Vinyl v Wood Windows Comparison Chart by American Home Contractors

For a huge, all-encompassing renovation--the kind where walls get taken down and siding removed--you'll be getting new-construction windows. Anything less than this and you'll be getting replacement windows.  

Between 1990 and 2005, wood dropped from accounting for almost half of all windows sold to about a quarter. Guess what took wood's place?  You guessed right:  vinyl.

When the sales rep speaks to you, most likely you'll be steered toward vinyl windows.  That's because in the majority of sales calls he or she makes, customers will want vinyl windows.  Why?  Cost.  Wood windows have a certain charm that vinyl can only hope to impart.  Yet for the majority of homeowners, hard, cold cash has a charm that beats wood's allure every time.

	Vinyl Windows	Wood Windows
Materials	Vinyl windows are made largely of high-quality extruded polyvinyl chloride (PVC) Some metal and other types of plastics are used for the sash mechanism.	Wood windows are usually wood on the inside (typically pine or Douglas Fir).  Exteriors are wood covered with extruded aluminum, PVC, or fiberglass.
Colors and Finishes	Do-it-yourself vinyl windows off the rack tend to be white.  Windows from distributors come in a range of muted colors.	Natural wood color, stained wood, or painted.
Maintenance	Vinyl replacement windows never need painting or sealing.  The flip side of this is that you cannot paint windows (i.e., to change color), even if you wanted to.  You're stuck with the color you chose upon installation.	Wood-exterior windows need painting or sealing, not just at the time of installation, but throughout their lifetime. Painting wood windows is a very exacting task and needs to be done frequently.  Windows with aluminum cladding never need painting.
Insulating Factor	Good.  Vinyl is a poor conductor of temperatures, which is a good thing for you.  Vinyl window frames, though, are largely hollow.	Excellent.  When it's cold outside, try this--feel the frame of a wood window. You'll find that wood-framed windows are excellent at inhibiting the transmission of cold or heat from the outside. So it's a great energy-saver.
Cost (Window Only, No Labor)	Vinyl is about 25% cheaper.   A Jeld-Wen 36" x 60" Vinyl Double Pane New Construction Double Hung Window currently runs $264.	Wood windows are costlier.  Call it the law of supply and demand, the price of beauty, or just the fact that fewer companies make wood windows--but you will pay more for wood. Pella 36-1/4-in x 60-1/4-in 450 Series Wood Double Pane New Construction Double Hung Window currently goes for $329.
Appearance	Fair.  Vinyl windows are no longer the pariah of home renovation.  With the addition of better colors besides just white and tan, vinyl windows are considered more attractive than they were in the past.	Excellent.  The point of wood windows is usually to keep the interior natural or stained, with sealer on top, thus keeping the wood grain visible.  Vinyl simply cannot duplicate this.  Or, if you wish to have the look of solid colors, you can paint wood.
Turnaround	Excellent.  Vinyl windows are plentiful from many different manufacturers, so it's not difficult to obtain them on schedule.	Good.  The number of wood windows manufacturers has been dwindling over the years, but still this is not exactly a rare commodity.
Resale Value	Good.  Within the right context, buyers accept that vinyl windows will be part of the home.	Excellent.  Well-maintained wood windows catch the attention of buyers.

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