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Vinyl/plastic windows and siding might be used because they are superior basically in every way? They don't rot, don't require almost any maintenance (exterior

by sershe 4y ago

Vinyl/plastic windows and siding might be used because they are superior basically in every way? They don't rot, don't require almost any maintenance (exterior painting, etc.), windows fit much better and are better insulated, siding is much harder to damage and easier to clean (and also doesn't need paint). Frankly wooden windows are a personal pet peeve of mine. I have old (many decades) wooden windows in my house, and also new-ish wooden windows and plastic windows that were installed at the same time by the same company during a single renovation by the previous owner, so I can compare either old-new or new-new. If aliens landed and asked me "hey, we need to identify a few idiots among your species, can you give us the most reliable way to find one? Doesn't have to be broadly applicable, but does have to be a sure bet." I'd say "Look for people ordering wooden windows." I just utterly cannot comprehend why anyone would do it.

nemo44x 4y ago
You don’t know what you’re talking about. Vinyl windows get destroyed by the sun in 5 years or less. They also warp a lot and that nice seal you have is gone in a couple years tops. They are such a bad product with the only redeeming feature being they are cheap. Wood windows that are clad in aluminum or fiberglass will last 50 years and perform. Same for siding. Vinyl siding fades from the sun and warps and stops doing its job after a few years and now water is getting in. There’s a reason only the cheapest construction uses these materials.
- sershe 4y ago
  The new-ish plastic windows I have are actually ~15 years old and they have none of these issues (they are new-ish compared to the older wooden windows). They are in a condition that could be described as "looks new" and keep in warmth better as confirmed with an IR thermometer around them. The wooden windows of the same age and roughly the same dimensions installed by the same company are all kinds of wonky; they slide poorly because of I guess gradual shape change and wear of the wood, and don't seal well. Also a minor installation defect caused the top of one of the windows to rot. Not a problem with plastic, if there's a defect just fix it, window is good as new. When the window guys told me I need to replace the window I just said while you're at it do you want to rip out all the other ones too an replace with plastic? :)
  - nemo44x 4y ago
    You must have bought the magical, physics defying model. Vinyl warps more than twice as much as wood and 7 times glass and is very weak to resistance. On an extremely hot or cold day the temperature outside and inside are hugely different. This matters more in regions that see more extreme temperatures throughout the year. Now it might be you live in a climate where the weather barely changes and it might be your windows are quite small. Smaller windows don’t suffer as much as larger windows like a 36x52. So I’ll grant environment matters. Even which direction they face will matter. And yes there are different qualities of vinyl windows. But I’d put a lower quality aluminum/fiberglass clad wood window against the best vinyl every day. And while there’s no accounting for taste, vinyl windows look awful.
    - sershe 4y ago
      I do live in Seattle, but where I've previously lived the temperature routinely goes to -30F in winter and 95F in the summer, and for the reasons of previous lack of availability plastic windows were one of the first things people installed, including on e.g. 5-6ft square panels. Never heard of the problems with them, and never had problems with whichever ones I used. However in many places I lived (including with mild climate like SF) wooden windows never failed to have some wonkiness to them, and in one apartment when you closed the sliding windows too fast there'd be fresh wood shavings coming out :) Also just googling "vinyl window wrap" or deformation (I assume vinyl is what people typically call cheaper plastic?) I cannot find much of anything. On the other hand if you google for wooden windows or siding moisture/deformation/rot, you find plenty of advice and complaints alike. These physics seem to be reality defying, or they apply in some extreme conditions when comparing with the best possible wooden window... And I tried to avoid bringing up taste, even though I wanted to, but I guess I have to bite now. That actually gives me additional disdain for wooden-window-buying - yep, they are still popular because a significant fraction of the population still thinks that e.g. craftsman houses with "nooks" and 4-to-7ft sloping ceiling on the 2nd floor are "timeless" and modern functional ones are "soulless boxes". I can only chalk it to misplaced nostalgia... I'm sorry, the Neolithic called, they want their mud huts back :P

by sershe 4y ago

nemo44x 4y ago

You don’t know what you’re talking about. Vinyl windows get destroyed by the sun in 5 years or less. They also warp a lot and that nice seal you have is gone in a couple years tops. They are such a bad product with the only redeeming feature being they are cheap. Wood windows that are clad in aluminum or fiberglass will last 50 years and perform. Same for siding. Vinyl siding fades from the sun and warps and stops doing its job after a few years and now water is getting in. There’s a reason only the cheapest construction uses these materials.

sershe 4y ago
The new-ish plastic windows I have are actually ~15 years old and they have none of these issues (they are new-ish compared to the older wooden windows). They are in a condition that could be described as "looks new" and keep in warmth better as confirmed with an IR thermometer around them. The wooden windows of the same age and roughly the same dimensions installed by the same company are all kinds of wonky; they slide poorly because of I guess gradual shape change and wear of the wood, and don't seal well. Also a minor installation defect caused the top of one of the windows to rot. Not a problem with plastic, if there's a defect just fix it, window is good as new. When the window guys told me I need to replace the window I just said while you're at it do you want to rip out all the other ones too an replace with plastic? :)
- nemo44x 4y ago
  You must have bought the magical, physics defying model. Vinyl warps more than twice as much as wood and 7 times glass and is very weak to resistance. On an extremely hot or cold day the temperature outside and inside are hugely different. This matters more in regions that see more extreme temperatures throughout the year. Now it might be you live in a climate where the weather barely changes and it might be your windows are quite small. Smaller windows don’t suffer as much as larger windows like a 36x52. So I’ll grant environment matters. Even which direction they face will matter. And yes there are different qualities of vinyl windows. But I’d put a lower quality aluminum/fiberglass clad wood window against the best vinyl every day. And while there’s no accounting for taste, vinyl windows look awful.
  - sershe 4y ago
    I do live in Seattle, but where I've previously lived the temperature routinely goes to -30F in winter and 95F in the summer, and for the reasons of previous lack of availability plastic windows were one of the first things people installed, including on e.g. 5-6ft square panels. Never heard of the problems with them, and never had problems with whichever ones I used. However in many places I lived (including with mild climate like SF) wooden windows never failed to have some wonkiness to them, and in one apartment when you closed the sliding windows too fast there'd be fresh wood shavings coming out :) Also just googling "vinyl window wrap" or deformation (I assume vinyl is what people typically call cheaper plastic?) I cannot find much of anything. On the other hand if you google for wooden windows or siding moisture/deformation/rot, you find plenty of advice and complaints alike. These physics seem to be reality defying, or they apply in some extreme conditions when comparing with the best possible wooden window... And I tried to avoid bringing up taste, even though I wanted to, but I guess I have to bite now. That actually gives me additional disdain for wooden-window-buying - yep, they are still popular because a significant fraction of the population still thinks that e.g. craftsman houses with "nooks" and 4-to-7ft sloping ceiling on the 2nd floor are "timeless" and modern functional ones are "soulless boxes". I can only chalk it to misplaced nostalgia... I'm sorry, the Neolithic called, they want their mud huts back :P