Advantages of Vinyl Replacement Windows
There are many advantages to replacement vinyl windows in Colorado – they’re affordable, they help to lower your utility bills, come in a variety of styles, and are relatively low-maintenance. You can also find them everywhere, such as your local hardware store. Although vinyl itself is not recyclable, vinyl windows are re-usable if they still technically function. If your primary goal when shopping for a replacement window is cost, consider vinyl replacement windows.
Heating and Cooling Costs
Vinyl replacement windows can significantly save on heating and cooling costs. With a relatively high R-value, vinyl is a poor conductor of heat and cold (unlike aluminum) and this translates into excellent energy efficiency. The R-value is a measure of heat resistance and is a measurement of material effectiveness. Vinyl replacement windows keeps the heat in during winter and keeps it out during the summer.
Variety
Vinyl windows come in a huge variety of styles. Jeld-Wen’s Premium Vinyl (V-4500) windows are a premium vinyl window that offers a wood texture and is are available in 11 styles, including popular single-hung, double-hung, casement, and sliding, as well as more unusual round and trapezoid fixed. Their more affordable Builders Vinyl (V-2500) windows offer a more traditional look and are available in 8 popular styles. If you’re looking for a more flat design, consider Jeld-Wen’s Flat Casing vinyl windows. These windows emulate the look of old American Colonial wood windows. Pella and Milgard also offer vinyl windows in a variety of styles, such as picture, single and double-hung, sliding, awning, and casement. Milgard offers 4 vinyl window styles ranging from their affordable V250 Style Line to their high-end V400 Tuscany Series windows.
Colors
Replacement vinyl windows also come in a wide variety of colors. Common colors include White, Desert Sand, Almond, Bronze, and Black. The advantage of pre-painted vinyl means you no longer have to paint them to match your primary or secondary home color. If you’re looking for a vinyl window that hides scratches best, ask us about Jeld-Wen’s Brickmould vinyl windows. These windows retain their color all the way through. The advantage is, scratches aren’t as obvious.
Durability
Built-in color makes vinyl windows resistant to scratching. As mentioned above, the color in Jeld-Wen’s Brickmould vinyl windows goes all the way through. This means there’s no paint that’s going to peel off. In addition, vinyl windows are highly resistant to corrosion. Vinyl simply doesn’t corrode like metal. Because vinyl is not an organic material, it won’t rot. Because it’s not a metal, it won’t rust. Vinyl windows do not need to be scraped or stained, and they stand-up well to normal climate and weather over time.
Price
Perhaps the number one reason vinyl windows are the most popular window frame is price. They run the gamut in price, from the cheapest on the market to mid range for premium, custom shaped vinyl windows. Whatever your budget, there is a vinyl window frame that suits your economic needs. The average price of a common-size, mid-grade vinyl window is between $500 and $1000. An aluminum clad wood window, by comparison, could cost double.
Environmentally Friendly
While wood windows are often cast as the environmentally friendly window frame choice, vinyl replacement windows use less energy and emits less greenhouse gases in production and maximizes energy efficiency while in use. When your old vinyl window has run its course, if it’s still usable, most Habitat ReStore centers will accept them. Often used vinyl windows are repurposed for sheds and garages, or greenhouses.
Low Maintenance
Vinyl windows are generally considered low-maintenance, this is because the paint in some go all the way through the frame. Therefore, you’ll never have to re-paint your vinyl windows. Vinyl also doesn’t swell or peel or rot like wood.
Availability
No other window frame material is more common or popular than vinyl. Every window manufacturer makes a window line out of vinyl or is vinyl-clad. What’s more, you can waltz into most hardware stores and buy a vinyl window right off the rack. You can also find used vinyl windows in many repurpose centers, such as Habitat ReStore and Uncle Benny’s.
The Bottom Line
The primary advantage of replacement vinyl windows is cost. If you’re looking for an affordable replacement window in Colorado that comes in many styles, common colors, and is energy-efficient, you’re looking for vinyl. If you’re looking for a trustworthy window installation company in Colorado that’s also affordable, contact us for a free consultation and estimate.