Sash windows have been found in properties since the early days of construction. They have been found to be the major type of window for about the last 300 years. But you may be thinking about your sash window replacement plastic or wood? If you are worried about which is better for the environment, then you should think very carefully before you decide.
If all or some of your sash windows need to be replaced, then you may have some reservations or problems with choosing between wood and plastic replacements. Environmentalists now believe that wood is a much better option to choose for a number of reasons.
But the problem is that wood windows can be more expensive than plastic. It may also be in people’s minds that using wood products is a needless drain on resources in which trees need to be chopped down, whereas plastic windows are made from petroleum products. Other aspects of uPVC are attractive, such as their insulation properties, they are easier to clean, and may be seen to be easier to replace. Also, plastic windows can be locked so people think that they are more secure than wood.
It is known however, that many of these assertions do not live up to the evidence. Wood may be expensive, but good quality plastic windows which are moulded to look like wood can be just as much. The wood windows may pay for themselves in a matter of years because there may be lower maintenance costs involved.
The way it is made, plastic uses petroleum by-products and is much worse for the environment than wood from a sustainable forest. Also, plastic does not degrade in landfill for many years, and when it does, leaches hazardous toxins into the earth. Wood is a completely organic product and is broken down in a matter of years by insects in the soil.
In the end it is up the the householder to look at the pros and cons and to examine all the up to the minute evidence. At the moment, on the face of it, wood is a far better option if the environment is being considered, but it may be that in the future, composite plastics prove to be a far better bet.
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