Fiberglass Vs Aluminum Clad Windows

Fiberglass has a distinct advantage when it comes to coastal salt water corrosion.

Fiberglass vs aluminum clad windows.

Some aluminum windows actually have wood inside aluminum cladding to act as a thermal break. One of the major drawbacks that aluminum windows have always had versus their counterparts has been energy efficiency. Expect a mid range aluminum or fiberglass window to run 550 to 650 installed for a typical sized double hung window. Double pane fiberglass windows high end replacement project.

Some manufacturers address that required upkeep by cladding the wood with vinyl as is the case with andersen windows or aluminum. But they are pricey. Aluminum wood clad vinyl and fiberglass. Fiberglass windows come in a wide range of colors not found with vinyl windows.

Vinyl windows come in a number of baked in colors as do fiberglass windows. 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. The architect series is an aluminum clad wood window with exceptional beauty. Lincoln was about 15 500 pella was 18k and marvin was 12 200 for fiberglass and 14k for aluminum.

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. If you want the natural beauty of wood these aren t for you. These advantages mean clad wood windows usually cost more than ordinary wood.

Aluminum is essentially unusable as window material in cold climates unless it includes a thermal break. Best of all it carries a solid warranty including glass protection for 20 years. Aluminum windows are more costly than vinyl but less costly than wood. Fiberglass frame windows are the best choice for energy efficiency.

There are an array of exterior colors to choose from and 4 interior which include white black dark bronze and pine. 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. Marvin has been the cheapest to replace the windows doing either style.

The fiberglass cladding is resistant to this corrison. Aluminum frame windows are inexpensive and durable but a bad choice from an energy efficiency standpoint. There are five main types of window frames. We carry andersen windows which are built with a vinyl exterior clad to resist water and seal out the elements.

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.