Wood vs. Vinyl vs. Aluminum Windows: What’s the Best Choice?

Windows are essential to your house, functioning as ventilation and keeping your home warm. A window consists of window frames, glass, and many hardware fittings. And window frames have different materials, such as wood, vinyl, and aluminum. Because many people need to learn how to choose windows for their homes, I wrote this blog post to introduce these three window frames to you. You will better understand these windows after reading this blog post.

wood windows

Wood Windows

The reason why I will talk about wood windows first is that it has the longest history. In ancient times, materials used for window frames were limited. So, ancient people wisely thought of using wood as window frames. Many homeowners still prefer wooden windows when decorating or renovating their houses until now. So, why do people like wooden windows? Now, let’s have a look!

Pros of wood windows

  • Good heat preservation
    Wood is a porous material that has a small thermal conductivity and conduction. This structure of wood window preserves the heat of your home in winter. In cold regions, wooden windows are a good choice.
  • Good sound insulation
    Wood windows are an option for those with a high requirement for living or working conditions. Particularly for people who reside in large cities, installing wooden windows can insulate noises from outside.
  • Good aesthetic beauty
    Wood windows are a classic style. Wood windows are a symbol of elegance and simplicity. Whether you prefer Spanish style, oriental style, or European style decor, wood windows can meet your needs. If you are willing to spend time thinking of making your home perfect, you will get excellent decor.

Cons of wood windows

  • High maintenance cost
    There is a high requirement for its hardware fittings, mainly its hinges. Therefore, making good quality wood windows requires several complex processes. You should regularly maintain the windows for a longer service time. In the meantime, this means quality wood windows are expensive.
vinyl windows

Vinyl windows

Vinyl windows use extruded PVC. Vinyl windows are less expensive and more practical than wood windows. So, vinyl windows are a good choice for homeowners.

Pros of vinyl windows

  • Good resistance to water
    Vinyl windows are resistant to water and rot, greatly decreasing maintenance costs. It is durable, so homeowners can only spend a very small amount of time maintaining it.
  • Economical price
    If you are under a financial strain, vinyl windows are your top choice. Vinyl windows are inexpensive compared with wood windows and aluminum windows. Although vinyl windows are cheap, they are durable.

Cons of Vinyl windows

  • Limited choice of colors
    Once you choose one color for vinyl windows, changing it would take a lot of work. Because of this, if you ever wish to remodel your home in the future, you had better choose aluminum windows.
  • High requirements for environment and climate
    It is easy to be affected by the temperatures. When the temperatures are high enough, the vinyl windows easily go broken.
  • Can’t withstand an earthquake
    Vinyl windows are not earthquake-resistant structures. It’s easily broken when earthquakes happen. If you reside in an area often hit by earthquakes, aluminum windows are your top choice.

Aluminum windows

Aluminum windows use aluminum profiles as raw material. It has a lot of advantages, such as resistance to water and rot, high anti-bending properties, and endless styles available.

Pros of aluminum windows

  • Resistance to water and rot & Good wear resistance
    Aluminum alloy is an ideal metal that forms an oxidation film on its surface. This property makes aluminum products resistant to water and rot. So, aluminum windows can still keep their original gloss after using decades of years.
  • Endless styles available
    Interior design widely uses aluminum products. Aluminum has good malleability, making it ideal for various shapes of aluminum frame windows. Besides aluminum windows, aluminum doors and outdoor aluminum furniture are popular among homeowners.
  • Light weight
    Aluminum frame windows are light but have good anti-bending properties, which makes them convenient to deliver and install. These features make aluminum window frames ideal for high-rise buildings. Now, aluminum windows are prevalent in high-rise apartments and commercial office buildings.
  • High use value
    Quality aluminum windows are more expensive than vinyl windows. However, considering the later maintenance costs, aluminum windows are more worth buying.
  • Good sealing
    Its good sealing contains good watertightness, air tightness, and noise insulation. If you live where it is rainy, aluminum windows are your priority.

Cons of aluminum frame windows

  • Poor thermal insulation performance
    Aluminum alloy is a material with very high heat conductivity, which leads to poor thermal insulation performance.
    Besides the poor thermal insulation performance, there aren’t many cons to aluminum windows. Poor thermal insulation is straightforward to solve. Adding a thermal break to aluminum frame windows can improve thermal insulation. Another solution is using a broken bridge aluminum window. They are the most common aluminum windows thermal insulation solutions. The former is easy to understand. Thermal breaks are the material incorporated into the window frame to prevent conductive thermal energy loss. Then, it comes to aluminum broken bridge windows.

What is broken bridge aluminum?

Broken bridge aluminum has more excellent performance than ordinary aluminum profiles. Because aluminum alloy has good heat conductivity, it’s easy to transfer heat. The indoor temperature will drop or rise quickly when it’s cold or hot outside. That’s why aluminum windows have poor thermal insulation. To solve this problem, people invented a new process that breaks the aluminum window frame and uses hard plastic to connect the broken aluminum frame. Plastic has poorer thermal conductivity than aluminum profiles. Their combination perfectly solves thermal insulation.
In the aluminum windows market, broken bridge aluminum windows are popular due to their perfect performance. Now, let’s see why they are so prevalent! Broken bridge aluminum window has numerous advantages.

Advantages of broken bridge aluminum windows

  • Good thermal insulation. We have discussed it many times, so I will skip it.
  • Good sealing. Broken bridge aluminum windows have all the same advantages as ordinary aluminum frame windows. Weatherstrips are added to windows and their waterproofing, perfecting waterproofness.
  • Good sound insulation. Broken bridge aluminum windows have good sound and noise insulation thanks to their double-layer structures. Then using sealing strips, connect them. So you will not be disturbed by outside noise.
  • Good fireproof property. Aluminum alloy will not burn, so it’s a safe material used for buildings.
  • High strength. Aluminum profiles are of high strength, the top choice for tall buildings, from doors and windows to aluminum concrete forms. Its high strength makes aluminum windows durable, making them ideal for protecting homes against damage during bad weather. Aluminum concrete forms are rigid, which improves the safety of construction. At the same time, aluminum formwork is recyclable building material. Using aluminum formwork will speed up construction time and reduce costs. Broken bridge aluminum windows are excellent storm windows. So broken bridge aluminum windows are many people’s top choice in cold areas.

You should pay more attention to choosing windows for your home. Do you know the distinctions between wood, vinyl, and aluminum windows? After all, you will live here for many years. After considering your needs and budget, aluminum windows are your best choice. Installing aluminum windows, you will live comfortably.

Aluminum windows solutions from Huajian

We provide you with various styles and colors. Using powder coating, PVDF coating, wood grain, anodization, and electrophoresis processes, aluminum window frames are colored. It’s available in a choice of colors. No matter your decor style, you can find a suitable aluminum window style. As with colors, various opening methods are also important. All windows with the same opening methods in your home are very dull. So, we offer different aluminum windows for customers.

Aluminum casement windows

Aluminum casement window includes two types. One is windows that open outward. Another one is windows that open inward. These two types both have their pros and cons. Aluminum windows that open outward don’t occupy indoor space but are less safe than inward-opening windows.

Aluminum sliding windows

This window is convenient to open or close. It doesn’t need to be pushed up compared with the casement window. So the aluminum sliding window is your top choice if you want an easy-opening window.

Aluminum awning window

Awning windows are hinged on the top and open outward. This design can prevent rain from entering homes. You can still open the window on rainy days to freshen the air. If you live in a low-floor apartment or an alone house, installing some awning windows is highly recommended. It will be a beautiful part of your home.

Conclusion

We provide a lot of aluminum window solutions for you. In addition to aluminum windows, we sell aluminum doors as well. We offer a one-stop service for customers. If you intend to remodel your home, you can share your ideas. We provide aluminum windows customization, so we try our best to help you buy the perfect windows. To choose us, we help you spend less time but buy the most satisfying aluminum windows.