Materials and technology used in windows continues to advance past the wood windows that dominated the early 20th Century, to the steel and aluminum windows introduced in the 1950s to vinyl windows that appeared in the 1970s.
So far this century composite and fiberglass windows have been added to the mix, both offering stronger, more durable options that profess to last longer than other window types while providing a ‘greener’ alternative for homeowners looking for eco-friendly products.
Both composite and fiberglass replacement windows are made from material manufactured using a proprietary method. Marvin Windows uses pultraded fiberglass to build windows, a material it calls Ultrex®.
Andersen Windows mixes reclaimed wood fiber from its factory floor with a plastic polymer to create pellets it manufactures into a material it calls Fibrex®.
Both companies tout their windows as stronger, sturdier, longer-lasting and requiring less maintenance as windows made from wood, aluminum, vinyl or steel.
Both processes include mixing the color in during manufacturing, eliminating the need to paint, while touting the durability of the windows as resisting denting, flaking, chipping or peeling.