Why are Vinyl Windows so popular?

Vinyl replacement windows, which first appeared in the American marketplace in the 1960’s, currently enjoy close to 60% of the replacement window market. On average, six out of ten homeowners who opt for home replacement windows choose to install vinyl home replacement windows, rather than wood replacement windows or fiberglass home replacement windows.

The question is why? What is it about vinyl replacement windows that make most homeowners opt for them when considering home window replacement?

The quick and easy answer is price. Vinyl home replacement window prices are consistently far lower than wood home replacement window prices. Prices for fiberglass home replacement windows are closer to those to vinyl home replacement windows, but in most markets, vinyl home replacement windows are far more available and easier for the homeowner to consider. Price and availability are two important points of differentiation between vinyl home replacement windows and all other types of replacement window.

Yet consumer research, from industries ranging from apparel to home electronics tell us that price is seldom the single most important factor customers consider when making purchases. Other factors are considered just as, if not more, important than the bottom line.

When it comes to home replacement windows, the factors that make vinyl replacement windows so appealing include:

Easy maintenance

Vinyl replacement windows never need to be painted or stained. Their composition offers uniform color, consistent throughout the product. That means that if your window sills are scratched, nicked, or otherwise damaged, the marks won’t show! Additionally, the color in vinyl replacement windows is durable — not prone to fading in the sun, nor being ‘washed out’ in humid, moist environments.

Cleaning vinyl replacement windows is as simple as can be. Tilt in design features allow homeowners to enjoy sparkling windows without having to drag out the ladder, bucket, and hose! Vinyl replacement windows feature smooth surfaces, which easily wipe clean and don’t ‘trap’ dirt and debris the way older wooden windows often do.

Durability

Nothing bothers modern vinyl replacement windows. They’re impervious to weather: rain, snow, sleet, ice, fog, and wind can do their worst without damaging the integrity of vinyl replacement windows. They don’t rust, they don’t rot, and with the addition of ultraviolet inhibitors, they don’t warp, blister, and crack in the sun. Termites, carpenter ants, and other destructive insects don’t find anything appealing about vinyl windows — great news for the homeowner!

Quality vinyl home replacement windows can last for decades, offering the homeowner enhanced energy efficiency, comfort, and an improved home appearance for as long as they own their home.

Energy Efficiency

Vinyl home replacement windows are masterpieces of thermal window technology. Vinyl acts as a natural insulating material in the window framing, augmented by the energy efficiency offered by double or triple pane glass windows, insulated by invisible pockets of inert gas and low e coatings.

Customization

Vinyl offers homeowners the ultimate in design flexibility. Every shape, style, and size of window can be made with vinyl framing, from the standard double-hung to the one-of-a-kind unique design. That flexibility extends to the window grids and panes, all of which can be altered to best reflect the home’s style and the homeowner’s vision. Vinyl home replacement windows can be delivered in any of a whole rainbow of custom colors.

Preserving the Essentials: Replacement Windows in Historic Homes

A recent debate in the Denver Post has us wondering: do replacement windows belong in historic homes? Throughout New England, of course, are hundreds of historic homes, built during the earliest days of our nation. Many of these homes have been continuously occupied, and serve as residences for families of all sizes.
When these homes were built, window technology was not what it is today. Single pane, small windows, set carefully into wooden window frames, let in the light — but they also let in cold breezes, moisture, and environmental irritants.

Home replacement windows can eliminate many of these problems. Double or triple-pane glass vinyl replacement windows offer superior energy efficiency, as do fiberglass and wood replacement windows. Invisible pockets of inert insulating glass help minimize air penetration, resulting in a warmer interior living space. In older homes, tremendous amounts of air and moisture can enter the home through rotted sills, cracks and holes. Replacing and repairing these sills, essential to installing home replacement windows, can remedy this problem. Environmental irritants — an issue for anyone who suffers from allergies, asthma, or multiple chemical sensitivity — are kept outside by home replacement windows, which play a pivotal role in preserving the home’s structural integrity.

Yet many preservationists decry the use of replacement windows. Aesthetically, there are few windows that offer an exact match to the look of original windows. This is of supreme importance to preservationists, who feel that something essential is lost when home replacement windows are installed.

That brings one, of course, to the central question. Is the homeowner’s role one of preservation or are they planning to live in and make use of their home as a comfortable, enjoyable space? Is it possible to find a middle ground between these two, seemingly diametrically opposed points?

The answer may be yes. Manufacturers are introducing lines of replacement windows that feature classic profiles and styling, similar if not identical to common historical window styles. Many of these windows feature classic wood frames, double or triple pane glass, insulating gas pockets, low e coatings, and other energy efficient features.

Additionally, some home owners compromise, by keeping original, historical windows in the front of the home, facing the street, while installing energy efficient, convenient vinyl home replacement windows in the rear and along the sides of the home.

A comment made on the Denver Post story points us across the ocean for inspiration: “Buildings a thousand years old with new energy efficient and highly functional windows. It’s a no brainer!” It is possible to preserve old spaces and keep them functional, by embracing appropriate technology. Replacement windows are part of that matrix!

Wood home replacement windows are often the closest in look and feel to the original historic windows. However, vinyl replacement windows and fiberglass replacement windows are also viable options. It’s important to remember that earlier generations were not as concerned about historical authenticity as we currently are — the windows you might be stressing over replacing may or may not be original to the structure. Consult with an expert, should this concern you: if you’re going to be swapping out ugly, inefficient flimsy aluminum replacement windows from the fifties, you might be enhancing the look of your historic home rather than detracting from it!

Now I Have Home Replacement Windows: What Do I Do With My Storm Windows?

Now I Have Home Replacement Windows: What Do I Do With My Storm Windows?

After having vinyl home replacement windows, fiberglass home replacement windows or wood home replacement windows installed, many homeowners find themselves asking: what in the world do I do with all of these storm windows?

Storm windows — a temporary, exterior window, designed to be fitted over existing windows during inclement weather — were once a necessity. Most homeowners are familiar with the routine of installing storm windows every fall and pulling them all down again once warm weather arrives. They provided that extra layer of insulation needed to keep the cold out and the warm in. Yet storm windows cannot conserve energy as well as modern replacement windows.

More than one home owner has pondered installing their storm windows over their new replacement windows, as a way to gild the lily. After all, if storm windows are good, and replacement windows are good, shouldn’t replacement windows and storm windows together be good?

The answer is not necessarily. There are a number of problems installing storm windows over new replacement windows. The first problem is the obvious issue of fit: your replacement windows may not be the same size, exactly, of the windows you replaced, which means your storms won’t fit. Installing storm windows annually will now be a bigger chore than it was before.

Storm windows are not designed to work with replacement windows. They trap heat and moisture between the panes of glass. This can result in fogging, obscuring your view and adding unwanted moisture. Additionally, the heat trapped by storm windows can actually damage your replacement windows, if you’re in a very warm region.

Meanwhile, you’ve doubled the number of surfaces you need to clean. While home replacement windows feature easy tilt-in cleaning, storm windows do not. You’ll be back on the ladder with the soap and water — or enjoying dirty, cloudy windows by the end of the winter!

At the same time, one has to consider how much benefit one is realizing by installing storm windows over thermal replacement windows. The answer to that question is “Not very much”. Adding another layer of glass to a double-pane or triple-pane thermal window does add mass to the entire unit, but it does not markedly increase the insulating capabilities of the window.
When one weighs the inconvenience, unsightly appearance (for many storm windows are far from attractive!), extra work, and difficulty maintaining storm windows against the minimal benefit gained by installing them, the choice becomes clear. There’s no reason to install storm windows over vinyl replacement windows, fiberglass replacement windows, or wood replacement windows.

Still, it’s a shame to see all of the still-perfectly good storm windows you have go to waste. Consider donating these windows to Habitat for Humanity or other local housing-oriented charity. They can certainly use the materials, particularly to upgrade homes that don’t have storm windows and don’t have the budget available for home window replacement. You’ll be doing real good in your community and you’ll enjoy a charitable tax deduction.

Replacement Windows: Saving for Seniors

Home replacement windows offer superlative energy efficiency. Vinyl home replacement windows, fiberglass home replacement windows, and wood home replacement windows can all contribute to a more comfortable living environment. But can replacement windows save seniors money?

The answer may be yes. Senior citizens who live in older homes, with leaky, inefficient windows may be considering home replacement windows yet find themselves wary of making a commitment due to the relatively high price of replacement windows. Is it a wise decision for a senior citizen to replace their windows?

Consider the following:

Fuel Costs are Rising

When these words were being written, oil was hovering at over $90 a barrel. It hit the hundred dollar point earlier this month, and it’s a very real possibility that prices will rise to that point again. This has a huge and immediate impact on fuel oil prices — while many seniors live on fixed incomes. There’s simply no room in the budget for fuel prices that keep going up, up and up. This forces many seniors to choose between heat and food, heat and medicine, or heat and other life necessities.

Replacement Windows Help Conserve Heat

Energy experts tell us that as much as 40% of a home’s heating energy can escape through leaky windows and doors. That means that nearly half of the heat the furnace creates is wasted! The furnace has to run more often to make up for the loss, consuming more and more valuable fuel.

Replacement windows — vinyl, fiberglass or wood — help retain warmth indoors. Utilizing advances in window technology like triple pane glass, low E coatings, and insulating gas pockets, replacement windows can keep the indoors warm — and the furnace running far less often!

Replacement Window Health Benefits

Seniors often have a hard time maintaining their internal body temperature. This situation can worsen — dramatically, tragically so — with prolonged exposure to cold temperatures. Chilly breezes and drafts do nothing to help the situation. Replacement windows minimize air penetration, reducing the amount of cold drafts. The energy efficiency of home replacement windows allow seniors to stay in a warmer environment, making maintaining an acceptable internal body temperature easier.

It’s Not All Or Nothing

Although many homeowners opt to replace all of the windows in their home at once, to minimize the amount of time it takes to do the job, there’s no law that says it has to be done that way. Many times seniors don’t use all of their house, closing off seldom used rooms. There’s no reason to replace the windows in those rooms. Instead, focus on replacing the windows in the rooms you actually use: perhaps the bedroom, living room, kitchen and bath. This can be a substantial savings.

Discounts are Available

Finally, many manufacturers and replacement window specialists offer substantial discounts to senior citizens. These discounts may apply to the replacement window, as well as the cost of the labor to install the replacement window. Talk with replacement window specialists in your region to discover what your options are. When you factor in the discounts and the savings on your energy bill, replacement windows may be an affordable option!

Replacement Window Prices: Considering the Price Tag

Replacement window prices are a critical consideration when you’re planning to upgrade your home’s windows. Sure, you want to have all the benefits replacement windows offer: the energy efficiency, the improved appearance, the enhanced security, sound buffering and more — but how much is it going to cost you?

When you start comparing vinyl replacement window prices, fiberglass replacement window prices, and wood replacement window prices, you soon discover that there’s a wide range of replacement window prices. Additionally, there are discount replacement windows, available at most home improvement centers. These windows are often markedly cheaper than the prices of replacement windows available from replacement window specialists.
What explains these differences? How do you select the best replacement window? Does price indicate quality? Is there really a difference between the discount replacement windows you get at the home improvement store and the vinyl replacement windows, fiberglass home replacement windows, or wood replacement windows you purchase from a replacement window specialist?

Let’s hit that first question: what explains the price difference between different types of home replacement windows? There are two ways to consider this question: there’s price differences between different types of home replacement windows and then, within window types, tremendous price fluctuation also occurs.

Wood replacement windows are the high-end, most expensive replacement window option. Available from manufacturers like Harvey, Pella and Champion, wood replacement windows are attractive, durable, and energy efficient. Due to the materials used in the construction of wood replacement windows — namely quality hardwoods — and the substantial marketing and advertising campaigns tied to these products, wood replacement windows have high prices.

Compare this to vinyl home replacement windows and fiberglass home replacement windows, and you’ll see a substantial price difference. Both vinyl and fiberglass home replacement windows are far more affordable options than wood replacement windows. The difference can be hundreds of dollars per window — multiply this by the number of windows you’re planning to replace, and you’ll have a idea of the total savings you can enjoy by opting for vinyl home replacement windows or fiberglass home replacement windows.

Lower cost by no means lower quality. The lower cost of materials used in production is the primary reason these windows are more affordable, not to mention a more streamlined manufacturing process. The energy efficiency of vinyl home replacement windows and fiberglass home replacement windows is equal to and in some cases surpasses that of wood replacement windows. Advances in window technology have contributed to superb thermal window construction: triple pane glass, pockets of insulating gas, low E coatings and more.

Price variation within category, however, can often be attributed to quality. The discounted replacement windows that one can purchase at a home improvement center are good windows, often from top manufacturers. However, they’re really a one-size-fits-all solution to what is a very individualized problem. When you factor in the additional construction, retrofitting and labor that’s required to make standard discount replacement windows fit into your home, it often works out to be very near in price of a custom replacement window — for a fraction of the stress and aggravation!

The Best Replacement Windows for Your Kitchen

Kitchen remodels are the most popular upgrade for the American homeowner. Installing replacement windows can completely alter the look of your kitchen: the perfect way to accent new kitchen cabinets, appliances and flooring. Integrating views of an attractive backyard or street scene can contribute to the appeal of your kitchen, especially when the view is framed by attractive vinyl replacement windows, fiberglass replacement windows, or wood replacement windows.

There are several factors to consider when selecting the best replacement windows for your kitchen. These include:

The View

Is your back yard blooming with carefully tended flowers? Does your kitchen window look out onto a charming New England street? Do you live next door to a bustling, busy convenience store, with traffic coming and going at all hours of the day and night? There’s an appropriate replacement window solution for each of these situations — and more.

Attractive views can be highlighted with a bay or bow window, or a large picture window. The energy efficiency offered by triple pane thermal replacement windows allows homeowners to have larger windows in the kitchen, enhancing the livability and appearance of the room.

Functionality

We’re spending increasing amounts of time in the kitchen, so we want the room to be comfortable! Home replacement windows can play a huge role in ensuring you have a comfortable, inviting kitchen. Energy efficient vinyl home replacement windows, fiberglass home replacement windows and wood replacement windows eliminate air penetration and heat loss: keeping warm air inside with you, and frigid winter winds outside.

The functionality of your windows is an important consideration. A forgotten pan left too long in the oven or a scorched grilled cheese sandwich can result in a choking, smoky mess: having windows that open easily and quickly can help you clear the air! Too often, original construction windows don’t open easily — or at all! — while older windows might be painted shut or so warped and damaged that they’re impossible to open without a struggle.

Maintenance

If we had to guess, we’d say homeowners probably spend more time cleaning the kitchen than any other room in the house. After all, all the messy stuff happens there: the splattering spaghetti sauce, the over-enthusiastic toddler with the cup of juice, the near miss when we toss something in the kitchen wastebasket. You don’t want cumbersome, difficult to clean windows adding to the workload.

Luckily, modern home replacement windows require far less maintenance than their predecessors. Vinyl home replacement windows are hands down the winner when it comes to maintenance: vinyl replacement windows never need painting. Their color goes right through: should your window frames or sills ever get dinged or damaged, it will be barely noticeable. Cleaning vinyl window frames can be as simple as hosing off the exterior frames and wiping down the interiors: tilt-in designs make washing the windows a snap.

Consider your view, replacement window functionality and ease of maintenance when selecting replacement windows for your kitchen upgrade.

Replacement Windows and Indoor Air Quality

Multiple chemical sensitivity, environmental allergies, and asthma are all being diagnosed with increasing regularity. Replacement windows can play a role in how individuals who suffer with these conditions enjoy their homes.

One of the main attractions of home replacement windows: vinyl home replacement windows, fiberglass home replacement windows, and wood home replacement windows, is that they create a tighter, more energy efficient home. Air penetration and leakage is minimized: sometimes to the point of virtually being eliminated.

On one hand, this is good news for those with multiple chemical sensitivity, environmental allergies and asthma. Environmental irritants, such as pollen, dust, animal dander, and other air borne irritants, can be kept outdoors, where they won’t bother you. The fertilizer and weed killers used in nearby lawns and gardens can often trigger respiratory difficulties in sensitive individuals: the virtual shield created by energy efficient home replacement windows can play a pivotal role in reducing exposure.

However, there is the question of interior air quality to consider. The air inside our homes may be invisible: that doesn’t mean it’s pure. Some of the substances we use everyday: cleaning supplies, glues and adhesives, makeup and perfume — contain agents which can trigger allergic or other reactions in asthmatics, people with environmental allergies or multiple chemical sensitivity. Additionally, the very materials our homes are constructed of: the sheetrock on the walls, the carpet on the floor, the laminate countertops and the paint that covers any type of surface, can also reduce contaminants into the air. These contaminants are known as volatile organic compounds — you can’t see them, but you can surely, if you’re one of the affected individuals, feel their impact in your breathing.

What does this have to do with replacement windows and doors? Let’s think back, before technological advances made it possible, by installing replacement windows and doors, to create a virtually air tight environment. Older single pane windows and less efficient replacement windows and doors leaked air like nobody’s business. As warm air was going out, fresh air was coming in. That may have been uncomfortable — but it also provided the fresh air needed to keep individuals healthy. An influx of fresh air minimized the effect of poor indoor air quality: the indoor air was continually cycled with and replaced by fresher, outdoor air.

As a result, we’re seeing an increase in what are known as air management systems, which allow the controlled and regulated exchange of fresh outdoor air with the air you have indoors. Rather than relying on a million haphazard drafts, cracks, and air penetration points to ensure your family’s health, an air management system leaves nothing to chance. You don’t have to hope your family has good quality interior air: you’ll know.

However, it made for a chilly, drafty, uncomfortable living environment. Replacement windows and doors make it possible to enjoy the best of both worlds: increased energy efficiency and interior air quality. Remember, unlike many original construction windows, replacement windows can be opened easily and often, as the homeowner wishes, to allow air exchange to occur the old-fashioned way!

Comparing Replacement Windows: Four Questions to Ask

What is the most important consideration to me?

When selecting home replacement windows, you need to know what the most important criteria are to you, as the individual homeowner. Are you hoping to upgrade your windows in an effort to attract buyers and raise the selling price on your home? Is there a certain look or appearance you want your home to have? Will installing french doors, patio doors, or other types of replacement windows and doors improve the functionality of your home?

In short, what are you trying to accomplish by installing replacement windows? The answer to that question will help you select the replacement windows that are best for you.

1. What environmental factors do I have to consider?

Where your home is and what type of weather is prevalent in your area has a tremendous impact on replacement window choices. If you’re in a heating dominant environment — one in which you need to heat your home for several months out of the year — you’ll need home replacement windows that offer the maximum energy efficiency, in order to keep warmed air indoors with you. Cooling dominated environments require replacement windows that help deflect some of the sun’s heat and allow the interior to remain cool and comfortable.

There are other considerations: homes located in damp, moisture rich environments will want replacement windows that are rot-resistant, such as vinyl replacement windows. Areas that struggle with pest problems, such as termites and carpenter ants, will be best served by replacement windows that don’t appeal to the voracious critters, such as vinyl replacement windows or fiberglass replacement windows.

2. How much maintenance do I want to do?

Some homeowners derive real, genuine pleasure from spending free time and weekends puttering around the house, scraping and painting window frames and climbing ladders to wash grimy glass. If that’s the case, you’ll want to forgo vinyl replacement windows, which are virtually maintenance free. Vinyl replacement windows never require painting: solid color construction means that any scratches or damage will be virtually unnoticeable. One unpleasant chore eliminated! Tilt in construction makes washing windows easier and safer.

If you want to have regular window maintenance be part of your routine, then you’ll want to investigate wood replacement windows. Fiberglass replacement windows require less maintenance, and vinyl replacement windows are virtually maintenance free.

3. What does my budget look like?

Money matters. Sometimes, money matters a lot. There’s a tremendous difference in prices, especially when you’re comparing wood replacement windows, fiberglass replacement windows, and vinyl replacement windows. Wood replacement windows are consistently the highest. Fiberglass and vinyl replacement window prices are often comparable, although there are regional price fluctuations. You’ll want to consider your budget, how many windows need replacing, and what is the best use of your money.

Vinyl home replacement windows are often cited as the most cost effective choice for homeowners. You can get more window for your money by opting for vinyl home replacement windows. For homeowners with numerous windows requiring replacement, this can be a critical difference!