Woodfellas are Cowie’s foremost timber window specialists, building, refurbishing, and fitting wooden windows from a Cowie workshop that works across residential properties and business properties right across Central Scotland.
Every window that we produce is made to measure from responsibly sourced treated pine or hardwood, and double glazing and improved security are included as standard.
Whatever you need, sash and case for a tenement, casement for a newer extension, or a full replacement set for any type of property, we produce them in-house and install ourselves.
Our timber windows
We make two main types of timber window, each suited to different properties and specifications. Both are available in treated pine or hardwood, and both include double-glazed sealed units as standard.
Sash windows
The original Scottish window, and still the best.
Before UPVC, before aluminium, Cowie’s Victorian and Edwardian tenements were built with sash windows, sliding up and down in a box frame on weighted cords and pulleys. They’re still the only permitted replacement for listed buildings and conservation area properties where sash and case was the existing design.
We refurbish, fix, and build custom sash windows that replicate period profiles and proportions while achieving modern thermal and acoustic standards.
The original frames are solid, so why swap them? Restoration, draught-proofing and double glazing upgrades, is often the most sensible call. We do full surveys first, before we ever recommend replacement.
Traditional casement windows
Casement windows are hinged and open out to open, giving a wider opening for fresh air and making cleaning from inside straightforward. They’re standard on Cowie properties dating from the 1920s onwards, as well as rear extensions, dormers, and newer builds.
Side hung, top hung, fixed, we manufacture custom timber casement windows in all three styles. Like our sash windows, every single one is built to order and fitted with double glazing as standard.
All the styles, all the choices, it’s on our timber casement windows section.
Wood windows, why they’re the right choice
Hundreds of years of timber windows, and they’re not still around out of habit. Timber truly outperforms UPVC and aluminium in a number of areas that make a difference to households. The record say it all.
Natural thermal insulation
Timber transfers heat far less quickly than aluminium and outperforms UPVC at comparable frame widths. The result is superior thermal efficiency from the frame itself, and that’s before the double glazing gets involved.
In a country like Scotland, where energy bills represent a real issue for property owners, the insulating characteristics of a timber frame make a measurable difference.
Repair, don’t replace
If a timber window is damaged, the good news is you can fix it.
Rot in a sill or bottom rail? Take it out and put in new timber. Damaged part of frame? Rebuild. UPVC isn’t repairable. When it goes, the entire unit goes to landfill and you’re starting from scratch.
Year after year, look after rather than replace. Over the lifespan of a property, that adds up to real cost not spent and a lot less material going to landfill.
Eco credentials
We get all our timber from ethically managed woodland, so you can rest easy it’s responsibly produced.
Timber is a sustainable resource that holds carbon throughout its working life and decomposes naturally at end of life. UPVC is a petroleum-derived plastic, and aluminium production is extremely energy-intensive.
For homeowners for whom the carbon impact of their property is a priority, timber is the obvious choice.
Character and value
There’s a weight, a character, and a texture to timber windows that man-made materials simply can’t copy.
On a traditional sandstone tenement, a blonde stone villa, or a period Scottish cottage, timber windows just belong in a way that UPVC just can’t pull off.
Value, too. On period properties, where period features are part of the appeal, timber windows add genuine worth that UPVC never quite does.
Double glazing timber windows
Every window we make, sash or casement, includes double-glazed sealed units installed as standard. Always.
Two sheets of glass. A cavity between them. The sealed unit sits inside the timber frame and handles the rest, cutting heat transfer, boosting sound insulation.
Combine the timber frame’s natural insulating properties with double glazing and you get excellent thermal and acoustic performance across both window styles.
If your property requires a traditional divided-light look, we can install glazing bars, just ask.
Got older timber windows that are still sound but only single glazed? In many cases we can switch them to double glazing as part of a restoration programme, retaining the original frames and boosting thermal performance without a full replacement.
Common on Cowie’s older properties. Existing sash windows: well-constructed. Single glazing: allows in cold and ambient noise.
And every unit we install complies with current building regulations for thermal standards, so no worries there.
Timber windows for conservation areas
Scotland: more than 600 recognised conservation areas.
If your property is in one of these areas, you need to know that UPVC is not an acceptable window material. Your local council may require replacements that replicate the original in material, design, and profile.
Twenty years of manufacturing timber windows for conservation areas and listed buildings throughout Scotland. The council expectations? We’ve been through all of it. We know what’s expected.
We can walk you through consent requirements and make windows that meet planning condition while giving you modern standards. Our sash and case windows page covers the regulations in more depth.
Timber types
Two timber types. That’s it. We work with both for the entire window range.
The most popular choice is treated pine. It’s pressure-treated to prevent rot and decay, accepts a painted finish well, and holds up reliably in Cowie’s rain-heavy conditions.
Want a natural timber finish? Need extra durability? Hardwood. Inherently more resistant to wear. Takes stains and oils really well.
We recommend the right timber for each project, based on the property, its exposure, and the finish you want. Just ask and we’ll guide you.
Wooden windows, frequently asked questions
What types of timber windows do you manufacture?
We produce sash and case windows and casement windows, both made in treated pine or hardwood. Sash and case are the traditional Cowie design, moving up and down within a box frame. Casement windows hinge and swing outward. We also make fixed window panels for any opening configuration.
Timber windows vs UPVC, which is better?
Three things: performance, lifespan, looks. Timber wins on all three. Better insulation at the equivalent frame thickness. Considerably longer lifespan when looked after. Can be repaired, not replaced. And it’s the sole material permitted for listed buildings, greatly favoured in conservation areas too.
Can existing timber windows be converted to double glazing?
In most cases, yes. If your existing timber frames are in good condition, we can switch the glazing to double-glazed sealed units as part of a restoration programme. That keeps the original frames and character while improving thermal and acoustic results.
Get a free quote for timber windows in Cowie
Got a single window repaired or a complete home of custom timber windows? Give us a call on 07920 057592 or fill in the form on our contact page and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours.
We also build custom timber doors, bi-fold doors, and timber shop fronts, serving Cowie and Central Scotland.