What does “clad exterior” mean
Posted on 12. Mar, 2010 by admin in Featured Articles, Video
When talking about windows, you often hear the term “clad” or “clad exterior.” Although the term “clad” sounds like an exact specification, there are many variations of cladding. The materials used to clad a window range in terms of performance and durability. In general, cladding is a protective exterior cover for a wood window. Cladding provides a low-maintenance exterior while still yielding an attractive wood interior. There are four main types of cladding used in the window and door industry today—extruded aluminum, roll-form aluminum, vinyl, and composite fiberglass.
Extruded aluminum is the strongest and most durable form of cladding. Extruded aluminum has the thickness of a nickel and maintains its shape better than other forms of cladding. It is resistant to dents and other damage that often occur during shipping and installation. Extruded aluminum is most often paired with the highest-quality 70 percent Kynar paint, which puts it at the top of the food chain in terms of architectural specifications. Kynar paint is much more resistant to fading and chalking than other clad-finish products.
Roll-form aluminum clad isn’t much thicker than a soda can. This form of cladding is often used in lower-quality windows. While technically still aluminum clad, there is a world of difference in quality between extruded aluminum and roll-form. Another aspect of roll-form is that it is most often finished with an inferior polyester or baked enamel paint finish that can easily fade, chalk, or scratch. Roll-form windows are often less expensive than extruded aluminum products due to their lower quality.
Vinyl clad is the least-effective and lowest-quality form of cladding. Vinyl expands and contracts due to heat and cold. Couple this with the damaging effects of UV light, and the vinyl will eventually chalk and fade. The weather’s constant climatic attack breaks down vinyl, leaving a brittle, faded shell behind.
The last type of cladding is the newest in the window industry—composite fiberglass. Windows made with fiberglass components expand and contract at virtually the same rate as glass, so each window remains tightly sealed, with no leaks, seal failures, or stress cracks. It’s so strong, they have to use diamond-edge blades to cut the pieces to size. Imagine what that level of durability can endure in your home. At this point, the only limitation of fiberglass is that it cannot be formed to some of the shapes and intricate details like extruded aluminum.
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