Home : Replacement Windows Complaints : Problems With Vinyl Windows
Vinyl Window Issues Intro
Let’s take an honest look at the problems with vinyl windows. At the outset, let’s also make a distinction between cheap vinyl windows and premium vinyl windows. That is going to be an important point in terms of the specific problems you might encounter with vinyl over other window frame materials.
Dane - Site Editor - Original Publish Date - April 12, 2024
Page Last Update: February 10, 2026
Page Sections
- Vinyl Window Issues Intro
- Vinyl Windows Are Ugly
- Flimsy Window Frames
- Vinyl Windows Are Not Energy Efficient
- Vinyl Window Fading Issues
- Problems With Vinyl Windows Q And A
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Vinyl Windows Are Ugly
There is some truth to this, although I think it’s more fair to say that they’re just very ordinary looking in general. I would also say this: from the outside, vinyl windows are not very impressive from an aesthetic point of view. However, fiberglass isn’t all that much better. In fact, it’s actually difficult to tell the difference sometimes between fiberglass and vinyl windows.
Real wood windows are the nicest looking material around on the exterior of a home. However, cut to the second decade of the life of wood-clad and often they are looking shabbier than what a vinyl would look like. Often times, wood is painted a specific color to protect the window. And this is another place where vinyl falls short - it cannot be painted as it will often chip or flake off and look pretty crappy after sometime. You can, however, get custom exterior colors, although these will certainly add to the cost.
In terms of the interior of a window, vinyl is also pretty unattractive. Again, I would say the same holds true for fiberglass and aluminum. Composite and wood windows tend to look the best. But here’s the thing about vinyl windows from an aesthetic point of view - many premium vinyl windows offer optional upgrades to a wood grain laminate on the inside of the frame.
A couple of decades ago, these laminates looked pretty bad. Today, many of these woodgrain laminates do a very good job of looking like a real wood that has been treated with the simple varnish. The result is a great looking interior of a window, coupled with all the benefits of vinyl - cost, longevity, no maintenance
Bottom Line: Vinyl is not the best looking material, but that interior wood laminate upgrade gets it somewhat close to real wood windows.
Problems With Vinyl Windows :: Flimsy
When vinyl windows first came out 30 years ago, I think this was probably true. In the three decades that the material has been used for windows and sliding doors, there have been significant advances in technology that have a rendered this statement obsolete in my opinion. A well-made vinyl window series is strong enough for nearly all residential purposes.
What is true is that cheap vinyl windows, and there are a lot out there, can be pretty flimsy when compared to fiberglass and composite windows. But again, premium manufacturers have taken steps in both the composition of the vinyl molds and in the number of chambers used (as well as interior fills) to make the material very strong and durable.
Bottom Line: Well made vinyl windows are plenty strong for 99% of all residential homes and applications.
Lack Of Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency is easily measured using data and information. While cheaply made vinyl series achieve mediocre energy efficiency numbers, well-made vinyl windows produce some of the best and most energy efficient numbers of any window material on the market.
So, for example, the Okna 800 DX window achieves a .01 air infiltration rating, which is unbeatable - it beats every single wood window and all composite windows on the market. For the most part, the vinyl that is used in quality manufactures products offer excellent energy efficiency.
Bottom Line: Good vinyl series offer some of the best energy efficient numbers on the market, beating out all other window frame materials, often by a lot.
Vinyl Window Fading Issues
Again, this might’ve been true several decades ago. And it could still be true to a certain extent with some of the entry level vinyl series. However, mid range vinyl windows and quality vinyl windows do not fade overtime. Well, let’s qualify that and say that they say very little overtime, or that they fade as little as any other frame material used in the market today.
Bottom Line: Overall, vinyl windows have much fewer problems than other frame materials in my opinion.
Problems With Vinyl Windows Q And A
Have a question about vinyl window issues or problems? Please send in your reviews or questions and answers.
Dane - Site Editor
Suggestions Or Recommendations
I have the original double hung single glass wood windows with the triple track storms in my home built in 1978. I would like to replace them with new vinyl replacement windows. My problem is that I have a two story brick home and due to the brick coloration have always painted the exterior windows, trim and shutters with a dark brown paint.
The interior of the house has everything from creamy white trim in some rooms to the original dark stain trim in others. I have been looking at the Simonton Reflections 5500 replacement window as that appears to be a popular brand in this area (SC) and seems to get decent ratings.
The problem is the cost of the window about doubles to get an exterior paint that is different from the few sample colors it comes with that is impregnated into the vinyl. Besides the replacement windows cost, I've heard that there are problems with vinyl windows and I am concerned with how well the windows would hold up with a dark brown exterior from a fading and warping standpoint. Do you have any suggestions or recommendations?
Keith - Homeowner - from 2021
[Site Editor's Answer]
Keith, I know that upgrade frame color can add to the cost, but doubling it sounds very high to me. I feel like the industry average is more like 30 percent, which is a lot in and of itself as far as I'm concerned. There are a number of companies who offer a dark brown that may match your exterior brick and shouldn't add as much to the cost.
Offhand though, I can't think of who is available in South Carolina. I would recommend Amerimax, Okna, Sunrise, Soft-Lite and Polaris windows – I would do a quick search for these in your local area, find a local dealer, call them up and see if they offer the color you want and how much this upgrade runs. I would think this would be the best and quickest way to get what you're after. Let me know what you find out!
Dane - Site Editor - from 2021
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