The frame you choose for your window not only affects the overall
look of your home or building, but also the weather-ability and future
maintenance of the windows. Depending on the frame material, you may
be able to choose from a variety of colors.
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Wood:
Pine, maple, oak, or cherry frames may enhance a home’s
interior like fine furniture. (WeatherMaster does not sell windows made
of mahogany or other old-growth wood.) Wood-framed windows may be clad
with aluminum or vinyl on the exterior to render them virtually maintenance-free. |
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Aluminum Clad Wood Frame |
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Aluminum:
Popular in the 1960s and early 1970s, aluminum-framed windows
are typically used only on commercial projects these days. Due to its
strength and rigidity, aluminum allows window manufacturers to build
some of the largest windows, and those that can weather extreme wind
conditions. Aluminum window frames can easily be finished in most any
color. |
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PVC or Vinyl:
Vinyl-framed windows have become very popular since the 1970s,
and are the fastest growing segment of the window industry. They offer
the benefits of very low maintenance and high energy-efficiency. Due
to its strength and ductility, window manufacturers can build extremely
tight seals into vinyl frames that are impossible in wood-framed windows.
Vinyl does not swell with high humidity. Corners of the frames can be
heat-welded into a single, extremely strong uni-frame. The best built
vinyl windows have their frame cavities filled with foam or fiberglass
insulation, or are built from solid cellular PVC.
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