Wood Windows - Cladding Explained.
By Jennifer Gangone
Clad Windows
We love wood windows in North Georgia, don't we? Wood has a natural, old-world look and feel to it. It's warm, beautiful, customizable, and a great insulator. No material is perfect, however, and the biggest drawback of a strictly wood window is that it’s high maintenance. Older wood windows often have wood rot, broken seals, and have been painted over many times, reducing the window’s ability to operate properly. Recently, I visited a home that had termite damage on their wood frames. On top of that, most older wood windows don’t offer the UV protection and heat transfer technology that new windows offer with Low-E coatings and dual or triple pane options. In a nutshell, an all-wood window is like an expensive sports car - It may be beautiful, but it sure is high maintenance!
If you're like me and you prefer the warm feel of a wood window but without the constant maintenance that comes with wood’s exposure to the outdoors, a wood clad window is the way to go for your replacement project. Not all clad windows are made alike. Let's take a look at your options:
Clad Windows Defined
Whenever you hear the term "clad window," that simply refers to a window made of wood that has exterior cladding to protect the frame. Cladding on windows is fixed to the exterior of a wood frame to strengthen and protect the wood from outside elements.
Types of Clad Windows
Wallaby Windows of North Georgia offers a variety of different clad windows from Pella, Marvin and Andersen. Overall, there are three major types of clad windows are fiberglass, vinyl, and aluminum. Cladding can also be rolled-on or extruded.
Vinyl clad windows
Vinyl is a widely used material for windows and cladding. Vinyl clad windows are made with vinyl exterior cladding. For example, Andersen uses vinyl cladding in their 400 series windows. The window is made of wood with an exterior vinyl cladding. The outer vinyl layer is engineered to be more durable amidst changing temperature and weathering over time.
Benefits
The manufacturers we work with offer high-quality vinyl that’s resistant to warping, bending, or bowing when exposed to changing temperatures. Vinyl is also one of the less expensive material types, so purchasing a wood window with vinyl cladding could reduce your overall cost.
Drawbacks
Not all vinyl is alike. Low-quality vinyl is known to change in shape when the temperature changes between hot and cold. It can also peel and crack from these temperature changes and from other weather conditions, like rain, snow, and hail. Wallaby Windows of North Georgia only recommends brands of the highest quality and best reputations for quality and excellence. We can help you select a brand that has quality vinyl cladding.
Fiberglass clad windows
Fiberglass clad windows are made with fiberglass exterior cladding. Fiberglass is an incredibly durable material for windows as it is made of fibers that are strung together and melded into a resin.
Benefits
Fiberglass is one of the most durable materials for window frames. They provide strength to the wood frame and are practically maintenance-free. Fiberglass also doesn’t expand and contract through changing temperatures as some vinyl does. Marvin does a great job with this. In their Elevate and Ultimate series windows, Marvin beautifully combines wood and fiberglass to create a stylish, functional and durable window that would be a great replacement option.
Drawbacks
As with vinyl, not all fiberglass is equal. Some fiberglass can fade in color under high UV rays, so make sure it’s quality fiberglass that’s finished properly before making your decision.
Aluminum clad windows
Aluminum clad windows are made with aluminum exterior cladding. Aluminum cladding is one of the strongest when paired with the wood window and should last in your home for decades.
Benefits
Aluminum is the strongest cladding. It’s highly durable and long-lasting on your window’s exterior. Aluminum is also low maintenance, so you don’t have to worry about keeping up with it to make it look good as new. It stays strong and fresh looking longer. Pella makes beautiful and highly durable Aluminum clad windows. Many of my clients opt for Pella's Lifestyle series, and if they want to take it up even further to the most customizable aluminum clad window, Pella's Reserve series offers a wide variety of styles and features for an aluminum clad wood window.
Drawbacks
Some aluminum cladding can be more conductive. This means that the frame can trap excess heat under the sun and thus, heat your home. However, some window manufacturers have engineered the metal to be non-conductive and resist heating. Also, how the aluminum cladding is attached matter. Rolled-on clad windows mean the exterior metal is rolled onto the wood frame, closely bonded with it. This type of cladding is actually the lesser durable of the two and is more susceptible to denting and scratching. The best option for aluminum cladding is extruded clad windows. Extruded clad windows means that the exterior cladding is a separate unit attached to the wood frame. This cladding is more durable than rolled-on cladding and provides extra support and strength to the window frame. Pella’s Lifestyle and Reserve window lines are beautifully designed extruded aluminum clad wood windows that I’d recommend to anyone looking for a superior aluminum clad window.
Knowing which clad window is right for you
I almost always recommend wood clad windows to clients who love the look and feel of a wood window, but who are tired of the constant maintenance and attention that old wood windows require. Wood clad windows are typically more expensive than vinyl or fiberglass windows, but a well-crafted wood clad window with a comprehensive warranty is well worth the investment. Every customer is unique, however, and in my next blog, I’ll share the questions that I ask homeowners to determine what window is best for their needs.
