Installation of Plastic Windows in Wooden Houses

Installation of Wooden Windows in Wooden Houses

The technology for installing wooden windows in a wooden house is no different from the installation of window systems in panel or brick houses. The only nuance is that the window must be mounted into a special wooden frame, which is installed first. This frame is also called an "opening" or "jamb." The average width of the frame is 40-60 mm.

Some technical details:

The window opening should be wider than the frame by 2-4 cm and higher by 6-8 cm. The corners of the opening should be square, and the diagonals of the frame should not differ by more than 1 cm.
Use a laser level for work.
If the wall opening is larger than expected, more insulation material will be needed during installation.
All surfaces of the opening must be smooth and free of indentations. The bottom part of the opening must be flat and strictly horizontal.
The frame is secured to the wall with screws, after which the ready-made window can be installed.
After removing the sash, mount the frame into the frame, connecting the elements of the window system with screws.
After installation, the window sash can be mounted, and insulation (placed in the gaps between the wall and the frame) can be cut. Mineral wool is recommended as insulation.
The final step is to seal the joints with installation foam, wait for 3 hours (depending on the type of installation foam and manufacturer, the setting time and expansion rate may vary), then trim any excess.

Diagram 1 — Installing a Window in a Wooden House

Wood shrinkage is explained by the gradual evaporation of moisture contained within it. Therefore, logs lose volume over time. In some cases, a house built from logs can shrink by 2-3 cm in the first year alone! By the way, although a house will take its final shape within 7 years at most, minor changes may still occur due to temperature fluctuations or changes in air humidity throughout the year.

Thus, the question of how a sturdy plastic frame will behave in conditions of such noticeable movement remains relevant today.

The advantage of wooden windows is obvious: the wood of the frame and the window opening will behave the same way as the material of the entire house. However, for better thermal and sound insulation, it is recommended to install plastic windows.

Installing plastic windows in wooden houses is a relatively recent development. This trend became popular no more than 15 years ago, when the idea of building houses from log or timber became fashionable in cities and beyond.

Thanks to modern developments, plastic windows can look exactly like wooden ones. But do they possess the same properties?

Plastic window installation is done according to this procedure:

Prepare the window opening for installation: clean, check with a level, and create the opening frame.

The opening frame is made as follows:

Special teeth ("dovetail") 30x30 mm are cut into the sides of the window opening;
The tooth is insulated using jute (roped felt);
On the insulated tooth, the opening frame is mounted — a 100x150 mm timber beam with a 50x50 mm groove in the center (this beam is also called a "lafet").

The opening frame is mounted on three sides, while the tooth is made only on vertical surfaces. The main function of the opening frame is to minimize horizontal movement of the logs from one side, ensuring that the installed window slides freely along the vertical surface.

Diagram 2 — Layout of the Opening Frame

Leave a gap of 60-80 mm between the wall and the upper horizontal part of the opening frame. After installing the window, insulate and fill with installation foam.

Now that the window opening is ready, install the plastic window using special mounting anchor plates.

After installation, level the plastic window in all directions using a level, leaving technical gaps on all sides.

Mount the anchor plates to the opening frame. It is important that the mounting screws only go into the opening frame, not into the house wall! Otherwise, you can forget about the flexibility of the window system, which we mentioned earlier.

Fill the gaps with installation foam.

Install PSUL (vapor barrier self-sealing tape) on the outside. Also install sills to hide all irregularities and joints.

The installation of windows in a wooden house is now complete. All that remains is to install the sill and the window sash.

Installing Windows in Wooden Houses by Yourself. Required Tools and Materials

Installing PVC windows in a wooden house is impossible without:

a hammer;
a level (a 60 cm length is preferred; shorter levels may introduce inaccuracies);
a power drill or impact drill;
a grinder and an electric jigsaw for forming the window sash and sill;
a screwdriver for mounting mounting plates and the sash;
a set of hex keys (used for adjusting the window after installation).

Photo 1 — Installing Windows in a Wooden House

Materials for installing PVC windows by yourself:

installation foam (if the window is standard size, one 750 ml can may be sufficient);
screws with drill bit 21x3.9 mm — at least 15 pieces;
wooden blocks 40x40x40 mm (used to level the plastic window horizontally);
expansion bolts (for quick mounting) — at least 10 pieces;
foam plastic (used for installing the sill) — one sheet of 50-70 cm², with a thickness of 20-30 mm.

When choosing PVC profiles, refer to products from brands such as REHAU and BRUGMANN (Germany), PROPLEX (Austria), Brilliant (Ukraine), Artec (Germany), and WINHOUSE (Turkey).

IMPORTANT! Consider the ambient temperature when using installation foam.

Modern technologies allow using this material even at zero degrees Celsius, but most of these products are not designed for work below 15°C. When selecting installation foam for sealing joints and seams, pay attention to the volume of the canister, the expansion rate of the foam after spraying, and the method of applying the material — some manufacturers include special plastic nozzles with the cans, while others require purchasing specific spray guns separately.

Among well-recommended brands:

Soudal (Belgium), Krimelte (Estonia), Element (Russia), Pippo (Russia), and others.

Installing Plastic Windows in Wooden Houses by Yourself. VIDEO

$ Cost of Work

Kyiv: 500-800 UAH per unit
Moscow: 2,500–3,500 RUB per unit

Installation of Wooden Windows in Wooden Houses