The modern times that we live in today have one main advantage for property owners is options. Whatever you want as a property owner (including windows) you have a multitude of options to choose from. On face value, the ample choices allow property owners to get anything they need for their houses at competitive prices. Additionally, the abundance of competition ensures that the quality of products available on the market is high.
However, making the choice is never easy. When it is time to choose your windows it is important to understand the benefits that one type of window offers in relation to others. With this in mind, herein we will explore wood versus vinyl windows.
Energy Efficiency
When you consider the matter of energy efficiency, both these types of windows offer almost similar performance. Vinyl windows are made of the plastic material PVC, which is a good insulator. However, for the best performance, you need to use double pane glass. As for wood, the material is a natural insulator and will perform exceptionally well. As such, if you were to choose a window solely based on their energy efficiency performance, either window will suffice.
Maintenance
When it comes to maintenance, vinyl has an upper hand. While wood is susceptible to warping and rotting, vinyl does not suffer from such deficiencies. As such, they do not need constant painting nor do they need to be constantly taken care of them to retain their structural integrity and performance. Additionally, since they are less porous than wood windows, they do not absorb dirt and grime as easily as wood does and, therefore, they do not necessitate near constant cleaning to stay clean.
Durability
Just as it is with maintenance, when it comes to durability vinyl windows tend to have better performance than wood windows. Wood windows are susceptible to warping and rotting. However, since vinyl window types are manufactured using PVC, they are more resilient to mother nature’s elements such as rain, wind, and solar radiation. As such, these are inherently better capable of withstanding the elements and, therefore, they last longer than wood.
You should note that the life of the wood windows is entirely dependent on the post-harvest treatment is has undergone. If the wood is poorly treated, it will last only a few years. Proper treatment, on the other hand, will enable the wood to last a very long time.
Affordability
Generally, windows made from wood tend to have a higher price point as compared to the windows manufactured using vinyl. The very best in quality when it comes to solid wood tends to be alder and mahogany, which are very expensive both in terms of acquisition and maintenance owing to limited supply and high demand for the wood. On the other hand, vinyl is much cheaper as the PVC is easy to mass produce to make the windows.
When you consider the issue of property value addition, there is a case to be made for solid wood. In some cases, solid wood will add more value to your home when installed than vinyl windows can.
