For those homeowners considering window replacement this coming year, the options can be confusing. To make things even more difficult, replacement window companies often promote a particular design or window type that they carry. If you are a homeowner in or around the Scarborough, Durham, Richmond Hill or Markham area, we hope you will consider Superior Home Improvements when it is time to replace those leaking, drafty windows. Our goal is a satisfied customer, not the sale of a particular type of window. To help with that decision, we have compiled a few comparisons between aluminum and vinyl windows below:
- Appearance – You want your new windows to look nice and stay that way over time. Vinyl windows will wear better as they age. If an aluminum window gets chipped, the bare aluminum will be exposed. Chipped vinyl window won’t look any different as the colour is consistent throughout. For appearance, vinyl windows win this one.
- Strength – All things being equal, aluminum is a bit stronger than vinyl. That said, for 90% of applications, vinyl windows are going to be completely adequate. If you live in an environment where there are weather extremes like hurricanes, then you might want to consider aluminum as an option, but in the greater Toronto area vinyl windows are the way to go.
- Energy Savings – In this most important category, vinyl windows win, hands down. There is no debating the fact that vinyl provides superior energy efficiency. Unless aluminum windows are designed to incorporate thermal dead zones within the window, the aluminum will tend to conduct cold in the winter and heat in the summer. To make the point, consider that most modern car radiators are made from aluminum. This is because aluminum does a great job of transferring heat from the motor to the outside. This is just the opposite of what you want to have happen with your windows!
- Cost – Often the ultimate decider, cost and value are always important considerations. Basically, vinyl windows are going to be cheaper and better value than aluminum options. You can get a cheaper aluminum window but their energy efficiency will be disappointing.
Taken as a whole, most people will come to the conclusion that vinyl windows are the superior product for most consumer based applications. In some cases where weight or the ability to recycle takes precedence, aluminum may be a consideration, but overall, vinyl is hard to beat.