John Albert wrote:

Like everyone else I've talked to, he offered vinyl
replacement windows.

My question is:
Why always vinyl for windows?

http://www.aamanet.org/upload/file/L...forman ce.pdf

The Proof Is In the Performance

The simple reason for this revolution is cost-effective performance,
which is the primary reason for specifying vinyl windows for residential
and light commercial projects. In addition to well-promoted consumer
benefits of economy and ease of maintenance, that performance is well
documented in several key areas of particular interest to architects and
specifiers, which are listed below and described in further detail later
in this article:

- Low Maintenance - Heat Build-Up Characteristics
- Energy Efficiency - Long-Term Durability
- Structural Strength - Green Building
- Weatherability - Lead Content
- Chemical Resistance - Dioxin Releases
- Fire Resistance - Solid Waste and Recyclability
- Impact Resistance - Design Flexibility
- Dimensional Stability - Exterior Colors and
- Thermal Expansion Interior Finishes

Low Maintenance

Perhaps the original benefit of vinyl windows that was heavily promoted
to the homeowner, low maintenance has been a prime factor in the
exploding market share that vinyl products have enjoyed – including
floors and wall coverings as well as windows and doors. With vinyl
windows, color can be integral to vinyl frames through the addition of
pigments to the vinyl formulation, not a surface coating, so there is
never a need for touch-up due to scratches. Extremely durable, vinyl
products resist rotting, chipping, peeling and corrosion, are not
susceptible to insect or fungus attack, and can be easily cleaned with a
solution of mild soap and warm water. In fact, vinyl’s ability to be
cleaned easily and thoroughly makes it a popular material for use in
hospitals and other health care environments.

The economic, durability and low maintenance attributes of vinyl windows
and doors led Habitat for Humanity International to choose them for its
volunteer-built homes for families in need. Due to ease of installation,
vinyl windows are ideally suited to the varying skill levels of the
thousands of workers involved in Habitat builds each year. Vinyl
building products are a cornerstone of affordable housing.

Energy Efficiency

Vinyl’s popularity in the U.S. is largely due to energy efficiency.
Because it is such an effective thermal insulator (having a low
U-factor, also known as U-value), vinyl is well recognized as an
excellent frame material for energyefficient windows. Currently, 43% of
the windows listed in the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC)
Certified Products Directory are framed with vinyl.

Many utilities are offering incentives to builders who install
energy-efficient windows in homes. Federal and state tax incentives also
offer rebates or special deductions for the use of these products. Vinyl
windows are commonly used to meet these requirements. The Department of
Energy’s (DOE) Energy Star® program sets forth climatedependent criteria
for window performance which are easily met by vinyl products.

All energy-saving glazing options are of course available in vinyl
windows: double or triple pane insulating glazing, with air or gas
(argon or krypton) infills, or low emissivity (“low-E”) coatings. The
latter are composed of an extremely thin layer of metal applied to glass
to maximize beneficial solar heat gain and reflect heat back into the
house. When applied to the outer pane (typically for use in hot
climates), low-E coating minimizes heat gain and reflects heat back
outdoors.

For example, the typical U-factor of vinyl window frames ranges from 0.3
to 0.5, with lower numbers meaning less heat flow and better thermal
performance. The ultimate goal – expressed in the U.S. Department of
Energy’s “2020 R&D Roadmap” – is to develop windows that have zero
annual energy cost. The industry already envisions “super windows” that
will use spectrally selective and automated electrochromatic glazing to
admit solar heat gain in winter to supplant heat loss and reflect heat
back outside in summer. The multi-chambered vinyl product frames are
designed to trap air, known to provide optimal insulating
characteristics against heat transfer year-round.

In addition to saving on home heating and cooling bills, the manufacture
of vinyl products takes relatively little energy. Production of all
vinyl products worldwide accounts for less than 0.3% of all oil and gas
consumption, with windows and doors accounting for a small fraction of
that. Vinyl Institute figures show that the use of vinyl as a
construction material actually saves more than 40 million barrels of oil
per year compared to other building and construction alternatives. Vinyl
products in general have low embodied energy, which is the amount of
energy used to convert raw material into a final product. A lifecycle
study by Franklin Associates has shown that the use of vinyl over
alternatives in window frames saves the United States nearly two
trillion BTUs of energy per year, enough to meet the yearly electrical
needs of 20,000 single-family homes.

(etc etc)