Wood Grain vs. White Interior

[whaas]

I can't seem to decide if I want the wood grain or the white interior. I understand its clearly a preference but what to homeowners prefer to see in a home? Or what is more popular?

If I had all white trim in my house white would be the obivous winner but since I have alot of oak trim I'm not sure which one to go with.

I think the white will look clean and brighten up the rooms, but will it be too stark and cheap against the oak?

If I go wood grain, its an extra $100 a window and I'm afraid it will look very un-natural and just clash since it won't be of a similar tone.

Thoughts?

[Briant73]

I'm going with white even though I have oak wood around the windows. Two reasons one cost savings and if I ever decide to restain/paint or change out the wood molding to a different look the window won't be oak woodgrain.

So if you can afford it and plan to keep the look and get a good match it might work for you.

[whaas]

Anyone have pictures of examples of white vinyl window with woodtrim?

I plan to get grids either way.

[shamu]

Do you have oak trim in all of your rooms? Do you have blinds or window coverings over the windows? Maybe just use the woodgrain in the rooms which have the oak trim, white in the others. Pretty much a personal preference. I have had customers who have fretted over the choice, some regret not going with the woodgrain, others don't.

[whaas]

I'd rather keep all windows the same. Oak trim is on all windows.

I guess I need to find some pics of white windows (ecspecially with grids) with wood trim....can't find any!

[mcgoon76]

I've been having the same concern. My wife finally convinced me that having white vinyl windows with stained wood trim around them wouldn't look bad at all. In fact she prefers the look over a wood window/wood trim.

I also looked for pictures on the internet and had a hard time finding any. My wife found quite a few examples in the 15 different sales brochures we had been given. Funny, I never noticed them until she pointed them out to me. But sure enough almost every window brochure had an example picture of a white vinyl window with stained wood trim.

[whaas]

Do you remember which ones have good examples?

I have the following and none of them show a white window with wood trim
Champion
Preservation
Comfortworld
Soft-lite
Alside
Gorell (shows a couple but the lighting is terrible)
Wasco

[windowdude]

The laminated stainable or pre-stained interior, even if it's matched closely to your existing trim, will not age the same way your oak jambs and casing do. It may look great at the moment of installation, but over time the real wood casing's color will deepen with character while the laminate window will not, at least not at the same rate. That always bothered me about the pre-finished and laminate interior woodgrains.

[mcgoon76]

Here's one example I found

http://www.customremodelersinc.com/our- ... ndows.html

[TheWindowNerd]

There are insert replacement windows with real wood interiors. They are much more costly than the foil wrapped fake wood.
You have to find the right balance for you on beauty compared to budget.

[whaas]

Yeah budget is key. Taking a real wood interior compared to the performance numbers on the vinly products I'm looking at is just ridiculous. Almost 40% higher for the real wood. Putting in all new wood windows would be 25% of the value of my home and lot....and my home value is above the median price for the 2nd most expensive county in WI.

[TheWindowNerd]

There are also vinyl replacement windows with real wood interiors, ie Thermal Ind.

[whaas]

I think I might go for the white, but as noted in another topic I'm trying to find a quality mfg. that has an ivory color.

[cmar2]

I am having the same problem & just started another topic. What did you do? Did you find any pics? I am thinking of painting the wood white/off white to match the vinyl. I am going to have to paint the sills anyway. They are looking kinda ratty.

[pondscum]

If you have to paint anyway, and don't mind changing colors, I would do that. Another possibility is that you could paint the jambs and sill white to match the windows, but have stained wood casings. Previous owners of my house did that in one of the bedrooms and it looks quite nice. Not consistent with the original architectural style of the house, but nice.

You will have about 10,000 times as many choices for replacement windows if you can go for a white interior, too. (Based on my ongoing search for a decent brown window for all the other rooms in my house that still have the original dark brown trim!)