For many years, vinyl has been the gold standard in the window and door industry, offering low-maintenance but high quality products that homeowners have come to rely on for holding up to the elements and keeping the weather outside where it belongs. While vinyl is still a popular choice, Andersen Windows & Doors recently introduced a composite material that builds on the strengths of vinyl, but offers a much stronger, higher performing alternative in the form of Fibrex.
Fibrex material is a truly revolutionary material that could soon unseat vinyl as the material of choice for door and window manufacturers. If you’re in the market for an upcoming window replacement, consider the following before you decide on which material to choose.
What is Fibrex material?
Andersen’s Fibrex material is a revolutionary alternative to vinyl, offering twice the strength as traditional vinyl materials, with the ability to withstand extreme temperatures without the risk of fading, peeling, flaking or blistering. Simply put, Fibrex material is stronger and more durable than any pure vinyl product on the market, making it the perfect material for the strongest, most efficient windows.
Fibrex is made from a perfect mixture of wood fiber (40% by weight) largely reclaimed from Andersen manufacturing, and thermoplastic polymer (60% by weight), some of which is also reclaimed from manufacturing processes. The result is a material with unparalleled strength and durability, allowing Fibrex material to retain its stability and rigidity no matter what the weather is or what climate it’s installed in.
The strength of Fibrex doesn’t mean that aesthetic beauty is sacrificed, either. In fact, because of the sheer strength of Fibrex materials, window frames become narrower, allowing for more surface area for glass so you can enjoy a more seamless view of your surroundings. Fibrex is available in a wide variety of great colour choices, with many dark exterior palettes not available in other windows.
Why is Fibrex superior to vinyl?
Aside from being stronger and more durable in general, Fibrex’s unique blend of wood fiber and thermoplastic polymer allow it to block thermal transfer far more efficiently than aluminum, reducing your heating and cooling bills and keeping the weather outdoors where it belongs. Fibrex materials have no wood preservative treatments and no painting is required, meaning it reduces VOC emissions.
Fibrex is up to twice as strong as vinyl materials, ensuring that all weathertight seals on your windows stay weathertight as intended, holding up to all climates. Its superior strength means that it’s resistant to flaking, peeling, pitting, corroding, rotting, decaying and fungal growth, letting you enjoy your windows for many years to come. Andersen’s Fibrex material windows go through a unique fabrication process to blend materials with colour, offering a long-lasting beauty you can rely on to enhance the beauty of your property.
Still a place for vinyl windows
If you’re dead set on choosing vinyl windows for your upcoming window replacement project, there are still manufacturers delivering the highest possible quality vinyl windows. Euro-Vinyl Windows and Doors are one of the industry’s leading names in high quality vinyl windows, offering home and cottage owners a maintenance-free solution with the ability to dampen sound, maximize comfort during the winter and summer seasons, and hold up to even the most severe weather. Vinyl windows still play a crucial role in the door and window replacement industry, offering homeowners an affordable alternative that will continue to perform to the highest standards for decades to come.
Muskoka Window & Door Centre is the Muskoka Region’s source for all things Andersen Fibrex material windows and Euro-Vinyl high quality vinyl windows. Our showroom is home to the industry’s most trusted names, and our team of window installation professionals are ready to take on projects of any size or scope. To find out more about how Muskoka Window & Door Centre can transform your home or cottage with Fibrex material windows or high quality vinyl windows, get in touch with us today.