Timber windows with double glazing in Georgia: glulam, timber-aluminium, care

Timber windows with double glazing in Georgia: who they suit

People choose a timber window for its look and feel: a frame that is warm to the touch, wood grain in the interior, a window that belongs in a timber house. Timber windows with double glazing in Georgia most often go into chalets, log and timber houses, mountain houses and classic interiors. For warmth a good timber frame is no worse than uPVC. The weak point of wood lies elsewhere: Adjara gets a lot of rain and high humidity, and a window without protection outside needs constant care.

Glulam, not solid timber

We make frames only from glulam in three or four layers. The lamellas are glued with the grain running in different directions, so the section hardly warps or cracks, unlike a solid board. The timber is kiln-dried. Pine is cheaper and easier to work, larch and oak are denser and resist moisture better. Sashes and frames are assembled and finished at the factory: a rot-protection primer, then several coats of paint or stain. A window painted on site lasts noticeably less.

Timber-aluminium for the rainy side

If a window faces the side the rain comes from off the sea, we suggest a timber-aluminium frame. It is timber inside, and outside, set away from the wood, there is an aluminium cladding that takes the water and sun. The timber stays dry and ventilates through the gap, and the outside of the frame never needs repainting. Such a window costs more, but for a house by the sea or on an open slope it almost always pays off in upkeep.

When to fit and how to install

We fit a timber window once the wet trades are finished and the plaster and screed have dried. Fitted earlier, the timber absorbs moisture from the site air, the sashes swell and stop closing. In a timber house that settles, the window goes into a settling frame that lets the wall move down around it. The joint is sealed with tapes on both sides, and the sill flashing is wide, with a drip, and runs under the frame. More about the houses themselves on the glulam houses and chalets pages.

Looking after a timber window

• an inspection outside once a year, especially the bottom rails of frames and sashes;
• touching up chips at once, before water gets under the coating;
• renewing oil or stain outside every few years, more often on the south wall;
• adjusting and lubricating the hardware once a year;
• clean drainage grooves and sill flashings.

Skip the care for a couple of seasons and the bottom of the frame darkens and the coating starts to flake. Such a window can still be saved by sanding and refinishing, but it is better not to let it get that far. A timber facade next to the windows needs the same schedule, as described on the timber facade page.

How much timber windows cost

Glulam timber windows with double glazing installed cost from 1 020 ₾ per m² of window. Timber-aluminium windows with aluminium cladding outside from 1 440 ₾ per m². Fitting a window within the insulation on brackets with tapes from 420 ₾ per window, a three-layer installation joint from 27 ₾ per linear metre, reveals and sill flashings from 54 ₾, sill installation from 48 ₾ per linear metre. Timber window maintenance with sanding, oil or varnish outside and adjustment from 220 ₾ per window. The final cost is set after the survey and an agreed estimate.