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Fiberglass vs. Vinyl

Elle1234
11 years ago

Beyond the strength and pricing that make Fiberglass different from Vinyl, are there other upkeep elements that come into play?

Will I need to repaint the exterior of the Fiberglass windows?

Are there other concerns for using one vs. the other?

Thanks

Comments (5)

  • mmarse1
    11 years ago

    when comparing. high quality vinyl to fiberglass the difference would be performance. Higher end vinyl are better performers both structuraly and from an energy efficiency perspective. many customers dont realize this because they are used to seeing the lower end vinyl brands sold at home improvement stores.
    that being said, InLine make a very nice fiberglass window and i believe its a better performer than the marvin.
    higher end vinyl such as Okna / HiMark, Sunrise, and Soft lite are sold through a select network of dealers.

  • HomeSealed
    11 years ago

    Fiberglass offers the flexibility to paint the interior, whereas vinyl does not. The "strength" factor as well as the expansion issue are dramatically overstated by those pushing fiberglass products.
    Some fiberglass windows are very nice (particularly those made in Canada like Inline that have excellent performance ratings). Dollar for dollar, there are some pros and cons to each when looking the higher end choices in each respective material, however I find it very difficult to justify a price premium either way. IMO, the extra $$$ that fiberglass typically costs is due to nothing more than the fact that it is somewhat of a "niche" product. The look and performance of a top FG product vs a top vinyl product will be very comparable.

  • PRO
    Windows on Washington Ltd
    11 years ago

    +1 to the other feedback you have gotten.

    The benefit to fiberglass is largely the look and construction as well as the greater array of options.

    No discernible performance advantage on paper.

    Theoretically they could require paint but the finishes are supposed to last for 20+ years on paper.

  • ontariomom
    11 years ago

    Our fiberglass windows (casement style) have much thinner mullions then our similar sized (high end vinyl). If you are going for casements, check out how thick the mullions are on the vinyl windows as compared to fiberglass. I understand from these boards some vinyl windows have slimmer mullions than others.

    Good luck with your research.

    Carol

  • Elle1234
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks for your help eveyrone!