Page 10 - Hawaii Renovation - May 7, 2023

10 HAWAII RENOVATION MAY 7, 2023
DECIDING ON THE
RIGHT WINDOWS
When it is time to purchase windows for your home, the main question is: What would be the best choice — wood, aluminum, steel or vinyl?
When you go to a salesman, of course they will tell you that their product is the best. But how do you know for sure which product is the right choice? Go with the foremost expert on replacement windows in Hawaii, Matthew Houar, who started selling windows in 1976 and was the first to manufacture vinyl windows on the island.
“When I started, 72% of all residen- tial replacement windows sold were aluminum,” he says.
Houar then opened his own vinyl window factory in 1981. When asked what the difference is between all the types of windows, he says that it de- pends on where you live (whether the climate is hot or cold).
There are five different main types of windows: aluminum, wood, steel, fiberglass and vinyl. Here is the differ- ence between these products and how they compare for Hawaii homeowners when purchasing new windows.
• Aluminum: Considered the king in the ’ 70s and ’ 80s, aluminum is good because it’s a cheap window to buy and sleek in style. It also has good strength without mass. Seventy-three percent of all replacement windows sold are aluminum, but its downfall is salt air.
Salt air surrounds Hawaii and it’s not good for aluminum windows, that’s why the warranty standard in the industry is one year, which is not reas- suring as a year goes by quickly. This of course does not mean that alumi- num windows will fall apart after one year, but consider the warranty when purchasing windows and remember there is always a reason products are warranted short or long term.
• Wood: These are the most beauti- ful windows made. However, consider the following issues with wood win- dows.
The first issue is that all wood win- dows are made of what is called clear lumber or finished lumber. In Hawaii, we also refer to this as non-termite- treated wood. Sure, these are the most beautiful windows made, however, to termites, non-termite-treated lum- ber is “termite dessert,” according to Houar.
Secondly, every five to eight years homeowners will need to paint the exterior of wood windows, as well as stain the inside of wood windows to have a chance that they may last 10 to 12 years. Don’t we paint enough parts of our homes already? The warranty is normally between one to five years.
• Steel: As strong as it sounds, steel is very expensive and bulky, and used mostly for commercial applications. Most steel windows were installed in the 1940s and 1950s in Hawaii.
DESIGN + BUILD
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