Totally agree with you there—vinyl windows seemed like a great idea at first (hello, wallet-friendly!), but after two winters of nonstop cold drafts, I was seriously questioning my life choices. Switched to fiberglass last year, and it's been night-and-day different. No more plastic shrink-wrap DIY insulation kits and duct tape fixes...my heating bill even dropped noticeably. Definitely worth the extra bucks upfront to avoid the wintertime window drama.
"No more plastic shrink-wrap DIY insulation kits and duct tape fixes..."
Haha, been there, done that—my living room windows used to look like a bad science project every winter. I actually had decent luck with vinyl windows after sealing them properly and adding some weatherstripping, but I get why fiberglass is tempting. My neighbor switched last year and swears by them now. Maybe when these vinyl ones finally bite the dust I'll give fiberglass a shot...sounds like less hassle overall.
I've been looking into fiberglass too, but the price has me hesitating a bit. Vinyl's definitely cheaper upfront, and honestly, if you take the time to install and seal them right, they can hold up pretty well. Still, fiberglass seems like it'd handle extreme cold better over the long haul without warping or cracking. Has anyone actually had fiberglass windows for several winters yet? Curious how they've held up in real mountain conditions...
We've had fiberglass windows in our place for about five winters now, and honestly, they've held up pretty well. We're up around 7,000 feet, so winters here aren't exactly gentle—lots of snow, ice, and temps regularly dipping below zero. Before these, we had vinyl windows, and while they weren't terrible, we did notice some warping and drafts after a few seasons. With fiberglass, haven't seen any of that yet. They still seal tight, no noticeable drafts or cracks, and the frames look pretty much like they did when we installed them.
That said, I get the hesitation on price. Fiberglass was definitely a bigger upfront investment, but I figured if it meant fewer headaches down the road, it'd be worth it. So far, that's been true for us. But I do wonder sometimes if newer vinyl windows have improved enough to close that gap... Has anyone installed vinyl recently and noticed improvements in durability compared to older models?
"But I do wonder sometimes if newer vinyl windows have improved enough to close that gap..."
Installed vinyl windows about three years ago, and honestly, they've come a long way. I'm not quite at your elevation (around 5,500 ft here), but we still get harsh winters. Haven't noticed any warping or drafts yet, and they seal surprisingly well. Maybe fiberglass is still superior long-term, but modern vinyl seems way better than what we had back in the early 2000s...
I've seen vinyl improve a lot too, but I'm still skeptical about its long-term durability in extreme cold. Had vinyl windows installed at my folks' cabin around 6,000 ft about five years ago, and while they're holding up okay, I've noticed some minor shrinkage and stiffness in the seals during deep winter snaps. Fiberglass just seems more stable over time, especially if you're dealing with constant freeze-thaw cycles...but maybe it's just me being overly cautious.