Replacement Doors and Windows – Results

I love our new windows and doors. This is a strong emotion for inanimate objects, I know, but they are such a welcome improvement to the house that I think that such a bold statement is appropriate. Details about doors and windows are probably painfully boring for most folks, so please read on only if you think that this is a project that you see yourself doing in the future.

Finding the right replacement window was tricky. The original windows were all wood and had been stained to match the oak trim throughout the house. The look of the windows was great, but I was very concerned about replacing windows with a similar material that would need to be maintained and would not last much longer than the windows they were replacing. There have been improvements with wood windows over the years and a premium window would have undoubtedly done better than the builder-grade windows they would replace, but this would not turn wood into some other indestructible material.

We looked briefly at vinyl placement windows. Vinyl seemed to be a cost-effective way of replacing the wood windows with something that would not need as much maintenance. We decided against vinyl because it would have meant less light in the house (vinyl needs a wider frame for strength) and the simulated wood looked to…well, simulated.

We finally settled on Infinity replacement windows from Marvin. These windows are made from fiberglass, so they are strong, durable (lasting +40 years) , energy efficient, and actually allow for a narrower frame then the wood windows they replace. There are a few places that produce fiberglass replacement windows. We went with Marvin because of their reputation and because of EverWood finish option. EverWood is a pultruded fiberglass that can finished so that it is almost indistinguishable from wood. It looks and feels like wood. It can be stained to match trim work very convincingly. I’ve included a few close shots of the finished, stained windows so that you can judge this yourself.

Selecting replacement doors for the front of the house was actually easier than the windows. We knew that we wanted fiberglass doors that would last longer, allow a ton of natural light into our dark foyer, and would be energy efficient. After researching a number of brands and models, we finally selected the Fiber-Classic from Therma-Tru. Like the windows, these doors are made with a surface of pultruded fiberglass that can be stained to look like wood. You don’t see much of the “wood” with the full-length Sedona glass, but the material that remains does match the trim nicely.