The Great Debate: Wood vs. Vinyl
If you’re growing tired of watching the debates on television every few days, here’s a debate you might prefer. This is a debate that matters to you as home owners, if you are considering replacement windows…plus it’s a debate without insults or name calling. This debate has well-established front runners both with their own merits, as well as some drawbacks.
First let’s introduce the long time standard, wooden window frames, which have been part of the landscape in homes throughout many parts of the world going back a couple of centuries. By the mid-19th Century, wooden window frames became widely available for home builders and homeowners throughout the United States.
Next, we have vinyl window frames, which evolved to some extent from the BF Goodrich Company when they started vinyl window production in the 1950s. However, they didn’t gain wide acceptance until the 1990s and did not surpass wood in the window market until 2001.
Wood or Vinyl? The Great Debate
Question: If you have wooden window frames, should you repair and restore them or opt for vinyl?
WOOD: Wood is generic, organic and it will add to the value of your home.
VINYL: That may be true, but you’ll pay more for wood and you’ll have to pay for maintenance and repairs. In fact vinyl windows, thanks to materials such as extruded polyvinyl chloride (PVC), need minimal maintenance. Plus, you won’t get warping, scratches or splinters.
Question: Which is best for dealing with the external elements?
VINYL: Our windows hold up extremely well in all weather conditions and provide excellent insulation in warm or cold weather.
WOOD: But I should mention that wood is better at keeping sound out and wood-framed windows are also excellent at inhibiting the transmission of cold or heat from the outside.
VINYL: You can also fill the cores of a vinyl frame with insulation making it three times warmer than a wood frame.
Question: Which is better known for aesthetics?
VINYL: You can find vinyl in white or in all sorts of wood grain finishes that look great in any home.
WOOD: But it’s not real wood! And if you are painting your home, it’s much easier to paint wood.
Okay, time for closing statements
WOOD: For years people have enjoyed the natural, organic look of wooden window frames. Wood raises the value of your home by letting you maintain a traditional exterior.
VINYL: Over the last five years, vinyl window framing have been used in over 55% of all new home construction. Why? They are much more cost effective and require almost no maintenance. That’s why they’re the leading choice in the industry today.
There you have it, the debate between wood and vinyl, you might say, traditional versus modern.
Now, instead of listening to analysis by Anderson Cooper, we’ll let you, the home owner, do your own analysis. At Kelemer Brothers, we’ve been selling vinyl window replacements for a number of years and find that they are the more popular, and cost-effective, choice. We’re always happy to discuss your window needs. Call us at 410-299-0038.
