Vinyl windows are made of poly vinyl chloride.
Why vinyl windows are bad.
It s not just the cheap vinyl windows that cause consumers woes these days.
While in the past some homeowners noticed their vinyl windows beginning to sag and discolor over time today s vinyl windows will last decades and are virtually maintenance free.
Vinyl is also significantly less likely to warp like wood or dent like metal.
Vinyl is the best material at limiting airflow.
The warping can also do some damage to the seal.
A south or west facing window in a hot climate might heat up enough through the day that it ll warp.
Let s say you have wood windows in your home today.
The number one problem with vinyl replacement windows a loss of glass viewing area.
For more on this see our truth about vinyl myths debunked article.
Unlike vinyl wood demands regular repainting to avoid peeling which exposes the wood to moisture and eventual decomposition.
Here are just a few of the problems associated with vinyl windows and why they re not maintenance free while it s true that they don t require painting i don t think you could paint them if you wanted to they are not a rigid material like wood thus they shrink in cold weather and expand in hot weather.
Contrary to popular belief vinyl windows are not bad or dangerous to our environment.
Why you might give vinyl windows a pass environmental concerns.
You ve noticed a lot of draftiness and maybe even some operational challenges.
Vinyl windows are made using polyvinyl chloride pvc the same material used in many plumbing products and other household items.
Pvc plastic also known as vinyl is one of the worst plastics and you definitely want to keep your child from inhaling fumes from it or ingesting small particles in his food or water.
Some vinyl windows aren t all vinyl and have an aluminum or steel core that might reduce this from being able to happen.
This is even worse in dry areas with large high low shifts each day.
For starters the concept of a replacement window can be a bit of a misnomer and contribute to the issue.
Also vinyl isn t good for high heat areas.
Like most plastics pvc can mess with your child s developing hormone system and more.
If you decide that you.
Painting is an issue.
This substance is found in many things around the.
With these changes comes issues in structural integrity air infiltration and problems with just opening and closing the window.