“in a crooked 1950s house, vinyl might just be less headache.”
Yeah, I totally get this. My place is a 1948 cape and let’s just say “square” isn’t in its vocabulary. When I did my windows, here’s how I broke it down:
Step 1: Checked the frames for squareness with a tape measure and level. Spoiler: they were not.
Step 2: Talked to two installers. Both said vinyl would flex more and fit those wavy old openings easier. Fiberglass looked great on paper, but one installer flat-out said, “You’ll be cussing at every corner.”
Step 3: Energy efficiency was my main concern. Fiberglass wins by a hair—less expansion/contraction means tighter seals over time. But honestly, with my wonky frames, the potential for air leaks from a bad fit kind of cancels that out.
Step 4: Cost check—vinyl was cheaper and way easier to source locally.
If you’re fighting with old lumber like me, sometimes “good enough” really is the smartest move. But man, if your frames are even halfway straight, fiberglass is tempting...
- Been there with the “nothing is square” struggle. My 1952 ranch has more character than right angles.
- Vinyl saved my sanity—installer squeezed them in without much drama, and my wallet didn’t cry (much).
- Honestly, I drooled over fiberglass too, but the idea of shimming every corner just sounded exhausting.
- You nailed it: sometimes “good enough” is the win, especially if you’re not chasing historic accuracy.
- Your breakdown is spot on. No shame in making life easier for yourself.
Yeah, I hear you on the “nothing is square” headache—my 1948 Cape was the same circus. I went with vinyl too, mostly because the idea of wrestling every opening into submission with fiberglass just didn’t appeal. Sure, fiberglass looks sharp and probably lasts longer, but when you’re dealing with wavy plaster and surprise gaps, sometimes you just want something that’ll flex a bit. Not the purist’s choice, but my weekends are worth something too.
- Dealing with out-of-square openings is the worst. My 1930s bungalow had the same “nothing lines up” charm—made every window install an adventure.
- Tried fiberglass once in my old sunroom. It looked sharp, but man, getting those rigid frames into slightly wonky openings was a pain. Ended up shimming and cursing more than I’d like to admit.
- Switched to vinyl for the rest of the house. Not as sexy, maybe, but it flexed just enough to forgive the sins of 90 years’ settling. Install went way faster, too.
- I get what folks say about fiberglass lasting longer and looking more “authentic.” But for me, not having to rework every opening was worth more than the theoretical extra decade before replacement.
- Vinyl’s not perfect—mine have a little bit of give in extreme temps (I’m in New England, so that’s a thing). But honestly? I’ll take that over spending weekends with a belt sander and a prayer trying to make everything perfect.
- If you’ve got a historic place and want it to look period-correct, maybe fiberglass is worth the fight. But if you value your time (and sanity), vinyl’s hard to beat for old houses where nothing’s quite square.
- Only real regret? I wish I’d sprung for better hardware on the vinyl windows—some of the cheaper cranks feel flimsy after a couple years. Live and learn...
Vinyl’s not perfect—mine have a little bit of give in extreme temps (I’m in New England, so that’s a thing). But honestly? I’ll take that over spending weekends with a belt sander and a prayer trying to make everything perfect.
I hear you on the time and hassle, but honestly, that flex in vinyl drives me nuts. I did vinyl in my last place and every winter, the seals would shrink just enough to let in a draft. Fiberglass was more work up front, but once it was in, it felt rock solid year-round. Different headaches, I guess.
That draft issue with vinyl is exactly what made me switch too. I’m in the Midwest, and those tiny gaps in January felt like a wind tunnel. But fiberglass wasn’t cheap—did you notice much difference in your energy bills after the swap? Or was it more about comfort?
But fiberglass wasn’t cheap—did you notice much difference in your energy bills after the swap? Or was it more about comfort?
I totally get what you mean about those Midwest drafts. For me, the biggest change was honestly comfort—no more feeling that icy air sneaking in around the frames. My energy bills did go down a bit, but not a dramatic drop. Maybe 10-15% lower in winter, which adds up, but it’s not night and day. Still, just not having to crank up the heat as much made the house feel cozier overall. The upfront cost stung, but I don’t regret it.
That lines up with my experience—comfort was the game-changer, not a massive utility drop. I’m curious, did you notice any difference in noise reduction after switching to fiberglass? That’s something I didn’t expect, but the house is definitely quieter now.
Noise reduction was a surprise bonus for me, too. After swapping my old vinyls for fiberglass (Ultrex), I noticed the street noise dropped off quite a bit—especially during windy days or when the neighbor’s mower is going. I think it’s partly the tighter seals and maybe the glass thickness, not just the frame material. If you’re on a busy street, it’s a game-changer. Didn’t expect that at all, honestly.
Not gonna lie, I get where you’re coming from with the noise drop—fiberglass windows do tighten things up a bit. But honestly, the glass itself is doing most of the heavy lifting there, not just the Ultrex frame. Had a client last year who wanted to go all-in on fiberglass for her house by the highway, expecting total silence. We swapped out the old single-pane vinyls for double-pane vinyls in the back (budget reasons), and triple-pane fiberglass in the front. The difference in noise between front and back? Night and day, but it was almost all because of the extra glass layer and the air gap, not the frame.
Here’s how I usually explain it to folks:
Step 1, check the glass package first. Double or triple pane with a good air gap is where you’ll see the biggest change in noise.
Step 2, look at how tight the seals are. A poorly installed window, no matter the frame, will leak sound like crazy.
Step 3, then pick your frame material. Fiberglass is tough and stable, but for noise, it doesn’t block much more than a decent vinyl frame. It’s more about long-term durability and resisting warping.
I’ve seen some vinyls with beefy frames and good seals that are surprisingly quiet—cheaper too, if you’re not looking for top-shelf looks or color options. On the flip side, fiberglass does seem to “feel” more solid, especially in older homes where nothing’s square and you need a little forgiveness during install.
Funny enough, the loudest house I ever worked on had brand-new wood windows—gorgeous, but you could hear a squirrel sneeze outside. Turns out, the installer left gaps around the frame and just slapped on some trim. Doesn’t matter how fancy the window is if you’re letting air (and sound) sneak in.
Anyway, glass and install matter more than frame for noise, at least in my experience. If you’re after peace and quiet, don’t skip on the panes or the guy putting them in. The frame’s just one piece of the puzzle...