Expert: Richard Taylor, AIA - 4/18/2006

Question
We recently moved to western Pennsylvania and bought a brick colonial which is ca. 37 years old. There is a 10' x 16' screen porch on the back, and we are considering putting in windows in order to be able to use the room for more of the year. Beyond a portable heater, the room will not be heated, nor will there be air conditioning. The windows in the house were replaced by the previous owners and are Andersen, wood, double-hung windows with grids and a white vinyl clad exterior. Because we do not want to disrupt the view, we are thinking of using double sliders, which will basically maintain the same look as we have now with the vertical divisions for the screens. The openings are 57" tall, and may thus not be a standard size.

My question regards vinyl versus wood windows. I read your response to Doug in Colorado with the log home. We don't have quite the same aesthetic issue. Quality wise, are wood windows with exterior cladding better than vinyl windows? If one can afford them, are they a better investment in one's property? Are the frames more sturdy? Or, would vinyl be just as good for a patio room? We are confused about whether wood windows truly are superior, or whether vinyl windows simply suffer from a stigma of being "cheap". Is there a lot of variation in the quality of vinyl windows? So far, we have only looked at the Champion vinyl windows, which are EnergyStar rated, etc.

Thank you for your time.

Sally

Answer
Sally - thanks for your question!

Sorry for the delay, but I've just received it.  I guess the Internet's not perfect after all!

Assuming you're starting with quality vinyl windows, my only issue is aesthetic.  I just don't like the idea of building homes out of plastic.  Not a fan of vinyl siding or composite decking for the same reason.  There is a "cheap" reputation, but there are some very high quality vinyl windows on the market - but still, they're plastic.

But vinyl is probably very appropriate for the use you're considering, especially if cost is an issue.

Yes, there's quite a difference in quality.  The reason there are so many vinyl window guys out there is that they're very easily made - the frames are made in an extrusion machine that fits in your garage - and can be sized to any existing opening.  They're best as inexpensive replacement windows.

The key is how they're assembled - vinyl shrinks and expands with changes in temperature; better-quality windows are made with steel inserts to control this movement and cheap ones aren't.

The quality of the glass is important, too.  Cheap glass assemblies will fail sooner and may not provide much insulation; better quality glass is warranteed against "fogging" and has higher insulating qualities.

Finally, the installation can make or break the job.  Some guys use a "standard" size replacement window and make up the difference in the opening size with vinyl trim (jobs like that look horrible!); better installations custom-size each window for the opening.  It makes a big difference.

Better suppliers offer several colors of vinyl to complement your home - check out several companies before you commit!

Hope this helps!

Richard Taylor, AIA
Richard Taylor Architects, LLC
www.rtastudio.com
www.betterhouseplans.blogspot.com