Woodgrain uPVC windows have a foil with a printed and embossed grain laminated onto a white uPVC profile. From a few metres away they look like timber, they never need painting, and the extra cost of the foil shows up straight away in the configurator. You can have a wood colour outside and white inside, or the same wood colour on both sides.
How do woodgrain uPVC windows differ from timber?
Under the foil is an ordinary uPVC profile, the same as in a white window. The foil is textured, so it feels like wood, but it does not absorb water or peel like paint. Maintenance is the same as for a white window: wipe the seals, and adjust and lubricate the hardware once a year. No repainting.
We do not sell timber windows, so we are not comparing prices with them here. If you are undecided on material, read our uPVC vs aluminium comparison. Aluminium has no foil: the profile is powder-coated in any RAL colour, always the same on both sides.
Which colour options can you order?
A uPVC window comes in one of three versions, and the whole order has one colour:
- white on both sides (base price),
- wood colour outside, white inside,
- the same wood colour on both sides.
We do not make two different woodgrains in one window (say walnut outside and golden oak inside), and we do not make colour on the inside only. More about foils and RAL shades is in our article on window colours.
The woodgrain foils come from the profile brands' own colour charts: golden oak, walnut, Winchester and others. The range depends on the system, and Gealan has the largest. Not every shade exists in every system.
What does woodgrain change in your order?
- Price. Foil costs extra, and two sides cost more than one. The configurator recalculates after every change, so you can compare the options on your own windows.
- Lead time. Production takes 3 to 8 weeks and depends partly on colour.
- Tilt and slide patio doors (PSK). In colour, the maximum width is smaller than in white. The configurator flags this for wide openings.
- Shade between batches. Small shade differences between production batches are not a defect. So it is best to order all windows and doors for one house together.
Since 1997, across more than 5000 orders, we have checked the system and the colour together before sending a quote. The usual problem is a woodgrain picked from one brand's chart while the chosen system comes from another brand that does not carry it.
Checklist before ordering
1. Choose the system first, then the foil from its chart in the configurator. Not the other way round. 2. Decide whether the wood colour goes outside only or on both sides. White inside is easier to match to the interior. 3. Make sure every window and door in the order has the same colour. 4. For PSK patio doors, check the width in colour, not in white. 5. Order everything at once to avoid shade differences between batches. 6. Remove the protective film no later than 4 weeks after delivery. Store the windows upright, under cover and out of the sun.
Before production you get a drawing and specification to approve, with the foil name on every item. That is the last point at which you can change the colour. Fitting is up to you: you pay for the windows and arrange the installer separately.
What does the wood look cost on your project?
Build your windows in the configurator, first in white and then in your chosen woodgrain. You see the difference immediately. All systems and their colour charts are on the uPVC windows page. We send a quote including delivery within 3 working days.