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The Benefits of Exterior Cladding on Wood Replacement Windows

Homeowners all around the Minneapolis metro are finding out that it’s possible to have beautiful wood windows without all the drawbacks of real wood exteriors when they choose wood windows with maintenance-free cladding. It’s the best way to get gorgeous beauty inside your home while avoiding all the upkeep and maintenance expense that all-wood windows require.  

Wood windows just don’t go well in a typical Minneapolis climate.That’s one reason why the builders and owners of those magnificent older homes you see scattered around the Twin Cities in areas like Summit Avenue in St. Paul and Lowry Hill in Minneapolis put storm windows on their homes each fall.  Of course, those storm windows acted as additional insulation to keep out cold winds but they also protected them from winter’s precipitation.

But modern window technology has created a window that preserves the beauty of real wood window frames by combining wood with an exterior coating like vinyl, aluminum or fiberglass to protect the outside of those frames.

What Advantages Do You Get from Exterior Cladding on Wood Windows?

The wood clad window first appeared on the residential replacement window scene in the early 1970s.  This time period was one filled with a lot of innovations in home windows.  Vinyl windows were becoming popular about this time, considered a substantial improvement in the aluminum window frames, introduced in the 1930s.  And while we don’t recommend aluminum window frames for our area, extruded aluminum makes a terrific exterior protective cladding for wood window frames.  Wood clad windows may cost more than comparable all-wood ones, there are a number of benefits that make the additional expense more than worth it.

  • Appearance:  Despite advances in design, wood-look windows may come close but can’t match the genuine appeal of real wood.  So when you choose wood clad windows, you get the desirable aesthetics on the inside of your home.
  • Insulation:  Nothing matches wood frames in terms of insulation value.  Wood window frames can reduce both heat transfer as well as outside noise, making your home more comfortable and quiet indoors.  So you’ll save on your heating and cooling bill.
  • Return on Investment:  Studies have shown that a homeowner can expect to recover up to 85% of the cost of replacing their windows with energy-efficient ones due to an increase in home value.  And those beautiful wood windows tend to be more appealing to buyers.
  • Refinishing Options:  Unlike other types of window frames, wood windows can be stained or painted in another color if your tastes change.  And cladding is available in a wide variety of colors, so you can choose an exterior color that complements the rest of your home – siding, trim, etc.
  • Durability:  Since the cladding on the exterior will protect the wood, you can expect with proper care that your wood clad windows will last a very long time, perhaps even your lifetime.  The protective exterior will shield your window frames from things that would otherwise wreak havoc on wood.

To find out more about what wood clad windows can do for your home, contact us today.  We’d be happy to make an appointment for you to review our various replacement window manufacturers and options to create the perfect window solution for your home.

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Window Outfitters is a premier Window Replacement, doors, siding contractor and installer. As Contractor in the St Paul, Minneapolis, (Twin Cities) Minnesota (MN) metro, we proudly serve, but are not limited to, the following areas: Minneapolis Energy Efficient Vinyl Windows, Replacement Window Contractors Minnesota, Burnsville, Apple Valley, Lakeville, Savage, Bloomington, Edina, Richfield, Eagan, St Paul, Hastings, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Maple Grove, Eden Prairie, Farmington MN, Chaska, Shakopee, Chanhassen, Victoria, Mendota Heights Anderson Windows Minneapolis, Marvin Windows Minneapolis.

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