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Vinyl building products have become the products of choice for their energy efficiency, ease of maintenance and installation, and appeal. Few homeowners actually recognize just how their investment adds to the property value...
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Comparison Chart
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Vinyl
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Wood
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Aluminum
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Maintenance-free. Vinyl Windows never require painting, sanding, or refinishing.
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Require finishing and preservative treatment, which can fade and peel, requiring periodic maintenance.
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Color is sprayed on, which will scratch, flake, and peel. This requires painting and touching-up.
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Solid virgin Vinyl construction provides long-lasting beauty and structural integrity.
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Wood is subject to swelling, warping, twisting, shrinking over time, requiring maintenance or repair.
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Aluminum is subject to impact damage. It is easty to dent and scratch.
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Vinyl is moisture resistant and won't swell up, rot, or warp.
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Wood can absorb moisture, causing it to rot and deteriorate over time, requiring maintenance or replacement.
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Aluminum corrodes in moist air from pollution and airborne chemicals.
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Vinyl windows are custom-made to fit exact openings in your home according to your measurements, and are available in a wide variety of styles, options and colors.
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Wood windows are normally offered in stock sizes, which could require alterations to the window openings in your home.
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Aluminum windows are normally offered in stock sizes, which could require alterations to the window openings in your home.
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Vinyl has a high resistance to heat loss or gain.
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Wood windows do not have as high a resistance to heat and cold as Vinyl windows.
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Aluminum conducts heat and cold.
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Vinyl is impervious to insects.
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Wood windows are subject to insect damage.
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Aluminum supports condensation and can frost in cold weather.
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Vinyl windows are easy to operate with a "state-of-the-art" balance system.
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Paint build-up on windows, along with swelling and bowing can cause sashes to bind and stick causing difficult operation.
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Aluminum is subject to abrasion and corrosion, that reduces ease of operation-causing binding and sticking.
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Vinyl window frames and sashes are fully fusion-welded for strength and energy efficiency. Welded frames and sashes prevent air and water infiltration.
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Wood windows are mechanically(screwed) or chemically(glued) fastened, making them prone to air and water infiltration. This condition can cause drafts and leaks, resulting in a loss of energy and damage to your home.
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Aluminum windows are mechanically fastened, which makes them prone to air and water infiltration. This condition can cause drafts and leaks, resulting in a loss of energy and damage to your home.
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4 Major Reasons to choose Vinyl
Vinyl Formulation
Early vinyl windows had problems with extreme expansion and contraction during temperature swings, as well as fading, peeling, and cracking when exposed to direct sunlight. Manufacturers have switched to PVC without plasticizers (called UPVC) to minimize movement and developed additives that help resist the ultraviolet rays in sunlight.
Energy Efficiency Rating System
Many states have adopted an energy efficiency rating system for windows developed by the National Fenestration Ratings Council (NFRC). The NFRC rating lists the U-value for the overall window, not just the glass. The lower the U-value, the more energy efficient the window.
Glazing
Modern vinyl windows are available with the same high-tech glazing used in top-of-the-line wood windows insulating glass with low emissivity (low E) coatings, and filled with argon gas to increase insulating value.
Easy to Install
Windows can be one of your home's most attractive features. Windows provide views, day lighting, ventilation, and solar heating in the winter. Unfortunately, they can also account for 10% to 25% of your heating bill. During the summer, sunny windows make your air conditioner work two to three times harder. If you live in the Sun Belt, look into new solar control spectrally selective windows, which can cut the cooling load by more than half.
If your home has single-pane windows, as almost half of U. S. homes do, consider replacing them. New double-pane windows with high-performance glass (e.g., low-e or spectrally selective) are available on the market. In colder climates, select windows that are gas filled with low-emissivity (lowE) coatings on the glass to reduce heat loss. In warmer climates, select windows with spectrally selective coatings to reduce heat gain. If you are building a new home, you can offset some of the cost of installing more efficient windows because doing so allows you to buy smaller, less expensive heating and cooling equipment.
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Package with Low-E Glass and argon gas, offer incredible performance and are a wise choice for anyone thinking of replacing their windows. Real estate agents estimate that a homeowner will see an average return on the investment of up to 74% of the project cost should they sell their home.
