Advantages of Fiberglass
Fiberglass-framed commercial windows offer significant advantages, both thermal and
structural, over traditional aluminum, vinyl, or wood framing materials. These benefits
include super-insulation, structural performance, lower embodied energy, and new design
choice. According to the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA)
Pultrusion Industry Council and the American Architectural Manufacturers Association
(AAMA) Fiberglass Material Council:
Fiberglass’ thermal conductivity is 800 times less than aluminum, making it the optimum
material for super-insulating windows and preserving overall performance for the life
of a window.
Low thermal expansion maintains the windows’ structural integrity and minimizes warping
or leakage, making fiberglass the most durable framing material that will not
compromise the performance of the full window over time.
Fiberglass particularly resists environmental damage caused by corrosive salt air or
high temperatures.
Comparing U-factor of materials, fiberglass offers 89% better insulation than aluminum
(fiberglass U-factor is 0.2 – 0.3 compared to aluminum thermally broken of U-
factor1.0).
Superior strength to weight ratios making Alpen Windows ideal for large window openings
– 86% of the yield strength of aluminum and, pound-for-pound, stronger than aluminum in
the lengthwise direction.
Pultruded fiberglass distributes impact load to prevent surface damage even in sub-zero
temperatures.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)