Expert: Richard Taylor, AIA - 2/27/2007

Question
Dear Richard,
We live in NE Florida, in a cedar shake house, and are replacing our 1952
aluminum casement windows. Have had several vendors out and all of them tell us
something different. "You don't want wood clad because we're in the subtropics
and they will separate/wood clad is the highest quality; you don't want vinyl
because they don't work very well/vinyl is better than aluminum; you don't need
double-pane in your climate and they have a lot of problems/you should get
double-pane; composite windows are the best of both worlds/who wants windows
made out of particle board." I don't know who to trust and can't seem to find
any good reviews on the web regarding the type of window.  Do you have any
experience?  

Answer
Hi Bettina - thanks for your question!

No surprises here!  I hear the same arguments frequently.  Let's start with your needs (I'm making some assumptions here).

Obviously you want longevity - your current windows lasted 55 years.  You also want something architecturally compatible with a mid-century cedar shake exterior.  You probably want to be able to finish the interior to match your existing trim; and you want something reasonably energy-efficient (more on this later).

You might even be concerned about cost!

With all that in mind, I'd rule out vinyl right off the bat.  Vinyl windows are not "dimensionally-stable" which is very important in your climate (they shrink and expand with temperature changes).  You'll hear the vinyl guys talk about steel reinforcing to address this, but that's because vinyl needs the reinforcing.  Vinyl color selections are limited, you can't "finish" the interior, and frankly, vinyl just looks cheap(IMHO).

Metal-framed windows would be a very good choice but they are extremely expensive.

Composite windows are pretty much the same as vinyl, although they're more dimensionally stable.  Composite window frames are essentially fiberglass - the color is the color, not much choice or ability to finish the way you like.

Vinyl and composite are best where cost is paramount and aethetics are unimportant.

Wood windows come in two basic varieties - all wood, and clad.  Clad means the exterior has a "wrap" of another material, sometimes vinyl but usually aluminum.  All wood windows look great but require a lot of maintenance and will deteriorate more rapidly in your climate (my home state, by the way).

Regarding energy and glass, you probably don't "need" double-pane glass for insulating value...but you do need double-pane glass to get the "Low-E" coating - which you definitely want in Florida.  Low-E lets light in but keeps heat and Ultraviolet light out.  It's standard on all better window glass up here in Ohio.

Do the hurricane codes effect you?  Make sure the windows pass ALL the impact and water-infiltration tests with high marks.  The spec sheets on those tests are a good way to compare products.

My recommendation is aluminum clad windows.  You can choose from a variety of exterior colors (depending on the manufacturer); you can paint or stain the interior; you can get Low-E glass; and they're low-maintenance.  The cladding comes in two types, roll-formed and extruded.  Roll-formed is a thin sheet of aluminum wrapped around the wood frame.  Extruded is better - be sure to check who offers it.

Finally, go with the well-known manufacturers - Pella, Hurd, Marvin, Windsor, Weathershield, etc.  Look at warranties and service departments.  Have three companies bid the project.  Make sure you use a qualified installer.

Hope this helps!

Richard Taylor, AIA
www.rtastudio.com
www.rtaplans.com
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