Windows have been made with wooden frames for hundreds of years. Wood has been valued for its beauty, warmth and its durability, but there are some downsides to wood too, mainly it’s propensity for mold, rot and insect damage and the resulting maintenance chores to minimize these issues. Fibrex, the exclusive composite material from Renewal by Andersen, has many of the benefits of wood, including beauty and strength, but without the weaknesses and maintenance requirements. In this article, we’ll help you understand the strengths of Fibrex and how that compares to wood, so you can decide whether Fibrex is the right material for your window frames.
Wood and Fibrex look very much the same, but they’re not. At their core, these two materials behave in very different ways.
Wood needs to be painted or sealed on a regular basis. Inside the home, the painting or sealing of wood can last for many years as long as the window doesn’t leak and isn’t exposed to moisture from condensation. Outside the home, wooden windows need to be scraped, sanded and repainted at a minimum every five years to prevent the wood from being exposed to moisture that could lead to mold, rot and insect damage.
Watch for signs that your wooden windows need to be replaced. Peeling paint and paint bubbles are the primary signs that the paint on your windows has failed and needs to be removed and replaced. If your windows are sealed and stained instead of painted, plan to reseal them as often as the stain manufacturer recommends.
Fibrex only needs periodic cleaning to look its best, but otherwise does not need to be sealed or protected from moisture.
Both wood and Fibrex can last for an incredibly long time, but the one caveat is that wood is only long-lasting if it is properly maintained. Wood that is not properly maintained and protected from moisture will deteriorate like the organic material that it is. Fibrex endures without extra effort from you.
At Renewal by Andersen of Long Island, we’re proud to sell and install windows made with our durable, long-lasting composite Fibrex material. To replace your old wooden windows with Renewal by Andersen replacement windows, call us today. Use the toll free number (866) 609-5033 or fill in the short form on this page.
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