Aluminum vs Vinyl Milgard Patio doors

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Socal Condo owner
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Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2012 1:50 am

Aluminum vs Vinyl Milgard Patio doors

#1 Post by Socal Condo owner »

Hi all,

My condominium complex is about 40+ years old and many of the homeowners are now replacing their original aluminum sliding patio doors. In the years past, all sliding doors have been replaced with aluminum, either Milgard or Fleetwood.

One of the homeowners is planning to replace her sliding doors. The doors to her unit need to be two pane (to maintain uniformity in her stack) covering a distance of 8 ft high and 10 ft wide. She put a down payment at Lowes for IHC aluminum doors. When these arrived, there were issues with the quality, and so they were returned. Lowes was subsequently unable to offer her a similar product in aluminum that would be two pane (only three pane), but were able to offer her Milgard Vinyl sliders with an exterior painted silver/aluminum colored. Lowes was unable to give her a refund on her original downpayment for the aluminum windows; only credit towards another purchase.

The issue of debate in our condominium now is whether we should allow homeowners to put in vinyl windows/sliders in a building that is otherwise uniform and otherwise has only aluminum sliders and windows. Our current rules and regulations call for all units to have aluminum windows and homeowners now are being asked to consider a change to the rules and regulations and accept vinyl as an option. The main concerns about vinyl are as follows:

- Durability: does anyone have experience comparing painted vinyl and how it fades over time and/or if it chips? Will this vinyl slider stick out like a sore thumb in 8-10 years amongst it's aluminum clad neighbors due to fading or chipping?

- General appearance: will the framing of a vinyl slider look different on the outside compared to an aluminum frame? Some homeowners are worried that the width of the vinyl frame will look thicker and out of place when compared with everyone else's aluminum frames.

Our last question to the board is whether anyone knows of another reliable company who manufactures reliable aluminum windows that can be made as two pane spanning 8 x 10 ft AND can be installed as a RETROFIT and not a reframing?

We are in an ocean view condo about 100 yards from the coast in temperate San Diego. Our units are stacked three high and each of the six stacks and the entire building in general has tried to maintain a uniform exterior appearance.

Thank in advance for your input. I really appreciate it!

:)

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Windows on Washington
Posts: 5310
Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2006 11:23 am
Location: DC Metropolitan Area-Maryland/Virginia/DC

Re: Aluminum vs Vinyl Milgard Patio doors

#2 Post by Windows on Washington »

Responses in Bold print...
Socal Condo owner wrote:Hi all,

My condominium complex is about 40+ years old and many of the homeowners are now replacing their original aluminum sliding patio doors. In the years past, all sliding doors have been replaced with aluminum, either Milgard or Fleetwood.

One of the homeowners is planning to replace her sliding doors. The doors to her unit need to be two pane (to maintain uniformity in her stack) covering a distance of 8 ft high and 10 ft wide. She put a down payment at Lowes for IHC aluminum doors. When these arrived, there were issues with the quality, and so they were returned. Lowes was subsequently unable to offer her a similar product in aluminum that would be two pane (only three pane), but were able to offer her Milgard Vinyl sliders with an exterior painted silver/aluminum colored. Lowes was unable to give her a refund on her original downpayment for the aluminum windows; only credit towards another purchase.

The issue of debate in our condominium now is whether we should allow homeowners to put in vinyl windows/sliders in a building that is otherwise uniform and otherwise has only aluminum sliders and windows. Our current rules and regulations call for all units to have aluminum windows and homeowners now are being asked to consider a change to the rules and regulations and accept vinyl as an option. The main concerns about vinyl are as follows:

- Durability: does anyone have experience comparing painted vinyl and how it fades over time and/or if it chips? Will this vinyl slider stick out like a sore thumb in 8-10 years amongst it's aluminum clad neighbors due to fading or chipping?

Painted vinyl is a newer technology and while it has been life cycle tested, there is no way to know concretely until the product has lived in the real world for that time frame. There are foil equip windows with the bronze exterior that are proven to hold up for at least 8-10 years at a minimum.

- General appearance: will the framing of a vinyl slider look different on the outside compared to an aluminum frame? Some homeowners are worried that the width of the vinyl frame will look thicker and out of place when compared with everyone else's aluminum frames.

Yes. Aluminum frames are generally going to be much thinner than the vinyl counterparts.

Our last question to the board is whether anyone knows of another reliable company who manufactures reliable aluminum windows that can be made as two pane spanning 8 x 10 ft AND can be installed as a RETROFIT and not a reframing?

I would check with Gerkin but that is a hefty unit. Don't know anybody off of the top of my head but it would be worth checking with Gerkin, Milgard, etc.

We are in an ocean view condo about 100 yards from the coast in temperate San Diego. Our units are stacked three high and each of the six stacks and the entire building in general has tried to maintain a uniform exterior appearance.

Thank in advance for your input. I really appreciate it!

:)
Might be worth looking into fiberlgass as well.

FG windows will typically run closer to the frame dimensions of aluminum than vinyl.

Good luck and I am jealous of your weather about 98% of the year!!! :D

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TheWindowNerd
Posts: 2216
Joined: Fri Apr 17, 2009 3:05 pm
Location: SE PA & NJ; DFW/Metroplex

Re: Aluminum vs Vinyl Milgard Patio doors

#3 Post by TheWindowNerd »

There have to be some premium thermally broken aluminum units available.
By the way 10' x 8' 2 panel would be the correct description.
Maybe Don Young, TRACO used to make some great product.
If you want to maintain the look you will have to be strigent.

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Randy
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Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2004 7:26 am
Location: Houston, TX

Re: Aluminum vs Vinyl Milgard Patio doors

#4 Post by Randy »

Don Young isn't available in California.

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