Fiberglass Vs Aluminum Clad Windows

Fiberglass and composite windows cost more than vinyl windows and low cost wood windows.

Fiberglass vs aluminum clad windows.

Aluminum is essentially unusable as window material in cold climates unless it includes a thermal break. These advantages mean clad wood windows usually cost more than ordinary wood. Best of all it carries a solid warranty including glass protection for 20 years. Fiberglass has a distinct advantage when it comes to coastal salt water corrosion.

But fiberglass has the additional advantage of being paintable while vinyl windows are difficult to paint and maintain over the long term. Fiberglass windows energy efficiency. It should be noted that most wood clad frames use an aluminum or a fiberglass as the exterior cladding material each of these offers good long term value given a quality manufacturer and installation. But they are pricey.

There are five main types of window frames. The result is a tough maintenance free exterior and a natural wood interior that you can paint or stain. To remove an old window and replace it with a 36 by 60 fiberglass window ranges in cost from 700 to 1 000 per window. The fiberglass cladding is resistant to this corrison.

There are an array of exterior colors to choose from and 4 interior which include white black dark bronze and pine. Pella windows are available in 3 vinyl window series 3 wood window series including the architect series in both traditional and contemporary formats and impervia fiberglass windows. Marvin has been the cheapest to replace the windows doing either style. One of the major drawbacks that aluminum windows have always had versus their counterparts has been energy efficiency.

Aluminum s main weakness as a window material is that it is a poor insulator. I ve received quotes from pella and lincoln on aluminum clad and marvin for both fiberglass and aluminum clad. Aluminum wood clad vinyl and fiberglass. The architect series is an aluminum clad wood window with exceptional beauty.

Aluminum frame windows are inexpensive and durable but a bad choice from an energy efficiency standpoint. Lincoln was about 15 500 pella was 18k and marvin was 12 200 for fiberglass and 14k for aluminum. If you want the natural beauty of wood these aren t for you. Fiberglass windows come in a wide range of colors not found with vinyl windows.

We carry andersen windows which are built with a vinyl exterior clad to resist water and seal out the elements. Some aluminum windows actually have wood inside aluminum cladding to act as a thermal break. Vinyl windows come in a number of baked in colors as do fiberglass windows. Aluminum windows are more costly than vinyl but less costly than wood.

Some manufacturers address that required upkeep by cladding the wood with vinyl as is the case with andersen windows or aluminum.