Each material has its pros and cons, although fibrex really brings nothing that vinyl doesn't. The glass itself is nearly a moot point in terms of looking brand to brand as there are only a few glass manufacturers that serve everyone. The design and build quality of the finished product (full window) is where the wheat is separated from the chaff. There are excellent products in vinyl that would serve you well, and in fiberglass as well. Fiberglass is generally more expensive which can tilt the value proposition toward vinyl, but again, there are great products in both materials. Look at thermal (u-factor, shgc) and structural (design pressure, air infiltration) ratings to start and insure that you are comparing apples to apples.

Solid advice all around.

There are quite a few choices out there and there are pro, cons, and aesthetic options to each.

What...in your perfect world...do you want the window to look and feel like.

Rather than start a new thread, I'd like to tag along here if that's okay. My wife and I are also considering replacement windows. We have a brick home with plaster interior walls.

I'm inclined to think we will be happier with full-frame replacement rather than insert windows. My reasoning for full-frame replacement is to remove any/all rotted sills, etc. and replace it with a material that does not require maintenance.

We're also concerned that using the insert technique we may loose some glass area.

If we use full-frame replacement we will need to buy mulled windows for some rooms. That is, the overall large window is comprised of two or three smaller windows. However, many window catalogs do not address mulled windows. Am I missing something?

If the original poster wants me to start a new thread I'll do that.

Every manufacturer that I'm aware of offers pre-mulled windows. The contractor has the option of ordering them pre-mulled or field mulled. They may not show them in the catalog, but they're available.

One of the deciding factors for us in choosing Fiberglass windows was the ability to paint it (easier to refinish than vinyl). Our primary exterior wall (the one with all the windows) faces due south with no obstructions from the sun. They will need to be refinished at some point in time from UV degradation.

We replaced rotted sills all the time. That should not be what you hang your decision on for Full Frame tear out vs. Insert in this comparison.

If you are concerned about glass loss, that is another consideration. Keep in mind though, an insert that has a narrow frame may actually yield you more glass than a full tear out with a larger frame.

We have also seen plenty of instances in which the client has a net larger opening with a narrow profile insert as compared to their bulkier originals.

+1. Main reasons to do full tear-outs are if the existing frame is virtually unusable, there are existing water management system issues, or if you are very sensitive to that small glass loss. For most folks, it comes down to only that last point, and then you have to decide whether it is worth a couple hundred bucks, give or take for the additional labor and materials.

Our frames are probably not beyond use. We have damage/rot to the nose(?), the sill, some brick mold, some of the mulled areas, some damage to the bottom sashes, some damage to the sash tracks. Since the basic frame is okay inserts may work fine.

I like the idea of full-frame replacement because this would give us an opportunity to check for hidden damage, insulate properly when the new windows are installed and give me peace of mind that the work was done as well as possible.

Now... I have lots of questions:

1) Is full-frame cost typically higher or lower than insert cost? By what percent? I know this is an open question so I'm just looking for guidance. We have 26 windows (if you count replacements) but only 15 openings (3 triple, 5 double, 7 single).

2) If we go with full-frame replacement do we re-use the interior trim (stool, apron, mull, etc.)?

3) If we go with inserts what happens on the exterior mull area? Do they use the same non-wood material to fill the mull? How does that look? I don't want a bunch of seams and gaps that need to be caulked.

4) We live in the southeast. The weather is hot and humid for several months of the year and we get freezing weather for a week or two at a time. Sometimes snow/ice. There are some regional window companies that receive very high consumer marks - five stars with hundreds of responses and the companies have been in business for over 30 years. On the other hand, there are the national products like Renewal by Andersen, Marvin, etc. but I see some complaints about them. Would you go with local or national?

5) Our existing windows are single pane, all wood. We have problems with heat, cold and condensation in the winter. Our house was built in 1950 and any insulation that may have been present in the walls has probably compacted and is probably not very effective at this time. We are considering addressing the insulation problem in the next year or so but windows are first. Will double-pane windows really buy us much in terms of comfort and energy savings?

In the end we want a maintenance free exterior (except for periodic caulking). I presume that can be accomplished with full-frame or insert windows we're just trying to see what suits us the best.

Thanks

Couple of things:

Rot in those locations is not uncommon and it is very likely, unless you have water damage indications in other places inside the home, that everything is fine.

Sill nose, brickmold ends, mull posts, etc. (all similar in that they are the exposed cut edge) rot is very common and not usually indicative of a full tear out.

Answers:
1. Higher. By how much depends on the type of trim and details that are required. Comparing two similar opening in our world, a full tear out with full re-trim is going to be about 35-40% more as a general rule. If you have some complex trim, plan on 50% and higher.

2. Don't plan on it. Removing it and putting is back is definitely the exception and not the rule.

3. They will cap the mull after fixing the rotted wood. It can be done to look very clean and seamless.

4. I would go with whomever is the most qualified. Being local or being national does not mean anything in the end except that you probably have a bit more developed business model on the national scale. Some of the best installers I have ever seen worked for local companies.

5. Depending on the condition and leakiness of the current windows, new windows can certainly have an impact. I would also do some research on Air Sealing and insulation.

Both installs, done properly, will give you a "maintenance free" opening.

Thanks for the advice. Currently I'm looking at a vinyl with LowE 366 and 1/8" clear, argon with U-value 0.29 SHGC 0.22 and VLT 0.5. Also a fiberglass with U0.28 and SHGC of 0.30. Seem fairly comparable to me, pricewise there is a bit of difference, obviously. I have two large picture windows that face West and are approx. 72"x72" so I guess I want the best product for the money. Especially since I'll eventually have to place close to 40 windows! Advice on the above numbers greatly appreated too. Thanks!

+1 to Wow's comments. Well said...

@kmicheller: those glass options are actually not very comparable. 366 glass with its low SHGC is generally more appropriate for hot climates where you are cooling the home more than heating it. The more moderate shgc option (which incidentally has a better u-factor in this case) will be the more efficient choice for a home that expends more energy heating than cooling. Depending on which product you are looking at, you can often choose different glass packages for different areas of the home to meet your needs and maximize efficiency... Beyond that, there could be major differences in structural ratings as well, particularly air leakage. Most companies don't disclose these ratings unless you ask for them. Even when you do, make sure that you are comparing similarly sized (as tested) windows as that can skew the ratings.

I am replacing our windows finally. I have looked at TekView by Gossen Corp and at Marvin Windows. The Marvin windows are quite a bit more cost. Anyone know anything about TekView windows? They use PVC in the windows.