Comparison between Vinyl and Fiberglass Windows

Materials

For vinyl windows, extruded polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is the base material.  Inner structural elements that stiffen the framing may include metal.  

For fiberglass windows, polyester resins are activated by a catalyst and then pultruded, or pulled, through a heated die.  Strands of glass or glass mats are impregnated into resins.  The finished product is called a lineal, and it's machinable and can be shaped.  Fiberglass has long been used to create ultra-strong, lightweight materials for skis, surfboards, and canoes.  

Colors and Finishes

Fiberglass offers more options.  Vinyl windows come in a number of "baked-in" colors, as do fiberglass windows.  But fiberglass has the additional advantage of being paintable, whereas vinyl cannot be painted.

Strength

Fiberglass windows can be up to 9 times stronger than vinyl windows.

Durability

Vinyl and fiberglass windows are both made from inert substances that do not rot and are not tempting to insects like termites or carpenter ants.  In that sense, vinyl and fiberglass windows are in the same ballpark of durability, especially when compared to wood windows--made from organic materials that bugs love to eat and which can rot.

Maintenance

Both windows are equally low maintenance.

Insulating Factor

Equal.  Because the hollow cavities of both fiberglass and vinyl windows can be filled with insulation, both do a superior job of slowing the transmission of outside temperatures to the inside of the house.

Cost

Vinyl windows are cheaper than fiberglass windows.  Replacement windows are not found on the shelf at home improvement stores, but new construction windows are.  Of the new construction windows found at those stores, the only type you will find are vinyl and wood windows.  Thus, fiberglass windows currently do not lend themselves to DIY installation.

Glass Space

Fiberglass windows provide more glass space than vinyl windows.  Since vinyl is not as strong as fiberglass, more material is needed for the frames.  This means that vinyl window frames are slightly thicker than fiberglass, impinging on glass space.  

Also, because fiberglass frames are stronger than vinyl, this also means that they can contain far larger glass "real estate" than vinyl.  In other words, more glass and more light.

Resale Value

Fiberglass windows tend to reap higher resale values than vinyl windows.

 

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