Vinyl Window Replacement
By Tom Moyer
Over the nine plus years we have lived in our home in Kingsfield, we and others have experienced problems with the vinyl windows in our homes. As has been reported in the Kingsfield Newsletter over the years, the majority of problems are leaks in the seal between the inner and outer panes of the windows. This is exhibited as apparent visible dirt that cannot be cleaned either on the inside or the outside of the window. Some homeowners have also had actual window glass cracks appear. The window failures are noticeable as air infiltration through the windows and deposits of moisture in winter on the inside of the glass usually at the junction of the upper and lower window frames where the windows are locked together.
I personally have had approximately 12 windows replaced by the manufacturer, CertainTeed, who actually had the windows made by Vywinco in Morgantown, PA. In the first five years the manufacturer actually brought the windows to our home and replaced them. The windows are warranted by the manufacturer for the lifetime of the original owner of the home, but the labor is for five years only. After five years, only the window glass is replaced free of charge and the homeowner must install the glass in the frame after picking up the glass at the distributor, Marvic, where Quade builders originally purchased the windows. Note: Vywinco no longer makes windows for CertainTeed; they make their own brand of windows, which look much like the CertainTeed windows.
After noticing that some of my windows were sagging at the lock frame between the upper and lower window and that the seals were broken once again, I decided to give up on the glass replacement path. I thought it would be really nice not to have wind blowing through some of the windows in the winter and not have solar heat baking through the windows in the summer. I investigated and found that Vinyl windows are susceptible to sagging caused by the sun which causes the frame to expand and contract eventually breaking the window seal. The vinyl is not as strong as wood or fiberglass used in other windows. As long as I had vinyl frames I would keep having this problem, especially in the front of my home which is exposed to very direct sun for most of the day.
I finally decided to replace ten windows in my home with Andersen replacement windows. In addition, the US government has offered to give up to $1500 in tax credit until December 31, 2010 for installation of energy efficient windows. Energy efficient windows have a U-Factor of 0.3 or less and a solar heat gain gain coefficient (SHGC) of less than 0.3. U-Factor is the inverse of R-value. So a U-Factor of 0.3 is an R-Value of 3.3, about the insulating equivalent of an uninsulated wall. The SHGC indicates how much of the sunlight hitting a window makes it inside as heat. The window manufacturers test and provide a certificate that the windows meet the IRS requirements for energy efficiency to obtain the tax credit on your return.
The Andersen replacement windows I bought have double pane glass with argon gas filler and a U-Factor of 0.29 and an SHGC of 0.18. The frames are made of “Fibrex” which Andersen makes by taking reclaimed wood fibers and vinyl PVC, then applying tremendous heat and pressure. This bonds the two materials together. Andersen claims the Fibrex is twice as strong as vinyl and that it does not expand or contract when exposed to the sun or cold. It feels like very hard fiberglass and it is impervious to water. The Fibrex material is clad with vinyl so that the windows appear the same as the CertainTeed windows they replaced.
The Andersen windows are sold and installed by Renewal by Andersen. The cost is high, about $1500 per window installed. It may be cheaper to actually purchase wood windows with vinyl cladding and hire an installer, but remodeling costs on the internet ( indicate the cost to replace 10 wooden windows is about $11,700 to $17,816 in our region.
The old windows have to be cut out from either the stucco or vinyl siding. Once removed, wood is framed around the opening to provide spacing and anchoring for the replacement windows. The replacement windows are leveled, caulked and screwed into place using 6 screws per window. Then the area around the windows is foamed to seal all gaps and trim is placed over the window edges and the outside is chalked to seal the trim. The removal process went much easier and faster on the vinyl trimmed section of the house. Apparently when the windows in the stucco section were first installed,the flanges were covered with stucco to create a seal that made removal more difficult. The old windows were held in the openings by only two screws, one on each side at halfway up the frame. The window openings in stucco were properly sealed in the original construction against water and ice intrusion. The openings in the vinyl siding area were sealed using Tyvek.
Below are some pictures showing the removal and installation process in both vinyl siding and stucco. If anyone is interested in getting more information on the window replacement, please feel free to contact me.
Sag of the upper vinyl frame in the original window on left.
Cutting the old window out of stucco.
Window opening in stucco showing ice and water shield.
New windows installed in stucco.
Cutting windows out of vinyl siding.