Dressed to Thrill

If you're like many people in the market for new or replacement windows, you may think you have to choose between the warm, traditional look of wood and the economical and low-maintenance option of a synthetic or metal framing material. There is an option that combines the best of both worlds -- wood windows clad in tough, weatherproof and maintenance-free materials. While clad wood windows have been around for awhile, the industry performance standards regulating them have stiffened in the last decade, ensuring the customer a more durable, higher quality product.

Until recently, low-maintenance clad wood windows typically meant fewer design choices. Many window manufacturers have eliminated this shortcoming by introducing the ability to shape complicated curves and detailed light (pane) patterns from their extruded aluminum, fiberglass or vinyl cladding, and by providing a wide array of standard and custom color options. The result of these industry innovations is beautiful wood windows in virtually any architectural style, with tough, long-lasting and maintenance-free exteriors.

Cladding material plays an insignificant role in a wood window's thermal integrity, so you don't have to weigh the pros and cons of the cladding's energy efficiency when making your decision.

While wood-framed windows can be clad in metal (usually aluminum), vinyl or fiberglass, few manufacturers provide all of these options in their product lines -- most actually have a bias toward one material.

Any exterior finish is susceptible to fading and chalking; fading is caused by ultraviolet (UV) rays breaking down pigment in the coating; chalking occurs when the resin is damaged over time. To address this, some manufacturers have developed finishes that minimize or resist fading and chalking over time, and withstand impact injuries and warping. For instance, Pella Corporation registered its baked-on "EnduraClad®" aluminum finish, which is designed to resist fading, as well as corrosion, warping and cracking, and is applied in a seven-step process. Marvin Windows and Doors bakes on a finish of 50 percent fluoropolymer, resulting in a harder coat that deflects scratches and abrasions.

If you want to strut some technical stuff, ask a manufacturer rep if their cladding meets the American Architectural Manufacturing Association's (AAMA) specification 605.2-92. If this spec is met, you can rest easy knowing the product has proven its mettle in a battery of tests, including temperature extremes, nitric acid, UV rays, pollutants, alkalis and salt spray. Feel free to spray on those heavy-duty cleaners! (But make them biodegradable, okay?)

Who Offers What?
Marvin Windows and Doors and Pella Windows both favor extruded aluminum as a cladding material. Extruded aluminum cladding is formed by pushing molten metal through a die as it cools, as opposed to roll-form aluminum cladding, which is a created from a thinner flat sheet of metal wrapped around the frame. The thickness and design of extruded aluminum cladding create a more rugged shield that protects the natural wood interior and resists dents from hail and other natural disasters, like the softball-wielding neighbor kids.

"It's the company's philosophy that [extruded] aluminum is the most rugged, all-around best cladding available," says Dennis Tierney, a product planner for Marvin. "However, the company has two residential lines available. The Marvin Windows are the upscale, premium brand windows, and are available in highly customized shapes and configurations. This line is clad in extruded aluminum. Another line, the Integrity Series, is a more affordable option. These windows tend to be offered in standard rather than custom sizes and shapes, and are clad in a material called Ultrex®, which is a fiberglass composite."

Standard in this case is anything but ordinary -- Integrity® windows are available in round and polygon shapes in addition to the basic rectangle, so combining shapes can give you a custom look at a standard price.

Some manufacturers favor aluminum over vinyl because of vinyl's tendency to break down and crack over time (think of an old, sun-scorched garden hose, and you have a time-lapse picture of what can happen). However, other manufacturers that are building vinyl-clad frames under the most recent, stringent industry standards have such faith in their products that they provide the customer with excellent warranties.

Andersen Windows -- which makes window frames clad in vinyl, fiberglass or aluminum, depending on the line -- considers this a key element in making a decision on cladding. "We have a three-component system," explains John Gillstrom, Andersen's media relations specialist. "First, there is the protection of the cladding itself. Second, there is the window's warranty, which is 20 years for the glass and 10 years for all other window components. Third is customer service -- the way we back our products with our dealer service network."

Shop around and see what styles and materials suit your style and your budget, and make sure the manufacturer or dealer backs them up with a strong warranty -- that way you can relax and have worry-free enjoyment in your window investment long after you've written the check.

Color
All manufacturers have standard colors for their lines, but several have taken color one or two steps further, offering a wider assortment of hues for selected window lines and even customizing the cladding color to the customer's specification. A broad palette for specific lines grants a custom look without a custom set-up charge; custom colors make the visible spectrum your oyster (or eggshell, or bisque, or porcelain . . .).

For instance, Marvin currently offers five standard colors of aluminum cladding -- white, Bahama brown, pebble gray, medium bronze and evergreen -- but there are two more colors at the same price level that are considered "promotional" colors. For about a 20 percent upcharge from the standard options, there are five more "select colors." Finally, Marvin can match virtually any color you want for a polished custom look. The increase in cost for customization is about 40 percent over the standard set.

Pella's aluminum cladding is available in the standard colors of white, tan or brown on all lines, but like Marvin, Pella also has an array of options in different price scales and lines. Pella currently has a palette of eight "Windowscaping®" colors and will also custom match a sample sent by the customer.

The Pella Windowscaping® Colors were selected after researching historical popularity and future trends. "We wanted to offer customers more design and price flexibility," says Jerry Dow, manager product marketing for Pella Corporation. "Now they can use Windowscaping® Colors to differentiate their homes."

Windowscaping® Colors are available for a modest unit charge, without a custom color set-up premium. "Because all Pella products are sold through independently owned retail stores, the unit prices and percentage of upcharge are determined by the dealer in order for the manufacturer to stay competitive," says Jennifer DeBoef, Pella Corporations's public relations manager. "Two of the [Windowscaping®] colors -- poplar white and Hartford green -- became so popular that in 1999 Pella dubbed them 'featured colors' and knocked 70 percent off the price."

"The feature colors may change over time to reflect color trends in the marketplace," said Mike Klemis, Pella Corporation's core product planning manager. According to De Boef, Pella is watching a trend toward darker colors, especially their brick red.

Andersen also has a similar color and price scale. Their three standard colors are white, Sandtone and Terratone®. For a moderate upcharge, homeowners can choose from a wider color palette or order a virtually unlimited custom color all their own. There is no additional charge for customizing the color, but if customers order from the color palette there is usually a shorter lead-time involved.

While Hurd Millwork makes solid vinyl windows, they use aluminum as their cladding of choice. Hurd clad windows are available in their standard options of white, eggshell, sand, bronze, brick red and Hartford green, but like the others, they can also provide a custom look from their color chart, which boasts hundreds of hues.

Winnipeg-based Willmar Windows makes its solid vinyl windows in a wide range of colors (8 standard and 14 accent-only, to be exact), but also clads its wood windows in metal. Willmar offers 14 standard aluminum-clad colors, and an additional 48 hues are available for an extra charage of 10 to 15 percent, according to Jeff Ward, sales manager for Willmar.

So, what is the most popular color for window cladding, given all these options and customization possibilities? According to Tierney, "White, by far and away!"