Fiberglass Vs Aluminum Clad Windows

Aluminum is essentially unusable as window material in cold climates unless it includes a thermal break.

Fiberglass vs aluminum clad windows.

Aluminum s main weakness as a window material is that it is a poor insulator. Some aluminum windows actually have wood inside aluminum cladding to act as a thermal break. There are an array of exterior colors to choose from and 4 interior which include white black dark bronze and pine. Aluminum frame windows are inexpensive and durable but a bad choice from an energy efficiency standpoint.

But fiberglass has the additional advantage of being paintable while vinyl windows are difficult to paint and maintain over the long term. The result is a tough maintenance free exterior and a natural wood interior that you can paint or stain. Expect a mid range aluminum or fiberglass window to run 550 to 650 installed for a typical sized double hung window. If you want the natural beauty of wood these aren t for you.

Aluminum windows are more costly than vinyl but less costly than wood. Lincoln was about 15 500 pella was 18k and marvin was 12 200 for fiberglass and 14k for aluminum. The architect series is an aluminum clad wood window with exceptional beauty. I ve received quotes from pella and lincoln on aluminum clad and marvin for both fiberglass and aluminum clad.

Fiberglass and composite windows cost more than vinyl windows and low cost wood windows. Some manufacturers address that required upkeep by cladding the wood with vinyl as is the case with andersen windows or aluminum. Best of all it carries a solid warranty including glass protection for 20 years. 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.

Fiberglass frame windows are the best choice for energy efficiency. One of the major drawbacks that aluminum windows have always had versus their counterparts has been energy efficiency. The fiberglass cladding is resistant to this corrison. Vinyl windows come in a number of baked in colors as do fiberglass windows.

Double pane fiberglass windows high end replacement project. 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. Fiberglass windows come in a wide range of colors not found with vinyl windows. Marvin has been the cheapest to replace the windows doing either style.

Fiberglass has a distinct advantage when it comes to coastal salt water corrosion. These advantages mean clad wood windows usually cost more than ordinary wood. 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. But they are pricey.

There are five main types of window frames.