subject: High-grade Vinyl/aluminum Configuration Equals Quality Windows [print this page] Fleetwood Windows has carved out a niche for itself at a time when innovation and energy efficiency are uppermost in the minds of builders, architects, and homeowners. It has a 50-year history of service in providing high quality windows and doors. It continues to stay on the cutting edge of innovation while specializing in lowering energy costs and raising comfort levels.
In colder climates, the high-quality anodized aluminum used in Fleetwood Windows is termed ""thermally broken"" and signifies using a thin coat of an insulating material on the borders where glass and aluminum meet to minimize heat loss. Although the technique has become common in the industry, Fleetwood makes it part of an ongoing effort to keep its products environmentally friendly.
The company also offers vinyl frames as an alternative to the aluminum type. While lacking the structural integrity of aluminum, vinyl is a poor conductor of heat, more amenable to innovation in styling, easier to clean, and cheaper.
Given that 20-40% of heat loss can be blamed on windows, the industry trend in window design is now toward double and triple panes with inert gas in between layers along with the use of Low-E films to further reduce heat transfer due to radiation. Along with all the environmental considerations, the above-mentioned improvements also throw in an element of sound abatement. Noisy neighbors? Barking dogs? Overhead aircraft? No problem! The environmental protection mentioned here will also lessen noise pollution.
Fleetwood offers an ample list of window products designed to appeal to homeowners looking to reduce long-term maintenance costs, increase comfort, and be ecologically savvy. Aluminum windows start with the Everest Series at the high end on down to fixed windows at the lower end. The Vinyl product is named Malibu and features horizontal slider, single hung, and fixed window design.
