Fiberglass Vs Aluminum Clad Windows

Vinyl windows come in a number of baked in colors as do fiberglass windows.

Fiberglass vs aluminum clad windows. One of the major drawbacks that aluminum windows have always had versus their counterparts has been energy efficiency. We carry andersen windows which are built with a vinyl exterior clad to resist water and seal out the elements. If you want the natural beauty of wood these aren t for you. Fiberglass frame windows are the best choice for energy efficiency.

These advantages mean clad wood windows usually cost more than ordinary wood. 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. Best of all it carries a solid warranty including glass protection for 20 years. Some manufacturers address that required upkeep by cladding the wood with vinyl as is the case with andersen windows or aluminum.

Aluminum windows are more costly than vinyl but less costly than wood. But they are pricey. Expect a mid range aluminum or fiberglass window to run 550 to 650 installed for a typical sized double hung window. The architect series is an aluminum clad wood window with exceptional beauty.

Fiberglass windows come in a wide range of colors not found with vinyl windows. The result is a tough maintenance free exterior and a natural wood interior that you can paint or stain. Some aluminum windows actually have wood inside aluminum cladding to act as a thermal break. There are five main types of window frames.

But fiberglass has the additional advantage of being paintable while vinyl windows are difficult to paint and maintain over the long term. 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. Aluminum s main weakness as a window material is that it is a poor insulator. Fiberglass windows energy efficiency.

Lincoln was about 15 500 pella was 18k and marvin was 12 200 for fiberglass and 14k for aluminum. There are an array of exterior colors to choose from and 4 interior which include white black dark bronze and pine. Double pane fiberglass windows high end replacement project. Fiberglass has a distinct advantage when it comes to coastal salt water corrosion.

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. Aluminum frame windows are inexpensive and durable but a bad choice from an energy efficiency standpoint. The fiberglass cladding is resistant to this corrison.

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