Hi guys,

Interested in any views here, about to pull the trigger on some new sash windows.

It's coming down to one last choice:

Accoya is a treated softwood that's said to be rot-proof. I've been told today it'll move less than hardwood
vs
Sapele dense stable hardwood

- The windows are west facing and take a good amount of afternoon sun.
- I want the best noise performance

Many thanks!

(typo corrected above) Cheers, Greg
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2011 Vogue SE 4.4 with lots of toys in Stornaway

Last edited by GGDR on 5th Jan 2019 10:45pm. Edited 3 times in total

For what it worth the joiner I use only uses accoya - has something like a 50 year rot guarantee as well. It can be a bit oily so need to make sure you use the right paint. I have just had a load of sash windows done as well and I would recommend getting them spray finished by the person making them if you can rather than painting when installed. I have fitted some sash restrictions and drilling the holes you can tell it is pretty hard/solid wood.

Cheers
Tim

I would certainly recommend using accoya as it has a much longer life. I specify it for any outside joinery and have been pleased with it.

Many thanks for the replies.

As far as noise goes, there is nothing I can find online about which is better.

Hardwood is definitely denser, then I read something complicated about mass vs density. did not comprehend that one

Reading about noise performance for windows, there is plenty about the glazing but nothing really about the frame material.

The only statement I found on a joiners website was:

Quote:

we have timber doors to suit everyone, whether you’re looking for a high density hardwood door to minimise the noise of traffic, or an incredibly durable Accoya wood door with a fantastic lifetime.

I am not a noise expert (!) but I can’t see that the wood will have any impact on the noise transmission as you will get more noise leakage through the brush seals that you have to have with a sash window to allow them to slide up and down so any benefit between the woods would be lost there anyway. Just my thoughts!

That's a fair point
. Cheers, Greg
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2011 Vogue SE 4.4 with lots of toys in Stornaway

Maybe that's why I can't find any definitive tests or statements....

The above quote relates to doors, a big lump of wood pressed hard against a rubber seal. In this case you could compare materials with more meaning. As opposed to a sliding wooden frame(s) with big bits of glass in them. And brush seals.
.

. Cheers, Greg
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2011 Vogue SE 4.4 with lots of toys in Stornaway

Tooltime79 wrote:

I am not a noise expert (!) but I can’t see that the wood will have any impact on the noise transmission as you will get more noise leakage through the brush seals that you have to have with a sash window to allow them to slide up and down so any benefit between the woods would be lost there anyway. Just my thoughts!

+1 It's surprising how a relatively small gap in a structure can almost totally negate the sound isolating effect of that structure.

Timber sash windows will never be super great for noise. But that said newly made ones can be produced with fairly tight tolerances and are no where near as leaky as an old set. Never going to be as noise proof as a casement window but can be reasonably decent. Timber wise it won’t make a hill of beans in terms of which wood you choose. The biggest factor will be the glass and how tight and well sealed the sash is into the frame. Triple glazing will make a difference but not as much as you might think and the cost/benefit might not be there.

Ive has several houses worth of casement windows off these guys and they may have some data sheets which you could use for comparison

https://commercial.west-port.co.uk/performance/ There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
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Thanks Mark. Taking the noise factor away then, which would you go for, Accoya or Sapele ?
. Cheers, Greg
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2011 Vogue SE 4.4 with lots of toys in Stornaway

Wood is wood basically, it’s all down to protection and painting. Hardwood windows will rot too, not as much as softwood but if not correctly treated they will still rot. The windows I fit in the new houses are treated softwood, and spray painted in the factory. They come with an 8 year warranty on the paint finish alone.

So if it was me I would go with the accoya. Treat them well and they will last well. I have standard softwood windows in my house 15 years on and there is no rot, professionally painted every 3-4 years to keep them up to date. There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
FFRR 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography Santorini Black.
Fiat 500x 1.4 multiair Lounge 2015
2010 LR D4 Commercial 2.7 TDV6

Thx
. Cheers, Greg
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2011 Vogue SE 4.4 with lots of toys in Stornaway

Chaps, should Accoya be more expensive than hardwood?

. Cheers, Greg
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2011 Vogue SE 4.4 with lots of toys in Stornaway

I was going to suggest oak but then looked this up..





http://www.internationaltimber.com/range/m...s/accoya-r


Looks like good stuff...

I don’t like repainting things so maybe staining is best and would agree a double glazed unit is better than single for noise. Filters are in fact so good that in certain circumstances, when the ambient air is already polluted, a diesel car will tend to extract more particles from the air than it emits. Emissions Analytics worked with........etc etc

He who dies with the most toys wins...