Fiberglass Windows - Experience or Knowledge?

[rosarugosa]

Does anyone have any feedback on fiberglass windows? Here is my situation. Our house has 28 Marvin wooden windows that we put in about 25 years ago. Nine of them are awning windows and they have a tremendous amount of rot. We've tried restorative measures but I really think we need to replace at this point. The windows are nice looking with true divided lights, and the 19 double-hung windows just need some minor restoration work and painting. So I think we want to go with a Marvin product again to match the look of our other windows. Aesthetically, I love the look of wood, but as time goes by I am less interested in spending vast amounts of time prepping and painting windows. This also seems like the type of job where the professionals skimp on the prep work, so we're better off DIY than hiring it out. The Marvin fiberglass windows also come in different colors, so we can get them in a cream color instead of the standard vinyl replacement window white. I would appreciate any input.

[sweetana3]

Our historic preservation group allows the Marvin replacement windows as being a good alternative to wood windows in many applications. Our house is noncontributing being a new house and they were fine with these when we replaced our Pella wood windows. Love them. Noted that the big commercial building used them on the basement windows that got a lot of splash and where wood would have rotted. They look exactly the same as the wood ones above.

They are easy to clean and have maintained a great appearance.

[kib]

I've replaced aluminum windows with good vinyl ones and been very pleased; they're easy to work with and seem completely weather resistant after 10 years. I didn't go with top of the line stuff so they're not quite as aesthetically pleasing as good wood ones (but certainly more pleasing than the old aluminum!) I definitely give mine a thumbs up.

[SteveinMN]

While any manufacturer can cheap out a window material, fiberglass generally offers the best features of all window materials and, unfortunately, a price to match. Great structural integrity, insulation values, and some of the longest-lasting meaningful warranties you'll see on windows come on fiberglass.

You might want to consider a window company that offers primarily fiberglass windows. It's not a huge secret that some of the biggest names in wood windows (one or two of which have been named in this thread already) offer vinyl windows, too, to say that they do and to offer something at those price points. But most installers who have no preference in the matter (or even like a brand's wood windows) will tell you those windows are nowhere near as good as their bread-and-butter wood windows or as good as vinyl windows from companies like Sun-Lite or Okna.

I also would reconsider DIY. There are some companies that do a poor job of installation, but that largely is tied to newbie installers (doesn't take much to qualify as a window installer, unfortunately), rapid turnover caused by poor pay (caused by offering windows for $200), or places that maximize profit over repeat customers (generally identifiable by lots of advertising and heavy discounts at time of sale). A good installer knows that a decent window with a proper installation works out better over the years than a poorly-installed top-line window made of the best materials. A good installer will know where to boost the insulation that came with the window or whether certain wall materials will need a little extra prep. In addition, some window manufacturers will not sell outside their network of dealer-installers, limiting your choice to big-box windows, which generally are not the manufacturer's top lines.

We replaced the biggest window in our house last winter, so I shopped with an eye toward replacing over the next few years all of our 40-year-old wood windows with the same brand/line and installers (to the extent possible). Fiberglass was out of our price range, but it would have been an excellent material. We ended up with vinyl, an contractor who has been at this for 30+ years, and installers who've been with him for more than a decade apiece. It was a smooth install and the windows look great. I'm happy to have them come back for the rest of the windows. I know it's not a task I can do myself well.

[rosarugosa]

Thanks for the input folks. Steve, I realize I was unclear in my wording. I meant that we think we're better off with DIY for painting and prepping (unpleasant task though it may be). We were not planning to tackle the window installation ourselves.