Guides · Wood Windows
Wood windows in St. Louis, from the people who spec them daily.
Wood is still the material St. Louis architecture was designed around: authentic profiles, real thermal performance, and windows that can be repaired instead of replaced. Here is how to choose well, from species to cladding to the brands that build them properly.
The case for wood
Why do premium homes still choose wood windows?
Three reasons keep wood at the top of the premium market. First, authenticity: the profiles, shadow lines, and proportions of St. Louis homes, from Soulard rowhouses to Webster Groves foursquares to new custom builds, were drawn around wood sash. Vinyl and hollow composites cannot reproduce them, and the difference reads from the street.
Second, performance: wood is a natural insulator, so a well-built wood window resists heat transfer through the frame itself rather than fighting it. Paired with modern insulated glass, quality weatherstripping, and proper installation, wood windows deliver comfort that surprises people who last touched a drafty original from the 1920s.
Third, longevity: a quality wood window is a repairable object. Sash can be reglazed, finishes renewed, hardware replaced, and parts serviced for decades. That is why century-old wood windows still exist at all, and why preservation boards trust the material.
The big decision
Clad exterior, or all wood?
Most premium wood windows today are aluminum clad: solid wood inside, with a factory-finished aluminum shell protecting the exterior. Cladding removes almost all exterior maintenance and carries long finish warranties, which is why it is the default for most projects we quote.
All wood construction carries the same wood straight through to the exterior, with no metal wrap. It gives the sharpest, most authentic profiles, takes paint or stain exactly the way original millwork does, and can be repaired and refinished for generations. It is often the right call for historic districts and architect-led projects, and it has been a growing share of our recent Loewen quotes.
The honest way to decide: how visible is the window, how much does profile authenticity matter, and who will maintain the exterior? We walk through those questions opening by opening, and plenty of projects mix both constructions on the same house.
Species
Which wood should your windows be made of?
Coastal Douglas Fir is the workhorse of premium wood windows and the species we spec most: strong, stable, naturally moisture-resistant, and beautiful under both paint and stain. It is Loewen’s standard across their entire line.
Beyond fir, premium builders offer species to match the home’s interior: Honduran Mahogany for rich, furniture-grade warmth, White Oak for modern grain-forward interiors, and options like Cherry and Walnut on request. Species choice is mostly an interior design decision, since clad exteriors hide the wood outside.
For replicating something original, Parrett will build to match, including unusual species and profiles, which is how one-of-a-kind historic windows get replaced correctly.
The maintenance question
Are wood windows a maintenance burden?
This is the myth that sells vinyl. The truthful answer: clad wood windows need essentially the same exterior care as any premium window, which is to say almost none. The aluminum shell does not need painting, and the wood inside lives in the conditioned part of the wall.
All wood exteriors do ask for a repaint cycle, the same as wood siding or trim, and in exchange they stay repairable forever. What actually kills wood windows is not weather but neglect of failed glazing and finish for decades, which is a very different thing from normal ownership.
Modern factory finishes, preservative treatments, and quality installation have also moved the maintenance reality a long way from what people remember about their grandparents’ windows.
The brands
Who builds wood windows well?
01
Loewen
The heirloom tier: Douglas Fir standard, premium species available, aluminum clad or all wood, and profiles approved for St. Louis historic replacement. Our flagship line.
Read the Loewen Guide02
Lincoln and Windsor
Wood and clad-wood lines that bring real wood construction to strong value, including profiles we regularly spec for replacements, renovations, and new builds across St. Louis.
About Lincoln03
Parrett
Fully custom wood windows built to order: unusual shapes, exact historic replications, and made-to-spec configurations when nothing standard fits the opening.
About ParrettThe work
Wood windows on real St. Louis projects.
Common questions
Good to know.
Are wood windows worth it compared to vinyl?
For the homes we work on, yes. Wood delivers authentic profiles vinyl cannot reproduce, insulates naturally, lasts decades longer when cared for, and can be repaired rather than replaced. Vinyl is a fair choice for budget-driven projects; it is not a choice for homes where the architecture matters.
What is the difference between clad and all wood windows?
Clad windows are solid wood inside with a factory-finished aluminum exterior shell that removes exterior painting. All wood windows carry the wood through to the exterior for the sharpest profiles and full repairability, in exchange for a normal repaint cycle. Many projects mix both.
Which wood window brands do you carry in St. Louis?
Loewen is our flagship wood line, as the Loewen Window Center for the region, alongside Lincoln, Windsor, and fully custom wood windows from Parrett. You can compare them side by side in our Webster Groves showroom.
Do wood windows qualify for St. Louis historic districts?
Wood is the material historic review is built around. We carry profiles approved for City of St. Louis historic replacement and support the Cultural Resources Office documentation as part of the project. Our historic replacement guide walks through the whole approval process.
Come put your hands on the real thing.
Wood windows are a tactile decision. The showroom has Loewen, Lincoln, and more on display in Webster Groves, or send us photos of your project and we will point you in the right direction.