WHY WOOD?
At the cutting edge of window technology
Wood has enjoyed a resurgence of popularity in the international building community for its superior structural stability, energy efficiency, low maintenance, low environmental impact, and most of all, its unparalleled beauty.
Low Maintenance
Our windows and doors are engineered to be enjoyed by several generations. As a lifetime investment they promote a conservation mentality rather than one of disposability. With an inferior wood species, cut, and finish, wood windows are high maintenance: the finish can crack and the wood may warp. With the proper wood species, cut, and finish, these problems are entirely avoided. HH Windows and Doors are finished with Sikkens Rubbol siding finish, a solid marine grade penetrating stain. Unlike traditional finishes, a penetrating stain infiltrates the wood, soaking into its pores. Because the finish is embedded in the wood, it allows the wood to expand and contract without stretching the finish itself. Most importantly, the Sikkens Rubbol siding finish allows the wood to breathe so it can absorb and release excess humidity, regulating room humidity in a natural way.
Energy Efficiency
High quality materials ensure energy conservation. Wood is highly insular: 1 cm of wood insulates as much as 10 cm of brick! In fact, wood insulates more than any other window and door material available. This, coupled with our triple overlay sash detail, triple gasketing, and multipoint locking hardware, results in the highest performing window on the market. It’s no wonder that wood tilt-turns are the windows of choice for the Passive house market.
Environmental Impact
According to EMPA, a materials science and technology research institute based in Switzerland, wood windows have by far the smallest ecological footprint of all materials used in window and door construction. Vinyl windows are created through a toxic petroleum manufacturing process, are unrepairable, and are harmful to the environment when they are inevitably thrown away. Metal windows are made from energy intensive materials and are conductive to heat, allowing precious energy to escape from your home to the outside. Wood on the other hand is a renewable resource, and our lumber is harvested sustainably in nearby Oregon state.
Dimensionally stable
Wood remains one of the most stable building materials available. All windows expand and contract with temperature changes; vinyl expands more than twice as much as wood and seven times more than glass. While vinyl, aluminum, and fiberglass can sag and warp over time, wood windows and doors -if engineered correctly- will remain structurally sound for generations. Our windows and doors are manufactured out of solid, vertical grain Douglas Fir, making them extremely stable and long lasting.
Quality of life
As just mentioned, wood windows and doors regulate indoor humidity naturally by absorbing excess humidity and releasing it again. Furthermore, wood windows and doors absorb CO2 from their environs while releasing oxygen. This means that wood windows and doors generate an indoor air quality not possible with other building materials.
Unparalleled beauty
You will be hard pressed to find someone willing to admit that there is a more beautiful window and door material available. Perhaps the most compelling testimony to the allure of wood is that many manufacturers are now offering vinyl window systems with fake wood grain surfaces, in an (unsuccessful) effort to simulate the unparalleled beauty of wood windows and doors.