Are vinyl windows good for Winnipeg winters?

A well-built vinyl window handles the cold well. Look for welded corners, reinforcement in large units, a multi-chamber frame and triple-pane glass with an ENERGY STAR rating. Thin, unreinforced vinyl can bow on big windows. The frame and the install matter more than the label.

Wood vs vinyl windows: which lasts longer?

It depends on care more than material. Vinyl needs little maintenance and doesn't rot. Wood needs paint, but a sash that's looked after can be repaired again and again. On an older home with sound original sash, repair can make more sense than replacement.

Are fibreglass windows worth the extra cost?

Sometimes. Fibreglass is stiffer than vinyl and moves at nearly the same rate as glass, which helps on large windows, dark colours and heavy triple-pane sashes. For standard white windows, good vinyl is usually enough.

Are triple pane vinyl windows worth it?

For heated rooms, usually. Triple pane is what the Efficiency Manitoba rebate pays for, and vinyl is often the most economical frame to carry it. Make sure large sashes are reinforced for the extra weight. Ask for quotes that list each unit's NRCan number.

Should I choose a vinyl window made in Manitoba?

It's a fair preference, and there are makers in the province, but how a window is built and installed matters more than where. We don't recommend makers by name. Ask each installer where their windows come from, and check each unit's certification.

Frame materials · Winnipeg

Vinyl, hybrid and fibreglass window frames

Most replacement windows going into Winnipeg homes have vinyl frames, also called PVC. It's a sensible default, but not all vinyl is built alike, and some houses and some windows are better served by hybrid, fibreglass or wood. We connect you with local installers who quote the frame that suits your house; this page covers what to ask them.

Vinyl, hybrid and fibreglass compared
What to ask about corners and reinforcement
Quotes from independent local installers

Get a free quote 204-200-8407

New white vinyl casements and a picture window on a side-split, on a frosty autumn morning.

The usual choice

Why vinyl is the most common replacement frame

Vinyl doesn't need painting, doesn't rot and insulates well. It comes in every style, from casements to bays, and it's usually the most economical frame for triple pane. For the many Winnipeg houses built between the 1960s and 2000, vinyl casements and picture windows are the usual replacement.

Settled, out-of-square openings are ordinary here, whatever the frame; each opening is measured and ordered on its own. See replacement windows for install methods and the rebate, and window styles for how each type opens.

Questions to ask

Vinyl in −30 °C: what to ask about welded corners and reinforcement

Vinyl expands in summer sun and shrinks in deep cold more than most frame materials. Good vinyl windows are built for that. These questions separate them:

Are the corners welded?
Fusion-welded corners make the frame and sash one piece, so they don't open up through a Winnipeg year of heat and cold.
Is the frame reinforced?
Large windows and heavy triple-pane sashes may need metal or composite reinforcement to stay straight. Ask where it's used.
How is the frame built inside?
Vinyl frames are hollow, divided into chambers. More chambers and thicker walls generally mean a stiffer, warmer frame.
What's the certified rating?
Ask for the ENERGY STAR certification and NRCan number of the exact model; the rating covers frame and glass together. More on triple-pane windows.

Stiffer frames

Hybrid and fibreglass options

Hybrid frames

Combine materials, typically a vinyl or wood interior with a stiffer or tougher exterior. A middle ground on stiffness and price.

Fibreglass frames

Fibreglass expands and contracts at nearly the same rate as glass, so the seal between them is under less stress. Stiff, paintable and suited to big or dark windows, at a higher price.

Aluminum

Aluminum windows: where they still fit

Aluminum carries cold easily, which is why old aluminum sliders frost and ice along the frame in January. Most are replaced with vinyl or fibreglass.

It still has a place: as cladding over wood or hybrid frames, as the capping around a retrofit window, and in storefronts, where thermally broken frames are used.

What affects the quote

What shapes the price

Frame material: vinyl, hybrid, fibreglass or wood
Colour and finish, inside and out
Triple or double pane
Window size, style and reinforcement
Retrofit or full-frame installation
Number of windows

Ask for a quote on two frame options for your largest window, and compare.

Get frame quotes

Free quotes from independent local installers.

Older homes

Vinyl vs wood on older homes

On a character home with original wood sash, vinyl isn't automatically the upgrade. Old sash can often be repaired, and with good storms it does better than people expect; see wood window and sash repair.

If you replace, wood or wood-clad windows keep the look, and narrow-profile vinyl in the right colour can come close. In a heritage conservation district or on a listed home, window changes may need a heritage permit, so check with the City first.

Colours

Colours and finishes

White is standard and stays coolest in summer sun. Beige, brown and black are common too, through the vinyl or as an exterior coating. Darker colours absorb more heat, so ask how the frame handles it; it's where hybrid or fibreglass can earn its price. Choose carefully, since vinyl isn't easily repainted.

Questions

Vinyl and fibreglass window questions

Explore your options

Local installers quote vinyl, hybrid and fibreglass windows across the city and nearby, including Fort Garry, Tuxedo & Charleswood, North Kildonan, Transcona and Steinbach.

Tell us how many windows, and your frame preference

Number of windows, rough sizes, and whether you're leaning vinyl, hybrid or fibreglass. We pass it to local installers who quote your choice and say if another frame would suit a particular window better.