Austrian window manufacturer KAPO relies on wood as a central material and actively promotes the renewable raw material under the claim "Wood. What else?" On the company website, the manufacturer deliberately lists advantages that it believes set the material apart from competing materials such as plastic or aluminum. The question facing window builders, trade partners, and architects is: Is wood actually on its way to becoming the dominant material – or is it strategic marketing by a specialist?
Naturalness, thermal protection, durability: An overview of the arguments
KAPO highlights several properties that make wood suitable for use in windows, doors, and facade elements. In addition to aesthetics and tactile qualities, the focus is primarily on building physics properties: wood has low thermal conductivity, which minimizes thermal bridges in the frame and sash frame and improves the thermal transmittance coefficient of the overall element – an advantage that is particularly important with triple glazing and high insulation standards.
Another argument: wood stores CO₂ as it grows and remains a carbon sink as a built-in material for decades. In times of increasingly stringent regulatory requirements for the life cycle assessment of building products – keyword circular economy in window & door construction – this aspect can become decisive in tenders and certifications (DGNB, LEED, BREEAM).
Wood windows are also considered durable, provided that structural wood protection and proper surface treatment are ensured. In Central Europe, service lives of 40 to 50 years for well-maintained wood windows are not uncommon – a value that plastic systems rarely achieve in this form.
Market position: Wood remains a niche, plastic dominates
Despite these arguments, wood remains a niche in European window manufacturing. In Germany, the market share of wood windows (including wood-aluminum) in 2025 was estimated at around 15 to 18 percent, while plastic continues to account for over 50 percent and aluminum for about 20 percent. Similar ratios are seen in Austria and Switzerland, although in alpine regions and in upscale single-family home construction, the wood share is traditionally higher.
The reason: plastic systems from manufacturers such as Veka, Rehau, or Aluplast are faster and more cost-effective to process in industrial manufacturing, offer low-maintenance surfaces, and now achieve excellent insulation values with modern multi-chamber profiles. Wood, by contrast, requires more craftsmanship in production, regular maintenance, and higher material costs.
Strategic positioning against online competition
KAPO is trying to compensate for these disadvantages through clear positioning. In recent months, the company has restructured its window product range to differentiate itself from online providers and discount models. The focus on wood as a natural material plays a central role here: it addresses a customer group that values ecology, durability, and individuality – qualities that are difficult to communicate in standardized configurator-based business.
At the same time, KAPO is expanding regionally. As recently became known, KAPO is expanding with new locations to increase sales density and connect local craft businesses more directly. Wood windows thrive on consultation and individual customization – a strength that is better leveraged offline.
Where wood makes sense in window construction – and where it doesn't
For specialized companies, the question arises in which project segments wood is actually the first choice. In the construction of single-family homes, in renovations of listed buildings, and in high-end commercial construction, wood windows demonstrate their strengths. In passive house projects and GEG-compliant new construction, the material also scores points with its natural insulation properties.
In apartment building construction, large-scale projects with tight budgets, or for facades exposed to extreme wind-driven rain, plastic and aluminum dominate – partly for cost reasons, partly for maintenance-free considerations. With sliding and folding doors with large glazed areas, many manufacturers also rely on wood-aluminum combinations to increase weather resistance.
Conclusion: Wood as a positioning tool, not a panacea
KAPO deliberately uses wood as a differentiation feature in a market increasingly characterized by price pressure, standardization, and online configurators. The arguments for the material – CO₂ balance, insulation performance, durability – are certainly valid for certain customer segments and project types. However, whether wood actually becomes the "building material of the hour" depends less on technical properties than on the willingness of builders to pay a premium for naturalness and sustainability – and on the ability of manufacturers to credibly convey these values in consultation.
For window builders, this means: wood remains an important material in the portfolio, but requires specialization, consulting expertise, and service-oriented sales structures. The marketing claim "Wood. What else?" is less an answer than a question about one's own market positioning.
