Thursday, December 4, 2008

Windows - Wood or Vinyl?

When someone asks me which type of window is better, wood or vinyl, I never hesitate to answer that vinyl makes a better window. It's almost like there is this little marketing war going on between the two types of window manufacturers. Most of what we hear is more urban myth than substance. I think it's simple to see that you can expect a vinyl window to last longer and be more energy efficient.

In the old days I used to think Andersen Windows were the standard because they were "the energy efficient window."
If you don't already know, Andersen came out with vinyl clad windows and, at the time, they were the most innovative window on the market. The vinyl is PVC and it is like what the best vinyl windows are made of today. They used to be the prominent "vinyl clad" window in the whole world.

Now the same Andersen Windows are called wood windows. Funny, there hasn't been any structural change to the windows in 20 years. The Narroline windows are the same now as they were in 1975 except for the glass and other very minor changes. The only thing that's changed is perception. Vinyl clad was innovative back then so they were called vinyl clad windows. Now they are wood windows because natural wood is "in". Is it marketing or public perception?


My bias toward vinyl windows, especially replacement windows, is based on more scientific facts. For one, the good vinyl replacement windows have a Lifetime Warranty. Wood windows have a ten year warranty, at least the major ones like Andersen, Marvin, and Pella. Wood rots and that's just a fact. They can't possibly give a Lifetime Warranty or they would be out of business.

Vinyl is far more energy efficient than wood. The good vinyl windows have hollow chambers filled with foam insulation and offer a much higher r-factor than wood - even before the wood rots. The vinyl nowadays is uPVC (unplasticized polyvinyl chloride). Detractors often call them plastic windows because there is some kind of negative connotation about plastic. Note the "unplasticized" in uPVC. The virgin vinyl type will last a few human lifetimes without warping, cracking, or peeling.
Vinyl never needs painting. Enough said about that.

I monitor one of the major window forums on the Internet and the most spirited argument I've ever seen was about warranties. One side argued that the lifetime warranty was better because it was forever. The other side countered that their windows, from the big three window makers, had a 10/20 warranty that was better than the lifetime warranty because they were still going to be in business to back the warranty.
That was really interesting to me since the company that makes Preservation Windows has been in business for 68 years, has a solid reputation, and maintains solid earnings in tough economic times. They have a lifetime warranty that includes glass breakage and their u-factor rating was .19, twice as good as the big three. Nobody made that point and it didn't look like the type of argument I wanted to join. I was hearing banjo music in my head when I read some of the comments and it was very heated at times.

During that string of arguments someone mentioned Renewal By Andersen and their innovative material they call fibrex. Fibrex parts are only covered by a 10 year warranty. The material was developed in an effort to make the sawdust from Andersen's Bayport, Minnesota plant into something useful instead of burning thousands of tons of it every year. Fibrex is 40% reclaimed material. Since reground PVC has memory the polymers stretch and try to pull into their original form it's no wonder the warranty isn't longer. I'm not sold on fibrex until they prove that it's not the new "masonite". Do they seem confident with that 10 year warranty?


Preservation Windows has been named Energy Star Partner of the Year three times. They are more than twice as energy efficient as the big three and have a warranty that dwarfs theirs. Other good vinyl window makers with lifetime warranties include Simonton, Gorrell, and Milguard. My apology to any of the thousands of others who make really good vinyl windows. The two things the vinyl manufacturers have in common are energy efficiency and durability - none of them rot!
And guess what, they don't expand and contract much either.

I think suffice is to say that vinyl windows, especially replacement windows, have too many important areas where their performance is far superior to wood. Please tell me what you think.