Just The Basics: Vinyl vs. Fiberglass Windows In New England

Time for an entryway refresh but unsure of how to pick your new front door color? This article from Rescom Exteriors pros will help you find the perfect hue.

When New England homeowners like you get to the point where it’s time to invest in replacement windows, the first thing you’re confronted with is a massive wall of options.

You’ve got endless amounts of windows to swim through on large ecommerce platforms.

You’ve got the big box home improvement stores and their caliber of products.

You’ve got a wide variety of both national and international manufacturers.

You’ve got a vast assortment of contractors who represent different window lines.

To make things worse, once you reach a certain price point… almost all of the providers claim to have ‘The Best’ windows for your needs.

Let’s give you the basics so you’re better armed against marketing nonsense and more informed. We’ll start at the beginning.

Key Basic #1: Vinyl & Fiberglass Windows Are The Most Common

The majority of windows in New England homes are made of one of these two materials. What’s the fundamental difference between them?

Vinyl: This is a plastic material — Polyvinyl Chloride, or PVC — made of synthetic plastic polymer. Created in the 1970s, it took off in the 1990s as an affordable, good-looking, low-maintenance alternative to much more expensive wooden framing.

Fiberglass: When we talk about windows, this is a material made of ultra-tiny glass fibers woven together with resin to increase strength and make it moldable.

Key Basic #2: Forget Market ‘Vinyl vs. Fiberglass Windows’ Generalities

Imagine someone saying to you,

“Electric cars are faster than combustible engine cars, they look better, and they’re stronger.”

Those words make every car aficionado cringe…because they completely lack any critical thinking; ZERO specifics. In truth, there are SO many variables depending on which two cars you’re comparing. We all know that.

For replacement windows, it’s the same thing. In some cases, certain vinyl windows will win over fiberglass for this reason or that. And vice versa. Regardless, you’ll come across so-called specialists making claims like:

• Fiberglass offers more styling choices. While this was true years and years ago, it’s really no longer the case outside extremely expensive product lines.
• Vinyl windows are cheap. No…that’s like saying ALL combustible engine cars are cheaper than electric cars…which is ridiculous. There are low, medium, and high-grade options available in both materials.
• Fiberglass is the most durable. This might be true on a material vs material basis, but when you talk about an entire window system vs another system, it gets far more complicated. Definitely not so cut and dry.
• Vinyl windows are less efficient. Ugh, this is another cringe statement to window contractors who are specialists at the craft. Like saying that Chevys get better gas mileage than Fords.

We could go on and on with the uncritical marketing information out there. What’s important is that as you shop around for replacement windows for your New England home, there are core variables to consider:

• Styling
• Security
• Maintenance
• Pricing
• Performance
• Energy Efficiency
• Warranty Coverage
• Noise Reduction

Key Basic #3: Listen To Long-Standing LOCAL Window Professionals

Rescom Exteriors is actually New England’s longest-running, locally-owned window company. We’ve been helping homeowners since 1995. We love this nation but our focus is HERE, not on becoming a gigantic corporate behemoth.

Over the decades we’ve installed well over 130,000 windows and doors. We’ve seen it all. Fixed it all. And know just about everything there is to know about these products and how they handle our seasonal weather norms.

We aren’t going to make a generalized statement that vinyl windows are better than fiberglass, or fiberglass windows are better than vinyl.

But what we can say, confidently, is…

Key Basic #4: Rescom Windows Are Engineered ‘New England Tough’

Don’t try to compare generalities. As you do your homework, compare window-to-window only. Look at their specific data points, as well as their manufacturer. For example, we don’t sell New England homeowners cookie-cutter, mass-produced, cheap retail windows.
Instead, the windows we install are guaranteed to deliver the following benefits compared to whatever kind of window you’re looking at, be it another vinyl product, fiberglass, or wood.

• Triple-Pane Comfort: What people in this area really want are warm comfortable winters. They want cool summers as well, but it’s our winters that can be especially cruel on our homes and our energy bills. Our windows are proven to outperform single and double-pane windows with an unrivaled U-Factor of 0.21 (Learn More).
• Bank-Vault Secure: Do you think a burglar can tell what a window is made of at night? Do you think they care? What they really care about are locking mechanisms and security features. Our specially-engineered vinyl windows are steel-shutter tough, ultra-thick, and bank-vault secure with 4-way interior locking systems (Learn More).
• Whisper Quiet: How would you like to reduce the amount of noise getting into your home through your windows by 66%? Thicker triple-pane glass with extra soundproofing, an exclusive gas fill, and solid frame…again, this is thanks to innovative manufacturing technology that most vinyl and fiberglass brands alike cannot offer you (Learn More).
• Titanium Tough: On top of everything else, our windows have metal-strength skeleton framing to eliminate bowing, warping, and sagging while providing even more security. This is because they’re solid, rather than hollow. Here’s a fact – 30% of the windows we have to replace are lower-quality vinyl windows that have warped. (Learn More).

Bottom Line: Call Today & Get More Direct Information

If you’re a New England homeowner, don’t hesitate to reach out and Contact Us directly about windows. We’re happy to fill you in, answer all your questions, and quell your concerns when it comes to the vinyl vs. fiberglass windows debate. We’ll give you the straight honest answers based on the specifics of your home, then let you decide.

Because when it comes to shopping for the perfect replacement windows, you need factual professional advice and information, not marketing and advertising. Thanks for your time today, and we look forward to hearing from you soon.