The visual comparison, without waffle: three materials side by side, with strengths, maintenance and the homes each suits. The final choice depends on your home, budget and taste — here are the elements to decide.
Trick question: with the same glass and the same fitting, all three insulate well. PVC starts ahead on insulation-for-price; modern thermal-break aluminium reaches similar values; wood insulates naturally and is very stable. In practice, the glazing unit and the quality of the fitting make the difference.
The practical one: high insulation, low price, no painting.
The structural one: slim profiles, big lights, long life.
The classic: warm to the touch and the eye, repairable over time.
And wood-aluminium? It is the fourth material: wood inside and aluminium outside. It combines the look of wood at home with a metal "shell" outside, reducing outdoor maintenance. It is described on the Windows page.
These are typical ranges reported by industry guides, not guarantees: a well-fitted PVC or aluminium window generally works for several decades; wood lasts just as long if maintained, and has the advantage that it can be restored.
The variable that shortens the life of any window the most is not the material: it is bad fitting and ignored maintenance — gaskets never checked, water drainage holes blocked, hardware never lubricated. Ten minutes of checking a year, which we explain at handover, is worth more than any promise on paper.
For noise, what matters most is the glass — an asymmetric unit or acoustic glass — together with how well the gaskets seal. For summer sun, shading (roller shutters, shutters, external blinds) and evening ventilation matter more than the frame material.
On the plain between Pontoglio and Brescia summers are hot and muggy: if a bedroom faces west, let's think together about shading — it is often the cheapest and most effective fix.
Often wood, or wood-aluminium if you want less maintenance: they respect the original look, and in many historic centres they are the accepted choice. PVC in white is often out of place on a period facade: it is assessed case by case, and at the quote stage we check what fits the building.
Yes, above all for wood: the outdoor finishes need checking and renewing every few years, depending on exposure. PVC and aluminium only need cleaning and checks of gaskets and hardware. Wood-aluminium sits in between: outside it is aluminium, so the weather-exposed part never needs painting.
Tell us about the house — age, exposure, rooms — and we will help you choose the right material, room by room.