Top 6 Companies That Make Wood Windows
That circa 1911 house you bought might have wood windows. But that's because wood was the only material for windows at that time and because they escaped the hand of renovators for over a century. For houses today, chances are good that those windows would be vinyl.
Today it's becoming more and more rare to find companies that sell wood windows. Wood, being an organic material, isn't the best thing for exterior use: wood wants to decompose, and you spend your life trying to stop this process. It works better in the protected indoors, but it's still at the mercy of sunlight and errant moisture, so it must be protected. Wood-look fiberglass windows begin to look better when you consider these things.
See: Vinyl vs. Wood Windows
"Wood windows" usually does not mean wood throughout. In most cases, extruded aluminum atop wood or fiberglass comprise the exterior materials. Wood is always the interior material, with pine and fire being the most popular species options. Double-hung and casement windows are the two styles of window that will be most likely to come in wood.
For a large, mainstream company, Marvin offers an excellent selection of wood window species choices. Marvin has both extruded aluminum and wood exteriors. Not all interior species are available in exterior form. For example, with regard to Marvin's double-hung window, the company offers 15 interior woods but only 4 of them (pine, vertical grain Douglas Fir, mahogany, and primed wood) are available for exterior.More »
Andersen offers three types of interior woods--pine, oak, and maple--for 29 of its windows: awnings, casements, casement bows, fixed picture windows, and of course classic single- and double-hungs (as well as a few specialty oval, circular, and other unusually shaped windows).
Andersen does not have exterior wood options, instead offering around 11 aluminum-on-wood cladding color options.More »
Jeld-Wen most certainly does make wood windows. Founded in 1960, this Klamath Falls-based company revolutionized the production of wood windows in the West.
Today, Jeld-Wen produces 4 distinct lines of wood windows, from its budget W-2500 series up to its Custom Wood line. A myriad of sizes and shapes are available. All exteriors are aluminum-clad.More »
Pella has 3 lines of wood windows, from the bargain Proline 450 to the Architect Series, which comes in mahogany, alder, fir, pine, and white-painted, with oak, cherry, red oak, and maple available on special order. Within the pine species, it's possible to keep the wood natural or to have Pella pre-stain the wood in a range of 7 shades, ranging from a golden oak to a dark mahogany.More »
Harvey Building Products is a massive company, booking well over $300 million in sales. But most of this money is made elsewhere--vinyl siding, vinyl windows, doors, and so on.
Their Majesty wood windows line is just a drop in the large bucket, and it isn't much: the two mainstays of most window companies, double-hungs and casements, but with a few other window styles in there, as well. Pine is the only interior wood, and all exteriors are aluminum.More »
Milgard is based in Tacoma, WA and has a wide reach throughout the West, with dealers located as far east as Oklahoma and Missouri. Milgard has only one series (Essence) in wood, and that series only offers pine or fir as species options. Exterior material is fiberglass.More »
By choosing large companies, I am not indicating quality, as many of the smaller regional window companies do a fine job of producing wood windows, too.Rather, I want to present companies that would have products available to the greatest number of readers.
Some of the huge window companies only make vinyl, aluminum, or fiberglass windows--no wood.From that list of $500 million+/year companies, Formosa (PlastPro), Atrium, Simonton, PlyGem, Alside do not make wood windows.
Why Wood?
Today it's becoming more and more rare to find companies that sell wood windows. Wood, being an organic material, isn't the best thing for exterior use: wood wants to decompose, and you spend your life trying to stop this process. It works better in the protected indoors, but it's still at the mercy of sunlight and errant moisture, so it must be protected. Wood-look fiberglass windows begin to look better when you consider these things.
See: Vinyl vs. Wood Windows
"Wood windows" usually does not mean wood throughout. In most cases, extruded aluminum atop wood or fiberglass comprise the exterior materials. Wood is always the interior material, with pine and fire being the most popular species options. Double-hung and casement windows are the two styles of window that will be most likely to come in wood.
Marvin
For a large, mainstream company, Marvin offers an excellent selection of wood window species choices. Marvin has both extruded aluminum and wood exteriors. Not all interior species are available in exterior form. For example, with regard to Marvin's double-hung window, the company offers 15 interior woods but only 4 of them (pine, vertical grain Douglas Fir, mahogany, and primed wood) are available for exterior.More »
Andersen
Andersen offers three types of interior woods--pine, oak, and maple--for 29 of its windows: awnings, casements, casement bows, fixed picture windows, and of course classic single- and double-hungs (as well as a few specialty oval, circular, and other unusually shaped windows).
Andersen does not have exterior wood options, instead offering around 11 aluminum-on-wood cladding color options.More »
Jeld-Wen
Jeld-Wen most certainly does make wood windows. Founded in 1960, this Klamath Falls-based company revolutionized the production of wood windows in the West.
Today, Jeld-Wen produces 4 distinct lines of wood windows, from its budget W-2500 series up to its Custom Wood line. A myriad of sizes and shapes are available. All exteriors are aluminum-clad.More »
Pella
Pella has 3 lines of wood windows, from the bargain Proline 450 to the Architect Series, which comes in mahogany, alder, fir, pine, and white-painted, with oak, cherry, red oak, and maple available on special order. Within the pine species, it's possible to keep the wood natural or to have Pella pre-stain the wood in a range of 7 shades, ranging from a golden oak to a dark mahogany.More »
Harvey
Harvey Building Products is a massive company, booking well over $300 million in sales. But most of this money is made elsewhere--vinyl siding, vinyl windows, doors, and so on.
Their Majesty wood windows line is just a drop in the large bucket, and it isn't much: the two mainstays of most window companies, double-hungs and casements, but with a few other window styles in there, as well. Pine is the only interior wood, and all exteriors are aluminum.More »
Milgard
Milgard is based in Tacoma, WA and has a wide reach throughout the West, with dealers located as far east as Oklahoma and Missouri. Milgard has only one series (Essence) in wood, and that series only offers pine or fir as species options. Exterior material is fiberglass.More »
The Data
This list was drawn from information from Window & Door, which publishes an annual report of the largest new and replacement window companies in terms of sales.By choosing large companies, I am not indicating quality, as many of the smaller regional window companies do a fine job of producing wood windows, too.Rather, I want to present companies that would have products available to the greatest number of readers.
Some of the huge window companies only make vinyl, aluminum, or fiberglass windows--no wood.From that list of $500 million+/year companies, Formosa (PlastPro), Atrium, Simonton, PlyGem, Alside do not make wood windows.
