Glad someone else gets it. I tackled my wood windows about eight years ago, and honestly, the prep was the worst part—felt like I was sanding for eternity. But once that was done, primed and painted properly, they've held up surprisingly well. Sure, every now and then I spot a little peeling or cracking, but nothing a quick touch-up can't fix. And there's something oddly satisfying about knowing you brought them back to life yourself.
Fiberglass is tempting, no doubt—especially when you're staring down a weekend of scraping paint—but wood just has that charm. Plus, my neighbor went fiberglass a few years back, and while they're practical, they just don't have the same warmth. Maybe I'm biased because I've invested so much sweat equity into mine, but I wouldn't trade 'em. Hang in there...sounds like you've got yours dialed in pretty good already.
Totally respect the effort you've put in, but honestly, fiberglass has come a long way lately. If you pick the right style and finish, they can look pretty authentic—minus the endless sanding weekends. Wood charm is nice, but low maintenance is pretty appealing too...
Gotta admit, fiberglass has definitely upped its game lately. But honestly, after 20+ years of homeownership and swapping out more windows than I'd like to remember, there's something about wood that's still hard to beat. Yeah, I know—those sanding weekends are a pain, and I've cursed them plenty myself. But when you see a nicely maintained wood window, the warmth and character it adds to a home...fiberglass just can't quite nail that (yet).
Don't get me wrong, low-maintenance is awesome. I'm all for less time on ladders and more time relaxing in the yard. But I replaced a few windows with fiberglass about five years ago, and while they look decent, there's still something a little...I dunno, sterile about them? Maybe it's just me being picky, or nostalgia kicking in. But wood ages gracefully—fiberglass just kinda stays the same.
And yeah, wood windows are pricey now. Material costs, labor, demand for authenticity—it's all driving prices sky-high. But sometimes you get what you pay for. I've seen neighbors switch to fiberglass or vinyl, and a few years later they're swapping again because the style or finish didn't live up to expectations. Me? I'm still sanding (begrudgingly), but the windows I installed ages ago still look fantastic.
Guess it comes down to what you're after—easy upkeep or timeless charm. No wrong answers here, just different priorities.
Totally agree—wood just has that warmth fiberglass can't match yet. But gotta say, after switching to fiberglass upstairs, the energy savings were pretty noticeable. Still miss the charm downstairs though...guess it's always a trade-off.