Best window frame technology for hot, full sun exposure?

[olytdi]

I've got all wood, single pane windows on the south side (front) of the house that are 30+ years old and failing. This side of the house gets really hot on a sunny day and gets full weather all year round.

I need to replace all of the windows (four) and probably the front door as well before water starts to get in behind them.

I'm a little perplexed at all of the different makes, models, and types of windows out there. What say you window-savvy folks? What kind of window will stand-up the best to great swings in temp, extensive UV exposure, and lots of weather?

Thanks up front!

 

[Pack Rat]

Are you looking to have the windows replaced, or replacement windows?
There is a huge difference between the two?
I opted to get the windows replaced with new windows instead of replacements.
It was quite expensive but I only cried once.

 

[mtnwalton]

My last two houses I've had the windows replaced - wood windows with aluminum cladding. Very happy in this Ky climate

 

[olytdi]

Yes! Windows replaced! Need to completely replace the frame, window, flashing, etc.

So would aluminum clad wood have the greatest stability and resistance to movement under thermal swings?

 

[6768rogues]

Andersen.
If you are planning to keep the place, don't use anything else.

 

[Pack Rat]

I had my wood windows replaced with the Pella aluminum clad wood windows.
The contractor was a certified Pella installer and he did a fantastic job.
That was 12 years ago and they still look and function like new. Very high quality.
They are the only window I'll ever use. I also put in a Pella entry door and storm door.

 

[Tuscani2718]

Check out Integrity by Marvin. Fiberglass frames which makes sense as its expansion and contraction closely matches that of the glass meaning less of a chance of seal failure. Also the paint they use is light years ahead of Anderen in terms of quality and durability. I sold both for years and had way fewer issues with Integrity/Martin products than I did Anderson.

 

[olytdi]

Okay, good info -- thanks much you all! I'll start to look into these recommended makers.

 

[Cyberbear]

If there isn't anything like this in place, you may wish to put an "eye brow" roof over those windows that are exposed to the severe weather. I've put up a few and they certainly help ward off the nasty effects of weather and sun damage.

 

[Toolfool]

I'm in your climate zone. I just did a job replacing 12 large windows and two sliders. Talked the customer out of Andersen and into Marvin. Aluminum clad exteriors. Go with outswing doors for best weather resistance.

 

[Zeke]

Milgard FG windows can be had in colors and also be veneer clad inside for a natural wood look. You can paint the interiors a different color. They are made local to you.

 

[LB-1911]

Okay, good info -- thanks much you all! I'll start to look into these recommended makers.

Contact Kell-Chuck Glass, They are adjacent Bayview Lumber.

 

[olytdi]

If there isn't anything like this in place, you may wish to put an "eye brow" roof over those windows that are exposed to the severe weather. I've put up a few and they certainly help ward off the nasty effects of weather and sun damage.

That's an interesting idea. What constitutes an "eye brow" roof? How's it attach to the building or window?

Thanks!

 

[olytdi]

Great leads here -- much thanks for the tips.

I will contact Kell-chuck. I know they've been around a long time.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Composite - Renewal by Andersen

 

[yeldogt]

A lot depends on how you want them to look .. and spend. Most of the mainstream window companies make a couple of different lines at different price points ... make sure you understand what you are pricing .. and if you are getting a replacement window or a window.

From the outside: The Vinyl windows .. look like vinyl and come in fewer colors. The clad windows often look more like a traditional wood window.

The more expensive windows have wood interiors and nicer Muntin systems to better replicate a traditional wood window.

 

[ZRX61]

wood windows with aluminum cladding. Very happy in this Ky climate

Doesn't that make em kinda hard to see out of?

 

[Mr Toolman]

Best window frame technology for hot, full sun exposure?​

It's more important the type of windows to consider than the brand. Especially in this case.
Normal low E glass coatings can actually make your home hotter. Low E tint holds hot in and out. Not just out, so is best used in cold weather zones.
Darker Tinted glass is a good option for sun exposed windows like yours.
Sliding windows leak air. If the window must open. Consider casement windows.
Casement windows have air tight seals and are less likely to fail.
While pitcher widows that do not open are ideal.
Fiberglass over Vinal is also important here. No steel fames.

Consider exterior shading. Internal shades fail to stop the heat entering.

 

[dcg9381]

My vote is for fiberglass, less thermal transmission than aluminum, without all the crappy drama (or expansion) of vinyl. We went with Marvin "essential" in a new residence, after a lot of research, and after talking to my home builder neighbor who has put windows in a lot of homes. They can be built in custom sizes, are fiberglass, their function is great.
Are these the best you can buy? Absolutely not. But they were about 1.5-2x over my initial builder grade window budget.
You can get rid of the UV without tinting... We are in Texas and get a lot of sun and some weather.
A lot of window selection comes down to where you are in the US.

You can get these in casement, double hung, glider, awning and picture styles. Very happy with them, not only how they look, but how they function. Lots of ours are crank.

Want the best, triple pane, argon filled, you can buy those... Window performance has a scale where you get a lot for your investment from low to medium price, them medium to high, performance differences are less and less.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Somewhat off the initial topic ...

My sister lives in a newer house, probably 10 - 15 years old. This is an expensive custom house. More than 50% of the seals have failed in her thermal pane windows.

 

[Bert_]

Something as simple as drapes are blinds makes a big difference with heat from the sun. Some nice mature trees don't hurt either.

My opinion, most of what is commonly sold is ****. Lucky to get more than 15-20 years out of them. From what I have seen Marvin is what I would look at if I was shopping new windows.

Usually with wood windows I'd suggest repair but windows from the 90's probably weren't great quality to begin with.

 

[GirchyGirchy]

Check out Integrity by Marvin. Fiberglass frames which makes sense as its expansion and contraction closely matches that of the glass meaning less of a chance of seal failure. Also the paint they use is light years ahead of Anderen in terms of quality and durability. I sold both for years and had way fewer issues with Integrity/Martin products than I did Anderson.

Or Infinity by Marvin. They're fiberglass as well and offer more custom options and sizes IIRC. We've had ours for 10 years and couldn't be happier...except for wishing we'd ordered the handles for the upper sash as well because they're a PITA to open without them.

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

I won't speak brands because not all brands are available in all areas of the country. But, if you know what you're looking for you can put feelers out to see who can build to your specifications.

Though the SE certainly isn't the NW- we deal with fairly large swings in weather from season to season. And many homes, depending on their compass direction can have a detrimental effect on all exterior components of a home.

With that said- for over 20yrs now, I've had "jobber" windows built for me from local millwork companies (one is my lumber supplier, who builds regular double hungs. The other does the specialty millwork windows- like palladiums)- to my specifications. Sashes are (lowE IG) PVC clad exteriors/wood interiors, Jambs, sills, extensions, brickmold or other trim is all PVC. Cost more- Sure! But they dont fail, rot, fall apart, distort, or are affected by UV when painted. Yet, they can still be painted or stained on the interior.

One issue with aluminium cladding that I have seen in the past is if they are not well maintained and moisture gets behind the cladding, rot (if wood frames) will grow and you won't even know it until the window falls out of the frame.

 

[jar944]

Somewhat off the initial topic ...

My sister lives in a newer house, probably 10 - 15 years old. This is an expensive custom house. More than 50% of the seals have failed in her thermal pane windows.

Double pane sealed glass has a 15yr life span before seal failure Some will be more some will be less. That is regardless of manufacturer.

Modern windows are disposable.

 

[Bert_]

Double pane sealed glass has a 15yr life span before seal failure Some will be more some will be less. That is regardless of manufacturer.

Modern windows are disposable.

Kind of begs the question, why do we bother with them? I mean the cost to replace that often has got to seriously cut into any heating savings.

 

[jar944]

Kind of begs the question, why do we bother with them? I mean the cost to replace that often has got to seriously cut into any heating savings.

Why?

Same reasoning behind new car models every year.. because some ad exec convinced people they need them. "Huge savings on energy if you replace your worn out windows" the numbers almost never work in favor of replacement.

Single pane glass is about R1, adding a exterior storm window is about R2. Double glazed may average R2 to a bit more. The fancy tripple pane passive haus euro windows are R3-R5.

 

[loganb]

Single pane glass is about R1, adding a exterior storm window is about R2. Double glazed may average R2 to a bit more. The fancy tripple pane passive haus euro windows are R3-R5.

Agreed that from a pure thermal performance/energy gain as a result of improved U(R) factor, new windows will rarely pencil out as a savings in under 10 years unless energy costs are extremely high and current windows are barely passable as windows. Those savings are on the pure thermal improvement of the U Factor between old & new and doesn't include occupant comfort improvement, air leakage savings or other benefits but the "assumption" that new windows will pay for themselves in a handful of years is in my opinion much too prevalent. And I work in the industry for one of the manufacturers mentioned so far in this thread so people replacing windows do fund my garage hobbies!

U Factor which is the thermal performance value windows are rated by is 1/R value so a U factor/U Value of .30 is an R Value of 3.33....**** compared to the standard 2x4 wall with R11 insulation so from a pure thermal efficiency/insulating value....windows are a thermal loss on a building. They have other benefits, but they're far less efficient on thermal performance than the walls that surround them.

Building codes for most residential structures in the heating climates will call for somewhere around a U .32 to .28 depending on municipality and what version of codes have been adopted. Most modern windows can meet those requirements with dual pane insulated glass using argon gas between the panes of glass in conjunction with a modern glass coating(Low-E)

Moving from double to triple pane IG(and introducing Superman defeating Krypton gas fills) enables performance from U factor of .23 or so all the way down to roughly .15 to .17 for a fixed window with a highly thermally efficient frame, multiple Low-E coatings and krypton gas.

Products used on "Net Zero" building projects where the goal is for the structure to be carbon neutral in terms of consumption vs production are often using a standard/spec/guideline from Passive House Institute US which depending on climate and elevation the window is on recommends U values down to .10 to .13 which today takes super super super spendy systems that are often quad pane or (2) completely separated insulated glass/sash units into the same frame in order to get to this level....at this point we're so far past the point of diminishing returns it's not even visible in the rear view but it's important to some people. Most products meeting these extremely high performance targets are European inspired in terms of design and likely built there as well and imported to the US as energy costs are much higher there and they're generally farther ahead vs. the US in terms of adoption of stricter energy codes.

Newer tech allowing the production of much thinner glass than previously possible(created based on demand for flat screen TV's) and some other items has the potential to make that triple pane and "R5" or U .20 window performance much more affordable. It's somewhat a chicken and the egg in the US as relatively low energy costs(compared to global competitive set) limits consumer demand due to limited financial savings, which then increases per unit costs due to fewer units for manufacturers to spread R&D costs across....

But in summary....agreed that in vast majority of cases new windows won't pay for themselves in most people's "reasonable" time frame on pure energy savings, and the warrantied term of the seal in most insulated glass units ranges from 10 years on cheaper units to 20 years on higher performing ones with the labor costs to replace those glass units likely is equal or can easily exceed the material cost of that glass when replacement time comes along

 

[ddawg16]

My vote is for fiberglass, less thermal transmission than aluminum, without all the crappy drama (or expansion) of vinyl. We went with Marvin "essential" in a new residence, after a lot of research, and after talking to my home builder neighbor who has put windows in a lot of homes. They can be built in custom sizes, are fiberglass, their function is great.
Are these the best you can buy? Absolutely not. But they were about 1.5-2x over my initial builder grade window budget.
You can get rid of the UV without tinting... We are in Texas and get a lot of sun and some weather.
A lot of window selection comes down to where you are in the US.

You can get these in casement, double hung, glider, awning and picture styles. Very happy with them, not only how they look, but how they function. Lots of ours are crank.

Want the best, triple pane, argon filled, you can buy those... Window performance has a scale where you get a lot for your investment from low to medium price, them medium to high, performance differences are less and less.

Ditto

We have Milgard windows. Fiberglass on the outside...vinyl on the inside. Double paned, Low-E, Argon filled. Life time warranty.

Fiberglass means you can have any color you want. With standard vinyl windows...the outside is always white.

Casements are great because you can crank them open.

One of the big surprises with out windows....how much quieter they are. HUGE difference.

Check out my 2-Story Addition build in the link below for pics. I have the ONLY windows on the block that do not have a white border

 

[theoldwizard1]

Double pane sealed glass has a 15yr life span before seal failure Some will be more some will be less. That is regardless of manufacturer.

I have Renewal by Anderson. No seal failures after 30+ years.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Ohe big surprises with our windows....how much quieter they are. HUGE difference.

Same here ! Originals were single pane aluminum frames with storms. They rattled when the wind blew.

AMAZING how much quieter the replacements were.

 

[jar944]

But in summary....agreed that in vast majority of cases new windows won't pay for themselves in most people's "reasonable" time frame on pure energy savings, and the warrantied term of the seal in most insulated glass units ranges from 10 years on cheaper units to 20 years on higher performing ones with the labor costs to replace those glass units likely is equal or can easily exceed the material cost of that glass when replacement time comes along

I'm all for new technology, energy efficient windows in a new build, though the life of sealed glass is irritating no matter what. Its just too many people believe the sales pitch.

I will say I get great enjoyment when talking with remodeling/replacement window/roof/insulation salesmen, that really makes for a fun time. (My wife told be I'm not allowed to go with her to a remodeling show ever again) in my defense the salesmen was selling the energy efficiency virtues of their replacement shingles... yes shingles. I had a field day with them after that.

 

[Jackfre]

I went with Loewen windows. Wood frame AL clad. Very happy with them for the 8 yrs they have been in. Look great.

 

[loganb]

I'm all for new technology, energy efficient windows in a new build, though the life of sealed glass is irritating no matter what. Its just too many people believe the sales pitch.

Agreed. I don't know for sure but with the average US homeowner moving every 7 years based on the last numbers I saw I think it just ends up as a "not my problem" concern for future owner. Also with something like 60%-70% of the windows sold in the US being vinyl, which means a lower cost product the IG seals just aren't as good in those as they generally are in the fiberglass or clad/wood systems out there.

I will say I get great enjoyment when talking with remodeling/replacement window/roof/insulation salesmen, that really makes for a fun time. (My wife told be I'm not allowed to go with her to a remodeling show ever again) in my defense the salesmen was selling the energy efficiency virtues of their replacement shingles... yes shingles. I had a field day with them after that.

We have similar twisted pleasures...I was wandering thru a state fair a couple years ago and their "industry" booth had a large number of home renovation companies and it seemed like every other booth in 1 row was window replacement companies all pushing the exact same vinyl window which was being private labeled manufactured for them all by the same company. By the time I saw the 3rd one and recognized whose it was I started asking more probing questions just to see how knowledgeable and honest the sales teams were...the most dishonest ones I took note of and recommended some friends in the area who were considering it to avoid them!

 

[ddawg16]

I'm all for new technology, energy efficient windows in a new build, though the life of sealed glass is irritating no matter what. Its just too many people believe the sales pitch.

I will say I get great enjoyment when talking with remodeling/replacement window/roof/insulation salesmen, that really makes for a fun time. (My wife told be I'm not allowed to go with her to a remodeling show ever again) in my defense the salesmen was selling the energy efficiency virtues of their replacement shingles... yes shingles. I had a field day with them after that.

What did he say was the R value?

 

[jar944]

What did he say was the R value?

He didn't.

They were normal asphalt shingles.

Asking him to explain how his shingles increased energy efficiency sitting on top of a un condition space also left him confused about what a conditioned space was, and with nothing to say. They pulled him away from me soon after that. Same company when my wife asked about standing seam roofing responded with a question asking why anyone would want metal a metal roof since they just didn't last like shingles. (This company didn't install metal roofing)

 

[nadogail]

My home was built in 1988, out windows were double glazed and the seals on a few failed. We were turned on to a local glazier who measured, ordered and replaced the glass in our well functioning metal frames.

Sometimes you don't need new windows, just a conscientious and competent tradesman.

 

[RivennHewn]

Pick whatever window fits your budget, just stay away from those installers who spam your email and call you at dinner time.

Do not let them remove the flanges, mount them with drywall screws, and rely on a bead of silicone caulk to keep you dry.

Proper install is as important as what you choose.

 

[dcg9381]

Same company when my wife asked about standing seam roofing responded with a question asking why anyone would want metal a metal roof since they just didn't last like shingles. (This company didn't install metal roofing)

Idiot or liar. Take your choice. I can't stand uninformed sales people.

 

[jar944]

Idiot or liar. Take your choice. I can't stand uninformed sales people.

Uninformed are the only sales people I'm aware of.

 

[dcg9381]

Uninformed are the only sales people I'm aware of.

I dunno how you sell anything if you don't know your product. Course, I'm not in sales.