When choosing the right style windows for your home, there are many options to consider.  One of the first questions that often come to mind is whether to choose wood or vinyl windows.

There are benefits and shortcomings to both styles of windows.  Wood windows offer superior style and aesthetics—nothing beats the look of real wood!  But the sacrifice with getting wood windows is lower energy-efficiency, shorter longevity, and more maintenance.  Plus they cost more.

On the other hand, vinyl windows tend to be more energy-efficient.  The operable sashes often include interlocks, making them more air-tight.  They also cost less than their wood window counterparts, have low-to-no maintenance, and last longer.  However, vinyl windows cannot match the beauty of a real wood window!

Luckily, newer windows are now being offered that have the best of both worlds:  the beauty of real wood, with the energy-efficiency and low-maintenance of vinyl.  These are called hybrid windows.

Hybrid windows have real (stained or painted) wood on the interior, giving you the beauty that only real wood can offer.  However, this interior wood cladding is mounted on a vinyl window frame, which gives you superior energy-efficiency and lower maintenance.  

Our hybrid wood+vinyl windows even offer a lifetime warranty, something that no true wood window offers.  From the inside, the look is indistinguishable from another stained or painted wood window.  And our interior finish stains and paints are factory-applied, and come with a 10 year finish warranty.

It’s also worth noting that most true wood windows are either vinyl or aluminum cladded on the exterior—meaning that there is no exposed wood on the outside.  This is down to help maintain the life of the wood window, and typically allows for somewhere between a 10-20 year warranty for the window.  So with a hybrid window (with a vinyl exterior), you’re not losing any design aesthetics when compared to a true wood window!

If you’re interested in getting the best of both worlds when it’s time to replace your windows, give Windows Plus a call and ask about our hybrid wood+vinyl windows!