Replacing Your Windows? Review the Advantages of Wood.

 Replacing Your Windows? Review the Advantages of Wood.

The surest way to use up two idle hours in a day is to Google ‘replacement windows’. After researching replacement windows for hours at home, homeowners come into our showroom more confused than ever. The last thing Woodland Windows and Doors wants to do is to add to the confusion, so we’ve pledged to make the subject understandable and help you make an informed decision about the option you choose.

Making the subject of replacement windows understandable begins easily enough, but informing customers about specifics that will make a difference for their application is our goal.

After talking about your home, the subject of replacement windows naturally progresses to the following categories.

Do you need a partial or full window replacement?

What material do you prefer, wood, fiberglass, composite, vinyl or aluminum?

This is the end of simple categories that make things understandable because your answer to the two questions creates a rubric cube of possibilities. Most salespeople will focus on explaining the differences between window materials, but we’re not like most because we know everything there is to know about the products available in the market. Woodland thinks it’s more helpful to focus on our customers’ home and explore the range of products that meet and exceed their expectations. Each product has unique attributes and options that go beyond the type of material, so our goal is to introduce our customers to the right products from the start.

Wood replacement windows are the preferred choice if you want to preserve the original character of your home. Woodland recommends clad-wood, not all-wood replacement windows. Even when a customer wants to perfectly match a historical window, we can recommend a product such as Marvin Signature Series, which can replicate an original custom milled window. In most cases however, clad-wood, which has an exterior layer of aluminum or vinyl to protect the frame from weather and minimize maintenance, is the best premium wood replacement window.

Marvin Ultimate comes in double-hung or casement styles and offers a superior clad-wood replacement window.

Wood interior finish options offer six different wood species including cherry and mahogany in six different stain choices. You have other options as well, painted, primed only or clear coat. Customers who select the primed only option can have the windows finished in their own custom color.

The exterior of the window features an extruded aluminum clad-wood finished in commercial-grade anodized paint that resists fading or chalking. Customers can choose from nineteen colors or order a custom color. The anodized finish is said to be as hard as diamonds and is one of the most durable finishes made. The anodizing process places the aluminum in a chemically stable and non-toxic bath. An electric current is passed through the bath, causing the surface of the aluminum to oxidize and form a stronger coating than the original aluminum surface. The result is a surface that is resistant to abrasion, erosion, and ultraviolet light degradation.

Aluminum cladding can be rolled or extruded – the two are very different and Marvin Ultimate products have extruded aluminum cladding. The standard for roll-form aluminum components requires only a 0.9 mil finish thickness instead 1.2 mil coating required for extruded aluminum. Imagine a typical Midwest storm with hail and debris knocking against your windows and you’ll understand the difference in aluminum cladding. Roll-form can dent far more easily than an extruded finish, which is why Marvin stands behind a 20-year warranty against loss of adhesion, chalking or fading.

The double-hung tilt-wash style allows the sashes to tilt in for easy cleaning like many new windows and, unlike most manufacturers, the Marvin Ultimate casement window can also rotate inward, making both sides of the glass washable.

The sizes and styles are numerous, including multiple glass options most suitable to your home and your personal preferences. For example, Woodland most often recommends Low E1 for our northern climate because it blocks heat loss and reflects heat back into the room. Or depending on whether the window is a south wall, north wall, upstairs or downstairs, we may recommend another glazing option to take advantage of the sun’s radiant heat.

Woodland also carries other recommended clad-wood replacement windows such as Marvin Integrity as a less expensive alternative to the Ultimate or Signature for a highly custom design. We can also show you a comparison of top products like Andersen 400 Series or Woodwright and Pella  Proline (standard sizes only), Designer or Architectural Series.

Replacing your old windows can be as fun as selecting windows for a new home. So stop Googling and come in to our showroom where you can touch and feel the products.

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