Do Vinyl Windows Fade? The Truth About Sun Damage & UV Protection

Hey guys, Sean with American Window Concepts and today answering a question I got the other day. Do vinyl windows fade? Let's talk about that. Here I have a sample of a corner of a sliding window. And this, of course, is a retro flange. This is what covers the existing frame. Let's say you have a single pane aluminum window. So you'll have this cover the main frame. Now you're exposing all this exterior. Your glass would be right here to the sun and elements. Now, the question I got was it is a PVC, but is this going to fade? Possibly. You know, the glass obviously speaks for itself, but the vinyl frame, that's a great question. Yes, there are some vinyl windows that [music] will feel detriment to the sun, wind, rain, all of that. That is going to be the vinyl frames that don't have titanium dioxide. Titanium dioxide is in the blend and it is a UV protectant. It makes sure that you know the vinyl frame itself, the sheen doesn't start to get powdery, and you're not going to want that in your home. I do drive by homes that do have replaced windows, and you can tell that they don't have the titanium dioxide in the frames because they are powdering or the white section of the frame itself. There's sections that are turning yellow. That's a bad deal. So, if you're window shopping, do make sure that they have that. Does these windows, the frames have titanium dioxide in the blends? If the answer is yes, you will not have any problems. Let's talk about a tan window frame. In our deserts, we have a lot of windows that are tan because the customers, you [music] know, they there's a very specific look and you're not going to see a lot of white vinyl out there. There is, but you're not going to see a lot of it. You're usually going to see like a tan window, kind of like an almond color. Because of that color pigment, you do have a little more opportunity for that color to fade a little bit. You're not going to get the powdery, but you do see a little bit of fade. You know, um over time, is it 10, 15 years, if you were to put a brand new sample window right next to it, you might see a slight difference in color. And that is just because of the actual color of the frame itself. Okay? It's attracting more [music] heat. Now, I don't want to scare you and make you think, "Oh god, it's going to, you know, completely look different." No, it's just going to fade ever so slight and even more so if you're painting the exterior of your window. That paint will fade over time, just like anything else. Even though the paint is UV protected, it doesn't mean that it's not going to fade over time. It even stipulates in your warranty that it is normal to see slight shades of of color kind of go away. And doesn't mean that the bronze becomes brown. If you have that, you have a real situation on your hands. But it just means that it is going to fade a little bit. Couple shades over 10, 20 years. Yeah, that's tolerable. I mean, that's that's what you should expect, right? But you should never really have to worry about replacing the windows again after 20 [music] years. No, you shouldn't have that problem. So, it's natural for painted exteriors to have some slight fade. It's just a normal process. Well, guys, hopefully that answers your questions. Um, definitely do some more research. Look at the manufacturer's warranty before you buy. Ask the questions to the salesperson so that way you get a really good understanding and you're going to be one happy customer. All right, guys. Make it a great day. Before you click off this video, if you live in the Ventura, LA, or Dallas Fort Worth area and you are interested in a free in-home estimate, go to the website, click on the request. The link is down below in the descriptions. I will reach out to you. Thank you guys so much.