I get where you’re coming from, but honestly, my experience with aluminum hasn’t been as smooth. The salty air just eats at the frames here, and the pitting drives me nuts. Fiberglass wasn’t perfect either, but I did notice less corrosion—just wish they’d last longer before the seals started acting up. Sometimes feels like a lose-lose with ocean air, no matter what material you pick.
Man, I hear you on the aluminum—had a job out in Cape May a couple years back, and those frames looked like Swiss cheese after just a few seasons. We switched to vinyl-clad wood for that house, which held up better, but the maintenance is no joke either. The ocean just doesn’t play fair with building materials... sometimes feels like you’re picking the lesser evil more than anything else.
I get what you’re saying about vinyl-clad wood, but honestly, I’ve had just as many headaches with it warping and peeling after a few salty seasons. Have you looked into fiberglass? I’ve heard it holds up better, but I haven’t tried it myself.
- Had fiberglass windows installed about 8 years ago, pretty much right on the coast. They’ve held up better than the old vinyl for sure—no warping or peeling so far.
- Only downside I’ve noticed is they can get chalky on the outside after a while, but nothing a quick rinse doesn’t fix.
- Cost was higher upfront, but I haven’t had to think about replacing them yet. For me, less headache is worth it.
- If you’re still shopping, aluminum-clad wood is another option I looked at, but I worried about corrosion with all the salt in the air... Just my two cents.
Makes sense about fiberglass—mine have been up for six years and the chalky thing happens here too, but it’s pretty minor. I’d take that over warped vinyl any day. Did you ever try any UV protectant on them, or just stick to rinsing?
Never messed with UV protectant, just stuck to hosing them off every few months. The chalky film’s annoying but honestly, it beats the saggy look my neighbor’s vinyl ones have now. Heard the protectant helps, but I’m not sure it’s worth the extra step.
Never messed with UV protectant, just stuck to hosing them off every few months. The chalky film’s annoying but honestly, it beats the saggy look my neighbor’s vinyl ones have now. Heard the protectant helps, but I’m not sure it’s worth the extra step.
I get not wanting another maintenance step, but I’ve noticed a couple of things after living by the coast for years:
- That chalky film isn’t just cosmetic—it’s actually the vinyl degrading from UV exposure. Over time, you lose structural integrity, and eventually you might see warping or brittleness.
- I ran a test: two south-facing windows, one with UV protectant applied twice a year, one just rinsed off like you mentioned. After three years, the protected one still looks new—no chalkiness at all. The other’s noticeably faded and rougher to the touch.
- It’s an extra 20 minutes per window per year, tops. Not fun work, but way easier than future repairs or replacements.
- Energy efficiency drops as vinyl degrades. Tiny cracks and warping can let more air in/out—definitely noticed my AC kicking on more often before I started using protectant.
Not saying it’s mandatory, but if you’re already hosing them down, adding a quick wipe with protectant might save you headaches down the line... especially with that salty ocean air chewing through everything faster than inland homes.
If you’re dealing with ocean air, here’s my quick and dirty window survival guide:
1. Hose ‘em off every few months, yeah, but don’t skip the UV protectant if you can help it. That chalky film is like sunburn for your windows—looks ugly, sure, but it’s what you don’t see that’ll get you. Once vinyl starts going brittle, you’re on borrowed time.
2. Application’s dead simple: clean, dry, then wipe on the protectant with a microfiber cloth. I usually do it while I’m already out washing the car or patio furniture. Doesn’t have to be fancy.
3. If you’re replacing windows anyway, look for uPVC with titanium dioxide mixed in—it holds up better against UV. Fiberglass is solid too but costs more.
4. Salt’s the real enemy here. It sneaks into seals and hardware, so hit those with a shot of silicone spray once or twice a year.
I used to think all this was overkill till I saw what happened to my neighbor’s frames after five years—looked like driftwood. Little bit of effort now saves a world of pain later... trust me, I’ve learned the hard way.
Really helpful rundown—thanks for laying it all out. I’ve been debating between fiberglass and uPVC for a while, but I’m still not totally clear on how much of a difference the titanium dioxide actually makes over the years. Has anyone seen real-world results with that? Also, do you find the silicone spray messes with any window warranties or finishes? I always worry about voiding something by using the wrong product...
Had the same debate last year when we redid the windows—my neighbor swore by uPVC with the titanium dioxide thing, but honestly, after a couple years, I can’t say I notice a huge difference compared to the old ones (which were just plain vinyl). Maybe it helps with fading? Hard to tell. As for silicone spray, I’ve used it a few times on the tracks and no issues so far, but I did have to wipe off some residue that looked weird on the white frames. Never checked the warranty though... probably should’ve.