the hardware.  As the hardware is mounted in the PVC, it’s often impossible to mount it at another place later on.   The consequence is that a malfunctioned window can’t be repaired.

Recycling

Timber windows don’t need to be recycled as they are valuable energy sources. Two thirds of the window is timber, the rest is glass, and a very small percentage is steel. This can be re-used without problems.   The recycling of PVC and aluminium windows is far more complicated and expensive- and everything but environmentally friendly, as lots of energy is necessary.

Hygiene

The better hygiene qualities of timber windows is documented by many sources.  Bacteria die faster on a timber-surface than on a PVC or aluminium surface.

Greenpeace exclusively recommends timber windows.  More and more townships and cities only use timber windows in their public buildings as the city councils recognise the problems connected with PVC and other windows.