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Vinyl vs. fiberglass: What’s the best low-maintenance window for your home?
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When choosing the right windows for your home, the decision often boils down to the materials. Wood is popular but requires more maintenance than other options. Two popular options that require less maintenance are vinyl and fiberglass. Both have their advantages, but understanding the differences between vinyl vs. fiberglass windows can help you make the best decision for your home.
Strength and durability
Vinyl windows usually cost less than other materials, which makes them a popular choice. However, vinyl tends to expand and contract with temperature changes, which can lead to warping. That can make vinyl windows difficult to open and close over time.
Fiberglass is known for its exceptional strength. It’s built to withstand more pressure and stress without warping or swelling. This strength allows for slimmer frames, providing your home with natural light and bigger views.
Longevity
One of the standout features of fiberglass is that it requires very little maintenance. Generally, fiberglass resists fading, chipping, and peeling, ensuring that your windows maintain their look and function. Vinyl windows also require little maintenance but require more frequent replacements due to discoloration and damage from environmental factors.
Energy efficiency
Both vinyl and fiberglass windows are energy efficient. However, vinyl windows can expand up to 87% more than fiberglass, so their energy efficiency can be compromised over time. Compared to vinyl, fiberglass windows retain their energy efficiency far better. Fiberglass expands and contracts at nearly the same rate as glass, which helps maintain a tight seal and prevents leaks.
Fiberglass vs. vinyl window appearance
Both vinyl and fiberglass are available in a variety of colors, including one that mimics the look of traditional wood windows. If you're looking for a custom color, some fiberglass windows are fully paintable without voiding the warranty. Vinyl windows, on the other hand, are typically not recommended to be painted due to their rapid expansion and contraction, potentially hindering the appearance of the painted finish over time. And if more light and bigger views are better, the strength of fiberglass allows for slimmer frames, enhancing the overall aesthetic appeal of your home with larger glass areas. Vinyl windows, with their thicker frames, can limit your views and let in less natural light.
The benefits of choosing fiberglass windows
While vinyl windows often cost less than other options, fiberglass offers more for your money. Fiberglass windows offer a unique balance of strength, durability, energy efficiency, value, and beauty. Infinity by Marvin harnesses the strength of our proprietary Ultrex® fiberglass to create windows built to last a lifetime. They’re 8x stronger than vinyl, paintable, virtually maintenance-free, and designed to bring new life to your home.
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Fiberglass windows pros
Fiberglass windows have several advantages over other window materials. Our Ultrex fiberglass improves upon fiberglass windows with increased strength and low expansion rate.
Ultrex fiberglass windows pros
Low expansion rate — Meaning your windows won’t warp, so they’ll open and close smoothly
Exceptional strength — Ultrex offers superior bending and flexing resistance to protect the integrity of your home. Other window materials can start to sag and create issues with your home
Fade resistant — Our Ultrex finish withstands up to 48,000 hours of sunlight without fading1
1Average sunlight exposure per 10 years.
Vinyl windows overview
Vinyl is a type of plastic made from ethylene and chlorine that when combined make polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resin. It has become the second-most manufactured and sold plastic resin in the world. You can find vinyl in things like old records and vinyl fabric.
Vinyl window pros and cons
Vinyl windows remain a popular option for homeowners because of their lower cost, low-maintenance, and easy installation. Vinyl windows have some disadvantages, though.
Vinyl window pros
Low-maintenance — Vinyl windows rarely need painting or sanding, and are easy to clean
Available at big box retailers — Vinyl windows are easy to find off-the-shelf at home improvement stores
Lower costs — Vinyl’s low cost makes it attractive to homeowners, but low prices can also mean low quality
Vinyl window cons
Shorter lifespan — Vinyl windows have a shorter useful life expectancy compared to fiberglass windows1
Expansion — Can expand in hot weather and contract in cold weather, which can impact energy efficiency and air leakage
Less durability — Vinyl can chip or dent when impacted, making a window unsightly and lead to replacement
Why is Ultrex fiberglass stronger than vinyl?
Ultrex offers superior bend and flex resistance to protect the integrity of your home. Ultrex is 8x stronger than vinyl.
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Fibrex is a registered trademark of Andersen Corporation.
Are fiberglass windows better than vinyl? Vinyl and fiberglass window differences
When you’re deciding on a window material for your home, it’s important to know the differences between fiberglass vs. vinyl windows. Fiberglass and vinyl windows share some characteristics, but they can differ in areas like lifespan, energy efficiency, and appearance.
Fiberglass vs. vinyl window maintenance
Both fiberglass and vinyl windows require little to no maintenance. See our tips on how to clean fiberglass windows.
Fiberglass vs. vinyl value
Vinyl windows may have a lower price point, but they have a shorter lifespan, and can suffer from expansion and contraction. A shorter lifespan and the contraction and expansion issues could lead to spending more on windows over the life of your home.
Replacing windows has a 63-67% recovery rate on your investment when you sell your home.