I find the larger and potentially more damaging issue here as it pertains to the consumption of other readers to be the sweeping generalizations about vinyl windows. "Temporary", and the comments regarding poor energy efficiency are not accurate if a good product is chosen, nor is completely anecdotal feedback about a window feeling "warmer or colder" all that helpful. This is why windows are tested and rated thermally and structurally, to remove this subjectivity. Total unit U value for instance tells you the ACTUAL rate of heat transfer through the window assembly. The lower that number is, the better. Most vinyl windows, despite the comments made above, actually perform better than wood in that area. The most important thing, however, is that there are great vinyl windows, great wood windows, and great windows made of fiberglass and composites, each with pros and cons inherent to the material. There are certainly poor examples of each as well. To label any one of those materials categorically as poor is just simply not correct, and actually ironic in this particular case.

Updating this thread for others considering aluminum frames: We did install the Milgard aluminum windows. They are really neat looking! My one regret is that there are a few windows where the old had a fixed pane and a casement. I ordered double casements instead, and probably should have stayed with the original layout. This because the double casements have a lot more 'frame' showing than we originally had. A few other things: 1.) We had some problems making casements work in some bedroom locations - due to emergency egress requirements. Basically a Milgard casement must be 30" wide for egress. Narrower and it won't meet code - even though the hinges are on the jamb. Wider and it becomes too heavy to work right. So we had to use sliders instead. 2.) Energy-wise, Milgard offers 'thermally broken' aluminum frames, but, strangely, not in California. I did order our windows with Milgards "Suncoat Max" upgrade though. It is interesting to place ones hand on the frame and then place it on the glass. Big difference in temperature. However, combined with other things in the construction (e.g., IB Systems membrane roof, and Techshield radiant barrier decking), the house is staying suprisingly cool during the current heat wave. (Got up to 100° yesterday.) And the insulation and drywall have yet to be installed! So in our case the aluminum frames don't seem to be a big problem. But if one were to insist on thermally broken aluminum, then Fleetwood seems to be a better way to go. (FWIW, I gave the local Milgard area rep a hard time about not being able to order thermally broken in California. Seems silly that you can order them in other states, but not here.) 3.) Milgard delivery was *fast*. Like less than two weeks from order to delivery. 4.) A nit: Our frames are dark bronze color, almost black. For some reason the screws mounting the casement lock handles are bright colored. Yet other screws, such as the ones holding the screens, are black. I need to call Milgard to see if they can provide some black screws to make the bright ones 'disappear'. 5.) For the master bath, I ordered reeded obscure glass, on the thought that it kinda carried the theme of the reeded obscure glass in the sidelight of my front door. (Of course a workman accidently broke the original 1950s sidelight a couple weeks ago, so now I get to match the sidelight with the master bath instead...)

I just installed Armstrong Vivero Arbor Orchard in Natural, selected because it has the integrilock click-in install mechansim. 530sf - 2 bedrooms and a laundry hallway. I have never used luxury vinyl, but have college rentals and heard good things. Carpet is NASTY for college rentals. In the past, I've used various levels/price points of laminate, when the subfloor allowed it. The husband and I do the install - mostly him doing the labor, me doing the shopping. I like the finished floor to look as natural as possible (vs just throwing down whatever comes out of the box), so I help with the layouts. (I also LOVE epoxy - garage - for concrete, but am saddened that Home Depot stopped carrying the Rust-Oleum 2 part version that I've used many times.) What I look for in flooring is durability that looks great. College kids think even the low end laminate is real wood, but this cheap stuff lacks durability. For my latest project, I wanted to do the install myself - maybe with the help of my young kids. Prior to learning of Armstrong's Vivero, I was set on US Flooring's Coretec because it seemed to have the best available LVP click-in locking mechanism. My project was delayed and I failed to order the flooring. Then, I found Armstrong's product and the price was easily $3 less per square foot. Plus, I watched the You Tube video where the guy could not close the gaps between the Coretec planks. I figured that if he couldn't do it, neither could a chick with two young kids. So, I prepped the floor - sanded the OSB and began the install - without reading the directions!! My tools in hand were a tapping block made for LVP, carbide utility knife blades, a rubber mallet and shims. Of course, also measuring tapes and L squares etc. Because I failed to read the Armstrong install directions (I did watch a few videos), I installed backwards. Instead of laying the top piece onto the bottom piece, I slid the bottom piece onto the top. This took a lot of finesse and hammering. I failed to hear any "click". The floor was looking awesome, but it seemed to be taking more effort and time than anyone claimed. The husband decided to help. He read the directions and discovered my first issue. I finished one bedroom, doing the install wrong, in 9 hours. This bedroom is 15'x12', plus a closet. I had to go to the store to buy a "pro bar" to tighten the planks together. (The probar damaged the planks, even after taping cardboard around it.) The second bedroom - same size - was installed the correct way and was done in 6 hours. These times include the OSB sanding/clean up. I laid the flooring directly onto the OSB. When installing correctly, where the top is layed onto the bottom, there is definitely a "clicking" noise. Although the correct way to lay the planks takes less time/effort, there are very slight gaps here and there between the planks. When I installed the one bedroom incorrectly, the gaps are non-existent. These gaps are very slight and resemble a wood floor when the boards slightly shrink. I don't think the "gaps" are a big enough issue to warrant the extra time/effort to install. When installing following the directions, the pro bar was needed only on the final edges of the room. The planks do not move nor make any noise when walking on them. This is my new non-epoxy flooring!! My only complaint is that 1 length (48") is not enough. With a 15' long room, I ended up with tiny 1" slivers inside the closet. There was no way I was starting a row over once I got to the end. Using a 12-16" starting piece was problematic in every 1" sliver row. I hope that more lengths become available. The planks were difficult to cut, so I am hoping this equates to fantastic surface durability. The carbide blades did mar the surface (and could remove a finger with no effort), so installing with the recommended titanium blades might make the install quicker/easier. It is true that young kids can help with the install! I wouldn't trust them with the sharp blades, but they can definitely "click" the pieces together.

I about to purchase SPC flooring myself, and am pouring through reviews. I think it’s not just the thickness of the printed image (ie the wood look that is scratching easily), but also how the surface is treated by the manufacturer. There’s a whole thread on spc flooring. That’s where I found GemCore, which led me to you. Anyway, there’s a hypothesis that ceramic bead coating is hard on socks (chews them up), and pant knees (toddler). I suspect it’s the coating GemCore uses vs other brands.