Whats the difference between vinyl, wood & aluminum windows?
While there are a variety of materials available to make windows, vinyl is a great choice for many reasons. Vinyl is an excellent insulator. It does not conduct heat or cold like aluminum, which is a major source of lost energy. And in comparison to wood windows, vinyl is less likely to swell and shrink when the temperature and humidity shifts from season to season. Vinyl windows are also completely maintenance free, unlike wood windows. Most wood, composite, fiberglass and many vinyl windows have what is referred to as a straight jamb. A straight jamb does not allow for additional contours and weather-stripping channels to be engineered into the window jamb and sash contact points. A straight jamb therefore has less weather-stripping than a step jamb. Choose Double Hung windows that have a step jamb. This allows greater energy efficiency and provides 30% more weather-stripping than most windows.
