Exterior and Interior Colors and Reliability of Replacement Windows

Exterior Color Options

• When purchasing vinyl windows, the exterior colors are somewhat limited in that vinyl companies avoid darker colors. The reason is that darker colors absorb heat. That absorbed heat can cause the vinyl to soften and the window to sag. For homeowners who want darker exterior colors, aluminum is a good choice. Modern aluminum paint can last upward of 15 years, and aluminum is better in terms of home security. Instead of simply being painted on windows, modern aluminum paint is a powdered paint that is fused to the aluminum.

Interior Colors

• The interior color possibilities are endless with vinyl. Along with the standard white and off-white, companies offer unlimited colors. Additionally, some companies offer patterns that look and sometimes even feel like stained wood. This gives a warmer feel to the home’s windows.

Energy Performance Ratings

• The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) is in charge of rating new windows for cold and heat transfer. The U-Factor of a window measures how much heat a window allows to escape during the winter. Any window with a rating between .2 and 1.2 will provide good quality winter insulation. The Solar Heat Gain Coefficient determines how well the window blocks summer heat from entering the home. This Coefficient is always a number between 0 and 1. The closer the coefficient is to 0, the less heat the window will transmit.

Other Ratings

• The NFRC also rates windows on other factors, including visible transmittance, air leakage and condensation resistance. All of these are factors to consider, depending upon your location’s particular climate.