PVC windows in a wood colour (also called foliadas, or “with decorative film”) are a way to get the look of timber without the upkeep of timber. In a building with a condominium the question is a different one: the colour of the window, seen from the street, may mean you need to ask for permission. This guide explains what they are, what the makers say and what the law says about the condominium and the câmara.
What they are
The wood colour comes from a film bonded to the PVC profile. According to REHAU (Kaleido Color catalogue, 2020), the film has two layers: a base of plain or printed colour and a transparent PMMA layer that protects the colours from fading caused by UV rays and weather. It is bonded to the profile by a procedure the brand calls “non-aggressive”. VEKA says there are more than 60 finishes, from plain and metallic colours to woods with embossed grain, and that the film can be applied on the outside only, leaving the inside smooth and white. Gealan and Kömmerling say their films resist weather and imitate the grain of wood.
REHAU warns that the printed colours in the catalogue may differ slightly from the real ones. Ask for a physical sample and the film code.
Care and warranty
- Cleaning. REHAU describes the surface as “low-care”. Salamander (care guide, PDF of April 2025) advises a soft cloth and neutral soap, no solvents, alcohol, ammonia or scouring pads, and no steam cleaner, which can damage PVC. It also recommends a cleaning kit for laminated and coloured profiles.
- Warranty. None of the maker pages I read gives the warranty term for the film. Ask for it in writing, for the film and for the profile, and what excludes it (scratches, cleaning products).
- Dark colours and heat. I found no data on heat in dark films on the makers’ pages. Ask the maker.
For the price and the rest of the window, see the price guide.
The câmara: colour counts too
Decreto-Lei 108/2026 (Diário da República, 29 May 2026) defines “alteration works” as works that change the physical or aesthetic characteristics of the building, including “the nature and colour of the exterior cladding materials, which include doors and windows” (article 2(d)). Replacing frames is exempt from a licence and prior notice only if it keeps the geometry and gives an exterior finish identical to the original (article 6-A(1)(j)). A timber window replaced by a wood-look PVC one, or a white window by a wood-colour one, is hardly identical on the outside. So we cannot say it is exempt: ask the câmara before you order. On listed buildings the exemption does not apply.
The condominium: what the Civil Code says
Co-owners may not “harm, whether by new works or by lack of repair, the safety, the architectural line or the aesthetic arrangement of the building” (article 1422(2)(a)). Works that modify the architectural line or the aesthetic arrangement “may be carried out if the prior authorisation of the assembly of co-owners is obtained, approved by a majority representing two thirds of the total value of the building” (article 1422(3)).
In practice:
| Situation | What may happen |
|---|---|
| New window identical on the outside (same colour and design) | The law does not seem to require an assembly. Read the rules and tell the administrator |
| Wood colour in a building with white windows (or the opposite) | It may modify the aesthetic arrangement: prior authorisation of the assembly, two thirds of the value |
| All the windows in the building at once | If it is work on common parts, article 1425 applies (majority of co-owners, with two thirds of the value) |
What decides whether authorisation is needed, and which, is the condominium rules and the assembly. Whether the exterior frames are part of the flat or a common part, I could not confirm: it depends on each building. If only the inside face of the window changes colour and the outside stays the same, in principle it does not change the look from outside, but confirm with the administrator.
How to ask
The quiz in the guide Can I replace my windows? has a ready-made letter for the administrator. Attach:
- A photograph of the facade and the current window.
- The colour code and a sample, and the window’s data sheet.
- How many windows, and whether they are all the same colour.
Ask for the item to go on the agenda and for the decision in writing. Do not order before. If the home is rented, the landlord is the one who talks to the administrator.
What I could not confirm
- Whether a condominium can refuse a colour, and on what basis, beyond what the articles say.
- Warranty terms for each brand’s films.
- How dark films behave in the heat.
- The rules of each condominium and each câmara.
- The Civil Code text comes from a copy with the wording of Decreto-Lei 267/94: check the version in force.
Sources
- Ordem dos Arquitectos: Decreto-Lei 108/2026 of 29 May (copy of the Diário da República): articles 2(d) and 6-A. Read on 23 October 2026.
- Mapfre: Civil Code, horizontal property: articles 1422 and 1425. Read on 23 October 2026.
- REHAU: Kaleido Color, 2020 (maker, in Portuguese). Read on 23 October 2026.
- VEKA: Decorative foil (maker). Read on 23 October 2026.
- Gealan: Decorative foils and Kömmerling: Colours and design (makers). Read on 23 October 2026.
- Salamander: care guide, April 2025 (maker, in Portuguese). Read on 23 October 2026.
What to do next
- See the guide to thermal-break aluminium windows if you are also thinking of that material.
- Get quotes with the quote checker.
- Learn more about warranties and certificates.