What Is the Difference Between Fiberglass and Vinyl Windows?
Whether you’re having a new home built, or it’s time to update and replace the windows in your existing home, you have decisions to make. Long ago, wood-framed windows were just about the only choice you had. There are now several choices when it comes to your window needs.
What are the best choices and why? For most, it comes down to viny vs fiberglass windows. Most people generally decide on one of these due to options, energy efficiency, and cost. Let’s break down the vinyl and fiberglass window differences and help you decide what is right for your home.
Vinyl Vs Fiberglass Windows
For most homes, the home’s energy efficiency level is mainly determined by the quality of windows it has. If you have cheap or thin windows, the potential for cold air during winter to affect the warm temperatures in your home increases substantially. Likewise, during the hotter summer months, cheap windows will allow much more heat into your home, and your central air conditioning unit will constantly run, leaving you with a much larger cooling bill each month than you want.
Many people feel that fiberglass windows are superior to vinyl windows. Vinyl windows have been around for over 50 years now, while fiberglass is the newer option, first gaining popularity in the early 2000s. Vinyl windows tend to have a cheaper cost than fiberglass windows, usually between 10 to 30 percent less.
However, fiberglass windows tend to be more durable, up to eight times stronger than their vinyl counterparts. They also tend to be far more energy-efficient, which is appealing to homeowners who would appreciate a lower heating and cooling bill every month. They come in more varieties of colors and can be repainted, unlike vinyl windows. They generally look more appealing and don’t look cheap, like vinyl windows often do.
Another factor to consider is installation costs or the difficulty of doing the installation yourself. Vinyl windows tend to be more flexible and more easily able to be installed by the homeowner who is remodeling their home. With fiberglass windows, you’ll want to have a professional deal with the installation. They’re stronger and more rigid than vinyl, so you’ll need to pay a professional to handle the ins and outs of a difficult installation.
The bottom line: There are options for everyone when choosing windows. If you’re only replacing one window that isn’t seen much within your home, you might consider vinyl. Same if you’re remodeling a home on a budget. If cost isn’t a factor in a new build or a remodel, and you want the new windows to look amazing, you may opt for fiberglass windows. Decide on what is most important for you and choose an option that you will be happy with having in your home for a long time.
Categorised in: Designer Window Supplier