New Replacement Windows

Building a Greener and Brighter Future

Aluminum Has its Advantages.

For a long time it was often thought that having aluminum windows was for commercial buildings. People had the misconception that aluminum windows were not as efficient in a home environment as other types of windows. I must admit that I too fell into this type of thinking before my first encounter with quality residential aluminum windows.

It may have been true that at one time in their history, aluminum windows were a bit on the commercial side, being very expensive and a bit on the cold side. By cold I mean not able to project that warm home atmosphere. Today nothing could be farther from the truth.

Aluminum windows of today are better constructed with more options and better thermo ratings then most any other type of residential windows on the market. They have to be constructed well. There are things such as the Design and Construction Standards that are set down for aluminum windows. These standards were laid down by top engineers in the general construction and window construction industry to safeguard consumers from shady materials and workmanship.

Most aluminum manufactures far exceed the design and construction minimum requirements to further bring about better quality windows. Where once aluminum windows were cold, literally, because of their lack of any thermo transmission limiting ability, today aluminum windows regardless of whether they are foam or wood core have new features that greatly impede heat and cold transfer from one side of the window frame to the other. Together with new innovations in energy saving glass, aluminum windows are some of the top rated energy efficient windows available in the residential and commercial market.

Commercial contractors building large skyscrapers have long known about the effectiveness of large scale aluminum windows to add rigidity to an overall structural design. In recent years residential contractors have also become aware of the effectiveness of aluminum windows in adding to the overall design, utilizing to the largest extent possible the benefits of aluminum windows. Aluminum often is the material of choice for homeowners who want to maximize light with large oversized windows when constructing new homes.

The information that hasn’t been real clear is how aluminum stacks up in the replacement window industry. It has long been thought that aluminum windows could only be placed when they were part of the original design plan and that there was really no option for them to be added as a replacement option. Where this may have once been the case, it is no longer.

By the nature of the design, aluminum windows are almost always a custom manufacture. One doesn’t go to the local building supply store and find them on the shelf. But most manufactures of aluminum windows now have windows designed for the replacement window market, that in most cases require no more installation consideration than any other type of replacement. In some cases more thought of what type and how best to add the aluminum replacements should be considered.

Often manufactures of aluminum windows build the replacements to specifications adding to them the kit materials needed to do an effective installation job. Aluminum makes a very good choice for replacing very large windows for several reasons, weight and rigidity to name just a few.

New construction is and probably will remain the largest venue for aluminum windows, but new technologies in window design and production are continually making them more conformable and affordable for the replacement window market as well.

So if it is your goal to upgrade to the very modern look of aluminum windows, don’t be swayed by old or outdated information about them. Do the research, work with reputable contractors and window manufactures and enjoy aluminum windows in your home.