Discussion of Vinyl Replacement Windows Frames

September 12th, 2007

One of the things that mystified me the most when I first started selling windows was the difference with different types of vinyl frames.

If the window was a vinyl window (meaning the frame was vinyl–it still had panes of glass!)–wasn’t that all alike?

Why was one company claiming it had “better” vinyl than the others?

Vinyl frames can be used with cheap, average or premium windows, and are the most common type of frame out there.

Contractor-grade (“builder” windows–cheap!) vinyl replacement windows are used in most new median-price-range US housing developments. I think the builders buy the windows by the truckloads and build the houses around the windows!

Vinyl is lightweight, most of it is strong, and can be highly energy efficient since it doesn’t conduct hot or cold. Some vinyl frames are made even more energy efficient because of the way they are molded and/or designed.

Some vinyl is cheap to manufacturer, and some vinyl is premium grade and costs more to make.

Most cheap and middle-of-the-road windows use the cheap vinyl (or plastic–a very difference substance than “vinyl” even if it “looks” the same…) that is a mixture of recycled and other vinyl chemical material. This stuff reacts unfavorable to the weather elements and UV radiation and can warp, crack– and turn YELLOW very soon after install (sometimes within just a year or two!).

The BEST vinyl window makers use premium virgin vinyl for all the frame work. It’s vinyl that is made of original vinyl chemical compounds and is not made from old or mixed or previously molded and used vinyl and/or plastic. It is highly resistant to warping, cracking, peeling and turning yellow.

Also, the BEST makers are constantly experimenting with just the correct chemical mix to reduce even further reactions to high levels of UV radiation and to withstand higher temperature extremes.

Vinyl comes standard in white or beige. In the past, adding any other color to the vinyl weakened the vinyl.

However, now the BEST, highest-end vinyl replacement windows can be also custom ordered to have a color like brown, or wood-looking coating added in the factory. In the best windows, this added color design will have a heat reflective pigment in the color so that even the dark colors won’t have heat gain or fade. These designer colors will double the cost of the window but will match any decor and now is made very durable and strong.

Also, look for high-end, premium replacement window frame corners that are WELDED or FUSED together making a lifetime, no leak frame. The cheap vinyl frame corners will be screwed and glued together which soon come apart in weather causing leaks, sagging and discoloration. The cheap vinyl has so many “foreign pieces” in it that it can’t be fused, it can only be glued. Look carefully when evaluating windows since sometimes the cheap glued corners can be made to look almost as if they are welded!

Vinyl replacement window frames are usually wider, more “substantial” in the best vinyl window while still keeping some sleekness. The cheapest vinyl windows have very flimsy, thin frames, The best windows are wider because the frame is made with “cells” or “chambers” molded into them that help with insulation.

The best vinyl windows will also put steel or other metal in some parts of the chambers to make the window even stronger. Usually this is done at the meet rail, where the window connects between the two opening parts of an opening window (like a single or double hung window or slider) and fastens, so the locking mechanisms will be strong. The metal is put in in such a way that it does not conduct hot or cold and the window keeps its energy efficiency.

Michael Dennis

Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.