they’re still mostly plastic at heart.
That’s my gripe too. I swapped out a couple old aluminum frames with composites about five summers back. They’ve held up better—no warping, and the color hasn’t faded much. But if you knock on them, it’s obvious they’re not wood. I do miss the heft and feel, but I’ll take that over dealing with cracked vinyl after a hot August. Price wasn’t terrible, but installation was a bit fiddly around some weird corners in my 80s ranch.
But if you knock on them, it’s obvious they’re not wood. I do miss the heft and feel, but I’ll take that over dealing with cracked vinyl after a hot August.
That’s exactly where I landed too. I grew up with solid wood sashes—nothing quite like it—but after two summers of peeling paint and warped frames, I caved and went composite. They don’t have that satisfying “thunk,” but at least they don’t stick shut every July. My install was a pain around the bay window, but honestly? Worth it for the peace of mind.
I totally get that—my old place had original windows and every summer it was a battle with humidity and sticky frames. When I bought this house, I hesitated on composites, but honestly, not having to sand and repaint every year is a relief. They don’t have the same charm, but my weekends are definitely less stressful now.
Yeah, I hear you on the charm factor—old wood windows just look right, but man, the maintenance is no joke. I tried to convince myself I’d keep up with sanding and painting, but after the first summer, I gave up. Composites aren’t as pretty, but not having to scrape sticky frames in 110° heat? Worth it. Did you notice any difference in your cooling bill after switching, or was it more about sanity?
Honestly, I hear this a lot—people love the look of wood but the upkeep in desert heat is brutal. When folks swap to composite or fiberglass, I usually ask if they noticed their AC running less. Sometimes there’s a drop in cooling costs, but not always as much as you’d think. Did you go with double-pane or stick with single? That can make a bigger difference than frame material alone. In my own place, sanity won out over nostalgia... I just couldn’t deal with swollen sashes every summer.
I totally get where you’re coming from—wood looks great, but after a few summers of sticking windows and endless sanding, I was over it. I swapped to fiberglass frames with double-pane glass about three years ago. Here’s what I did: measured the sunniest rooms first, then started with those. Honestly, the biggest change was not having to wrestle warped sashes every August, just like you mentioned.
Curious if you added any extra tint or low-e coating? That made a bigger difference for me than I expected, especially for afternoon glare.
- Fiberglass is solid, but I actually went with aluminum for my place—desert sun here is brutal and I was worried about expansion/contraction over time.
- Haven’t had any warping, but yeah, the frames get hot to the touch. Trade-off is zero maintenance and they look pretty sleek.
- I skipped extra tint—just went with standard low-e. Not sure I’d want the rooms any darker, honestly.
- Curious if anyone’s had issues with condensation or seals failing on double-pane in this kind of dry heat? That’s my only hesitation with switching.
I totally get the concern about seals on double-pane windows in dry heat. In my case, I’ve had aluminum frames with low-e glass for about eight years now—no condensation or seal failure so far, though I do notice a bit of dust getting into the tracks over time. The heat does make the frames almost untouchable in July, but the lack of warping or fading is worth it for me. I skipped extra tint too; the standard low-e keeps things bright enough indoors without that cave vibe. If you’re worried about seals, maybe just keep an eye on the warranty period—some manufacturers cover failed seals for quite a while.