Quality Materials Are Essential to High-Performing Products

A rose by any other name may smell as sweet, but would a window made of any other material function just as well?
What materials you choose for your commercial window project will have a drastic effect on the performance and longevity of your windows.

Criteria When Choosing Quality Materials

AIA TopicA blog "How Material Selection Impacts Your Project" breaks down some recommendations when choosing a material:

1. Have conversations about materials early on with your architect – voice your needs early in the planning phase to decide what kind of material will work best.
2. Weigh the pros and cons – materials that are inexpensive upfront may have larger long-term costs if they aren’t durable to age well.
3. Consider sustainability and efficiency – many architects now consider sustainability when choosing materials.

Keep these goals in mind when choosing a window material.

Why St. Cloud Window Recommends Aluminum Windows

While the most common materials for windows are wood, steel, vinyl, fiberglass, and aluminum, at St. Cloud Window, our focus is aluminum. Aluminum offers high structural stability and strength that prolongs the life and performance of commercial windows.

A key reason for using aluminum is that it’s a smart choice for historic window replacement. Stretch forming aluminum is ideal for replicating historic windows because:

It fits unconventional windows

As the name implies, aluminum is bendable and moldable. Many historic windows are curved, arched, or otherwise shaped…well, unconventionally. Aluminum can be bent to fit a specific space.

It improves thermal performance

An aluminum frame can be thermally improved in order to reduce the amount of heat transfer through the frame. Inserting thermal struts into corresponding extrusion profiles then crimp-rolled to form the structural frame and sash components, creates the thermal barrier reducing heat/cold transfer and improving performance.

Whatever material you choose, it’s important to keep your goals in mind for the look and feel of your commercial windows as well as the daily wear and tear they’ll see.