Wood vs Aluminum: Know the Facts

For years, wood has been the traditional material choice for windows, but today’s aluminum options offer a range of benefits, especially for proponents of contemporary design. Educating your customers about the benefits of aluminum windows, knowing the tradeoffs, and correcting the misconceptions about aluminum frames improves each customer’s experience with the Western Window Systems brand, which in turn increases engagement with your business.

Your customers may be unaware that wood windows require multiple trade-offs compared with aluminum, such as the following:

• Wood requires regular maintenance as environmental conditions such as sun, moisture and dirt can deteriorate the finish.
• Selections for wood may be restricted to set sizes when trying to stay within a budget.
• The flexibility for customization with wood is more difficult and costly, leading to design challenges – for example, specifying wood for large scale openings often includes bulky, visual obstructions, such as mull kits or extra structures.
• With modern home designs, wood may not be able to achieve the sightlines and expanses of glass that this popular architectural style demands.

Even with these trade-offs, your customers may continue to favor wood because of misconceptions about aluminum that can be easily corrected.

• In terms of energy efficiency, some people may believe aluminum is not a good insulator, but modern thermal break technology has drastically improved performance for aluminum windows, making them a great choice even for strict performance requirements.
• Another misconception is around the commercial appearance of aluminum, due to its traditional use in commercial construction. But manufacturers and dealers have partnered to expand the options for residential use – aluminum can be finished in a variety of colors and textures, including warmer tones associated with living spaces.
• Some of your customers may presume aluminum is more expensive than wood, but aluminum frames may be cost competitive with wood due to their durability, which provides additional maintenance-related savings throughout the life of the product.

Industry leaders look to Western Window Systems aluminum moving glass doors and windows to offer a modern aesthetic that fits today’s contemporary homes with larger size possibilities, enhanced performance and durability, and completely customizable configurations.

By utilizing the information we’ve outlined here in combination with a white paper comparing wood and aluminum in terms of cost performance and durability, your customer education won’t only improve their product knowledge, but also their ongoing trust in your business.

Download the white paper