Trying to decide which material is the best choice for your Kalamazoo or Grand Rapids home? While vinyl, wood clad and fiberglass are all excellent choices for replacement window frames, you’ll need to decide what features are most important to you.
• Are you on a very tight budget?
• How concerned are you about energy efficiency?
• How important is the amount of maintenance needed?
| COMPARISON | ||||
| Window Material | Relative Cost | Durability | Strength | Maintenance |
| Vinyl | $ | A | B+ | A |
| Wood Interior | $$$ | B+ | A | B |
| Fiberglass | $$ | A+ | A+ | A |
Using vinyl rather than traditional wood products to frame your windows has become a very popular choice. Wood windows require maintenance to keep them looking sharp. That means scraping old paint and applying new coats of paint, and depending on the number and location of windows on your home that could mean a time-consuming and expensive project.
With vinyl all that maintenance headache is virtually gone! These frames are easy to clean using a little soap and water. And this won’t even be needed often, as the inherent properties of vinyl reduce the accumulation of debris and dust.
Wood windows are beautiful, durable, and energy efficient windows. The wood interior drastically improves the aesthetics of your home, and can be a main selling point to potential buyers.
Wood products have a warm, natural look mixed with good energy-performing values. Wood windows also have an aluminum or vinyl exterior that is virtually maintenance-free which protects the window’s wood from the elements. Wood windows are more expensive than vinyl windows because they are more expensive to manufacture and have more added benefits.
Glastra® is a hybrid of fiberglass and UV stable polymer that is proprietary to Forgent® Series windows and doors. Constructed of multi-chambered extrusions in an advanced ladder design, Glastra adds strength and resilience to Forgent Series products, as well as enhanced energy performance. This low-maintenance, rigid material offers long-term durability, while helping to create energy efficient, comfortable homes.