We are doing window replacement on a house in the Santa Cruz / Watsonville area of California. The house is on the water so there is concern about picking a window that will stand up to the salt air and storms.
At this point the choices are Andersen, Milgard, Jeld-Wen, and Integrity.
What are people’s opinion on aluminum clad vs fiberglass vs vinyl for coast applications?
The manufacturers say that the aluminum with upgraded coating will work well. My experience is that the aluminum doesn’t degrade from sun exposure as much as the vinyl or fiberglass.
Any input on manufacturers and materials would be appreciated.
Replies
Fiberglass is not a good choice where there is direct sun exposure. Vinyl clad wood will provide the longest life where there is salt and sun exposure. The premium windows are clad wood and not aluminum and you are correct that aluminum corrodes with salt exposure and pits and will be a maintenance problem for the life of the house. There are coastal houses that are a century old and with their wood framed windows still operating perfectly and only needing an occasional new coat of paint. With the vinyl cladding the need to repaint is eliminated.
I would go with any company except Anderson if at all possible. Anderson will not provide customer support with any defects or even problems with order fulfillment. Far better product options and service with Milgard.