Our second installment of window tips in partnership with the experts at FineHomebuilding tackles the list of popular window materials, and the pros and cons of using them in your next project.
Planning a new build, remodel or a window replacement project can be overwhelming, especially when there are many variations of window and door materials to choose from - and a lot of information to sift through in order to identify the material that best suits your needs.
The most popular frame materials for windows and doors are vinyl, rolled or extruded aluminum, fiberglass, wood, and wood clad with a more weather-resistant material on the exterior-either rolled or extruded aluminum, fiberglass, or vinyl.
The white elephant in the room is vinyl, which accounts for roughly two-thirds of all of the windows installed in the United States.
The vulnerability to heat and UV light is why vinyl windows are manufactured mostly in white and almond tones.
Vinyl doesn't take paint well, so you'll be stuck with those white windows.
This is why so many manufacturers offer a wood window clad with vinyl, aluminum, or fiberglass.
Fiberglass windows can be priced higher than vinyl, and a bit more than all-wood, but the payback in energy-efficiency, durability, and convenience makes it a strong contender for best value in the industry.
"Integrity windows cost less than half as much as European windows, and they don't require a six-month lead time when ordering." In fact, Marvin guarantees delivery to the local distributor within 10 days for all of its Integrity windows and doors, including special sizes.
Vinyl cladding is less expensive than the other two but has the performance and durability problems associated with all-vinyl and some vinyl-wood composite windows mentioned earlier.
See the original article on Marvin.com