The Material We're Named After
Wood Windows Inc has been selling, installing, and restoring wood windows in the Treasure Valley since 1980 — the company name isn't a metaphor. So take it as informed rather than nostalgic when we say: for the right house, nothing else does what wood does. The interior warmth no laminate imitates convincingly, the stain-or-paint freedom to match any trim, proportions and profiles that belong on homes with history, and a track record measured in generations.
Cladding Ended the Maintenance Argument
The old knock on wood — repainting the exterior every several years, forever — was solved decades ago by cladding: a weatherproof shell bonded over the wood's weather side. Andersen's Perma-Shield vinyl cladding has been proving the concept since 1966 (we still service original units around Boise); Marvin and Kolbe use extruded aluminum with architectural-grade finishes that carry deep colors through decades of high-desert sun. Inside: wood. Outside: never paint again. Modern "wood windows" are, almost without exception, clad-wood windows.
Energy performance rides along at the top of the market — NFRC U-factors from 0.31 down into the mid-0.20s with triple-pane, tunable SHGC by elevation, and per-unit engineered ratings on the architectural lines.
Where Wood Is the Right Answer
Historic Boise, first and always. North End, East End, Warm Springs, Hyde Park — design review in these districts effectively requires wood-family profiles, and matching a 1910 original's sightlines is craftwork we've done for 46 years. Modern Low-E glass hides inside the period look.
Homes where interiors lead. Stained-wood trim packages, craftsman details, mountain-home aesthetics — a vinyl or fiberglass interior reads wrong against them; wood belongs.
The long hold. Families who intend to hand the house down buy clad-wood for the same reason they re-roof in architectural shingle: the horizon justifies the material.
Where it isn't: budget-led whole-house jobs and minimal-maintenance rentals — vinyl and fiberglass exist for those, and we quote them without snobbery.
The Lines We Trust
The Andersen 400 Series is the value anchor of the tier — five decades of Perma-Shield history at the friendliest clad-wood price. Marvin Ultimate and Kolbe Ultra own the custom and architectural end: made-to-measure sizes, radius shapes, authentic divided lites for restoration work. We're authorized dealers for all three, our installers are employees — never subcontractors — and warranty service runs out of Garden City for the life of the product. (208) 376-2200 or the form on this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Aren't wood windows high-maintenance in Idaho's climate?
Bare-exterior wood, yes — that's a repainting commitment in high-desert sun. Which is why nearly every wood window we sell is clad-wood: real wood inside, a weatherproof shell outside (Andersen's Perma-Shield vinyl, Marvin and Kolbe's extruded aluminum). You get wood's warmth and insulation with a zero-paint exterior. Cladding solved wood's maintenance problem decades ago.
What do clad-wood windows cost?
The premium tier: $1,200–$1,800+ per window installed for lines like Andersen 400 and Marvin Elevate, with architectural products (Marvin Ultimate, Kolbe Ultra) from $1,500 to $3,000+. Historic-match and custom work prices per project.
Do wood windows insulate better than vinyl or fiberglass?
Wood is a genuinely good natural insulator, and clad-wood lines test right alongside premium fiberglass — NFRC U-factors of 0.25–0.31, into the mid-0.20s with triple-pane. Buy wood for the interior beauty, longevity, and character; the energy story is comparable at this tier rather than the differentiator.
Why is the company called Wood Windows Inc?
Because that's where we started in 1980 — wood-window sales, installation, and restoration when vinyl barely existed. Forty-five years later we carry every frame material, but wood and clad-wood remain the craft we're named for, and historic Boise is still full of our work.
Sources & Testing Data
Last reviewed 2026-07-04 by Wood Windows Inc — (208) 376-2200