You have another thread already on "Apples to Apples"?

You may want to look at an independent site where it can tell you what type (not what brand) of windows may meet your climatic requirements.

http://www.efficientwindows.org/index.cfm
Vinyl will expand and contract much much more than fiberglass or wood. If you can avoid it, I would suggest not using vinyl.

We looked at AL windows 4 years ago but we do not trust the thermal break to keep the heat out. In our offices where we have massive aluminum windows, the inside metal surface gets hot after a whole afternoon of sun light. The office A/C runs all day and can barely keep up.

We ended up with Aluminum clad wood windows. The clading outside comes with umpteen colors and requires practically no maintenance. When well constructed, the heat does not transfer to the wood inside even when it hits 110-F outside.

In our area, we get 110-F in the summer with sun beating down our southwest facing windows and French doors at different times of the day. We can maintain a cool 60-F early in the morning, 70-F by noon, 78-F by sunset without running the A/C. And *WITHOUT* any window coverings on the inside. We do extend an awning over the French doors to shade them around midday. We also drop a see-through type solar shade over the windows on the outside. By sunset, we just open the windows and cool breezes cools off everything quickly.

I would recommend looking at double-pane, low-E (designed for Texas), argon-filled fiberglass windows or aluminum clad exterior, solid wood interior windows. Forget about vinyl.

Vinyl Windows are installed all over Texas, Florida, New Mexico, Arizona etc. with few problems. If you pick a cheap vinyl at .60 mil. it's possible to have problems with warping. If you select a better grade of vinyl .72 mil you won't. Most manuf. warrant their vinyl windows against warping, splitting etc. I have not heard many complaints about warping.

If you are concerned about the heat penetrating the glass, then look for a triple pane with low e coatings on 2 panes with krypton gas with one pane laminated glass. You may want to consider putting the triple pane on just the side of the house that gets most of the sun.

The biggest advantage to krypton over argon gas is it's ability to insulate against radiant heat. The metalic oxide (low e) is most effective on infra-red (solar heat).

As with any product you WILL get what you pay for. Don't expect to get a good window and a good installation and warranty for a cheap price. There is absolutely no reason you should be concerned about using a good quality vinyl window.

Thanks for the information guys. I'm confused by it all (research) to say the least. Vinyl clad wood is not an option for us. During his demo, the HD Simonton rep used a "cooking" lamp (that keeps food warm in restaurants) and placed it next to a single paned window. The heat was intense and immediate. He did the same with his 6100 window and there was almost no heat transfer. I don't hear "fiberglass" mentioned when calling about replacement windows. What are the advantages?
Monica (who's off to the city to get even more confused about replacement windows LOL) I'll write down the .72 number as a reference for a "better" quality of vinyl.
Thanks,
Monica

I am not trying to start a debate :-). I want to present the facts we dug up 4 years ago so others can make their own decision.

Also, if you really want to be un-confused, please go to the Efficient Windows website to look up what they recommend. You can also find scientific specification for Aluminum, wood, fiberglass and vinyl on-line. They are not intimidating and not difficult to understand.

The only reason vinyl is used is because it is cheaper, not because it is better than wood, fiberglass or Aluminum. Scientifically, there is no debate or ambiguity when comparing the thermal characteristics and physical properties of Aluminum, wood and fiberglass against vinyl. Aluminum car bodies can last until it is recycled. Imagine Texas heat and sun on that metal on your car. Wood can last 100's of years. Fiberglass is used extensively in ocean-going sailboat hulls putting up with salt, wind and searing sun. Vinyl is a very distant fourth in this group.

Cheaper does not mean it is bad, it just means there are limitations. If we ignore the weaker structural strength, then the other most obvious limitation is color choices. All vinyl windows we saw 4 years ago came in white or off-white. Use the darker Hunter-Green in vinyl and heat absorption will warp the frames in no time.

Many high-end multi-million dollar homes in our area do use Milgard vinyl windows. The contractors and homeowners want to cut cost so they decide to spend less on windows and patio doors by using vinyl. Nothing wrong with that as long as they can put up with the white trim and its thermal characterisics.

We still have two 9-yr old white Milgard windows and the one that has the most solar exposure has a warp frame around the crank handle. The frames also get downright hot in high summer. 9 years old and it is time to replace them. Milgard will certainly honor its warranty but do I want another warped frame in 9 years? Does the white trim go with our reclaimed pine floor? So there are personal choices to make.

Most importantly, if a "high quality" vinyl costs $450 but a high quality Aluminum clad solid wood also costs $450 or even $550, then it is a no brainer to me if performance characteristics are the same. I won't take the vinyl.

As for whether to use a double-pane or triple-pane, you should search for posts by "Oberon". Oberon is our "resident expert" on windows and has provided many very detail and impartial explannation. It is worth a read before plunking down a ton of cash for triple panes.

Good luck!

IMO fiberglass windows are excellent unless you are looking for the look of stained wood grain. With that exception, I'd call it an almost perfect product for windows. It's very durable, can be painted whatever color you want inside and out and the paint will last a long time. The only drawback with fiberglass is it usually comes with a pretty hefty price tag. So much in fact that most people will opt for a vinyl window instead unless color is a major consideration.

As for Milgard windows. We carried them for about a year and had lots of problems with the quality. Most of the problems were simply manufacturing defects such as sashes that were out of square with the frame, locks that didn't line up with the keepers properly etc. I had windows that came in that had such a gap in them that you could slip a piece of aluminum trim coil from the outside thu to the inside with the window locked. It could have been because the factory we were buying them from was new in this area, but until I started reading this site and a few others, I regarded Milgard as a pretty substandard window. I have heard that the local plant manager and most of the employees were fired recently, so maybe that was the problem.

I'd wait until some of the Pro's in the South check in with their opinions of vinyl windows. There is a good reason manufacturers of vinyl windows with a solid history of warranty service are willing to cover them with a transferrable lifetime warranty.

Signed with Sears Friday night. $7000 (after all the discounts) for 8 windows. DH fell hook line and sinker for the backed by Sears" song and dance. He's normally not that gullible. Printed 8 pages of Sears Replacement Windows horror stories for him to read. A Simonton rep came out today (already had the appt scheduled). His bid for the same window was half the price. He knows his installers because they are his employees. I could choose a Gentek window that looks just like the Simonton but uses a pulley system instead of the flat coil, for a couple hundred less. I'm impressed with both. SO happy to save $3500 too!
Monica

Great. You will be very pleased with Simonton. Which model did you get? Details.....??

monicakm,

I assume that you cancelled the Sears replacement contract within the three day limit?

yes, I canceled with Sears today.
Details...I don't have many yet. I'm guessing the salesman is pushing Gentek since he didn't bring a Simonton sample window. He knew that's what I was interested in but did answer my questions about them and said they were a great window. I'd already seen the Simonton that HD and Sears offer. Simonton website says this local installer carries the Generation series. From what I can tell, this company is adding options like full screens and Meeting Rail Reinforcement (maybe that's the aluminum??). I've made a list of questions and hope to get a more detailed description when the installer comes out tomorrow or the next day to do the final measurements.
Monica