I need opinions on vinyl and wood-clad vinyl windows.

In My Humble Opinion
1

Yesterday we had a “project manager” from a local window company come out to our house and tell us how much it would cost to install fiberglass windows.

Eh, er, 10K for 12 windows is a bit much, so we’re looking into other options now. A bit of history:

My house is nearly 100 years old. It has wood windows, some of which have had the glass panes replaced, but for the most part you can feel the cold coming through in the winter, and in the summer the AC struggles to keep the house at 75 degrees during the day.

So, at this point, any sort of windows would be an improvement, but this dude was out trolling the neighborhood so we let him come in and talk to us.

Among his claims were that vinyl windows are crap. All of them. That they have an averag elifespan of about 3 to 5 years before they need replacing, and that the “lifetime” warranties of the companies who sell them are not worth the paper they are printed on due to the fine print. He also claimed that no one will do wood windows any way other than new construction, where they cut out the old window and put in a new one (instead of, I gather, just replacing the main window part and leaving the frame intact).

I know that fiberglass would be more efficient than wood or vinyl, but I have a nearly 100 year olod house that also needs new flooring, baby furniture, etc, so I can’t afford to drop 10K just on the windows. 10K is pretty much my whole remodelling budget for the near future.

So, how do vinyl windows hold up? I need actual experience, and if possible, changes in the heating and cooling bill if you can provide them, from purchasing a vinyl window and what to watch out for when buyiong windows.

Thanks in advance!

2

Here are some resources that can help:
http://www.replacementwindowskey.com/replacement-windows/materials.html
http://www.sunquality.com/types-win.html

FYI, we got new windows in our house last year. We replace all of the old wood framed windows with vinyl and they work great. Plus we weren’t charged an arm and a leg for them either.

3

Window & door guy’s wife here…we have new vinyl windows, going from old draft, wood windows.

New wood windows - make sure you check the warranty - a lot of window manufacturers require they be painted every year or two to maintain the warranty…vinyl windows, of course, never have to be painted. Also, you may want to take into consideration how easy it will be to clean them, inside and out. Our windows open from the inside and you can clean the outside from the inside.

They’re quiet and very easy to clean.

4

Also, apparently years ago, they used to make fibreglass windows but hubby would recommend vinyl over fibreglass. Check the weatherstrip to make sure it is sealed.

5

We did the Majic windows. They were expensive but the sound deadening was obvious. They are 1 yr old so i cannot tell you long term. But so far very satisfied. House warmpth was clearly elevated and gas bill dropped.
Thet are made in Canada.

6

If it’s the same company that we had give us the hard-sell about fiberglass windows, be sure to check out their name on Google and you’ll see that they are a total rip-off. They were twice as expensive as vinyl windows. Ask your local vinyl window installer about this particular company and watch the obscenties fly! (There’s a reason why no one else sells fiberglass replacement windows.)

By the way, our vinyl window installation was really smooth and was done in one day. We got 22 windows for about $8000; included some updating of window opening sizes for new fire egress codes. We’re totally happy with them. Spend your extra money someplace else.

7

I’ll do a little googling for them, but it was Majic windows, as gonzomax said. They were over 2x what vinyl windows would cost, and he tried the hard sell (he wasn’t very good at it) by telling us if we didn’t do the deal with him right then, the prices would be higher if we called the company.

That pretty much sealed his fate. If you or your company are the kind of dicks that don’t want an educated consumer, or at least one who checks his options, then you can sell to someone else.

8

I installed Certainteed vinyl replacement windows in my first house, before becoming a professional contractor. 15 windows with with low-e glazing, and I spent ~$2K (remember-I supplied the install labor). I still sell Certainteed vinyl replacements, because they’re a high quality product, and have had zero callbacks, other than one sash which arrived with a stress crack and was replaced within a week.

He’s also full of crap about wood windows only being a new construction item. Can’t remember if it was Marvin or another company, but there’s a major player out there who sells new sashes and side guide/stop assemblies. My Dad and a few other fellows put that style replacement in the fellowship hall at their church 15 years ago and are quite happy-they look very nice, too.

9

My parents had vinyl replacement windows installed 20 years ago. They’re in fine shape today. We had Champion (vinyl) windows installed in several rooms in my house a couple years ago. They aren’t exactly the money savers advertised, but then my house is a bit old and doesn’t have great insulation. In the future, though, I think I’ll let my buddy install windows for me. He gets a wholesale prices as a contractor and it would be probably $150-200 cheaper per window if he did it.

And I’d say your guy is full of crap.

10

I work for Home Depot overseeing vinyl window installations. I’ve got a lot to say but I don’t think I want to post publicly. email me for more info.

That said, if I had the money I would pay Home Depot to install vinyl windows in a heatbeat even though I can (and do) install them myself.

11

I’d echo waht’s been said-vinyl windows are great! they don’t warp, rot, or stick-the ones in our house are 15 years old, and good as new! So I think you’ve been fed a line of BS

12

Licensed contractor here. If you have worthwhile wood trim , like stool and apron, etc. you might want to think about wood insert windows. Marvin and Andersen make a good reputable line of inserts that install easily, and are high quality, and often time blend in well with the existing wood trimwork. They also have the tip out features for easy cleaning, and are vinyl on the outside.

13

I used to be the director of construction for a large state public housing corporation. We installed literally thousands of vinyl windows in some of the harshest climate conditions in Alaska. You need to find a different provider. I recommend Northerm or any other quality vinyl window.

14

MikeG, I e-mailed you. My @domain name is two first names.