Old Wood Windows Vs Vinyl

Higher quality woods such as mahogany and alder are expensive.

Old wood windows vs vinyl. Old windows are made of clean wood and glass and once rebuilt are good for another 200 years. Today nationwide companies such as owens corning and certainteed offer a variety of units in stock and custom sizes. In fact the wood grain texture achievable with vinyl windows is a big plus for homeowners who like the look of wood but long for the durability of newer materials. According to remodeling magazine s cost vs value report for 2018 vinyl replacement windows recoup slightly more at the time of resale than wood replacement windows.

There are three other major factors that set vinyl and wood windows apart. Call it the law of supply and demand the price of beauty or just the fact that fewer companies make wood windows but you will pay more for wood. Fibrex is a brand of composite material from andersen windows that is made from 40 percent wood fiber and 60 percent thermoplastic polymer. Additionally vinyl windows require no maintenance because they never need painting or scraping.

Upkeep for vinyl vs wood windows. Composite window frames are made from a mixture of two or more materials like wood plastic metal and vinyl. Vinyl windows aren t as durable as wood windows but they can last over 20 years. People replace 200 year old windows with new vinyl ones that are guaranteed for five years.

The long term savings from replacing old windows with new vinyl windows are considerable and make vinyl windows worth the cost. Vinyl replacement windows are about 18 cheaper than wood windows according to remodeling s 2020 cost vs. Notice the two side wings of this house. Wood windows are costlier.

Wood windows require more maintenance than vinyl windows. Vinyl frame windows first appeared in the 1970s when small fabricators produced custom replacement options in sizes not offered by manufacturers of stock wood windows. In addition to this wood windows require frequent maintenance such as painting staining and refurbishing that can get costly over time. A quality vinyl window will also save you money on energy bills because the insulation in the frame of the window itself is energy efficient.

Unfortunately this house is in the process of installing bad vinyl replacement windows. The left side retains the three original wood windows but the right side has three vinyl replacement windows. Besides being a nice house this is a great example since you have matching windows to compare to. Fibrex or composite vs vinyl wood.