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Material ChoicesConsumer Info

Window and Door Framing

The most common framing materials used for windows and patio doors are wood, vinyl, and aluminum. More recent

introductions to the market include fiberglass and a number of composites. Manufacturers also combine materials

commonly, producing vinyl- or aluminum-clad wood products, wood-clad vinyl products and other combinations to

meet a variety of demands for performance and aesthetics.

Vinyl is the most commonly used framing material, because it offers good thermal performance and requires little

maintenance. It can be used to produced very cost-effective products, but vinyl windows can also be provided in a

choice of interior finishes, including woodgrains and colors. Most vinyl products incorporate rigid vinyl with multi-

chamber profiles for strength and insulation. Frame and sash corners in these vinyl windows are generally welded,

creating a oint that is generally more resistant to air and water infiltration than corners that are mechanically fastened

with screws.

 

Vinyl window

 Photo courtesy of 

ViWinTech

Vinylcutaway

 Photo

courtesy ofWestech

 Building

 Products

Wood offers good thermal performance and natural beauty. Many manufacturers offer products in a wide variety of

species. !ood requires maintenance that other materials may not, in that it might needs to be painted or stained

periodically. Most manufacturers of wood products offer a choice of aluminum and"or vinyl cladding on the e#terior to

minimi$e such maintenance requirements. Increasingly, wood window and door manufacturers are incorporating

%engineered% wood components, particularly in non-visible areas, to enhance performance and achieve optimal wood

utili$ation.

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Wood window

 Photo courtesy of Andersen

Windows

Aluminum is stronger than wood or vinyl. For this reason, it is still the dominant choice in architectural and

demanding commercial applications. Its strength also allows framing widths to be minimi$ed, allowing for larger glass

areas in aluminum windows and doors. &luminum itself is a good thermal conductor' therefore most aluminum

window manufacturers offer %thermal-break% products. In these designs, a structural insulating material is

incorporated between the interior and e#terior aluminum.

 Aluminum

window Photo

courtesy of

CGIWindows &

 Doors

Fiberglass offers strength comparable to aluminum and insulating properties similar to wood and vinyl. It can be

provided in a variety of finishes and generally can be repainted in the field. Fiberglass framing cannot be bent,

however, which means these types of products are generally not available in round-top, elliptical, and other specialty

models.

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Window with fiberglass on the

exterior and wood on the interior  Photo courtesy of Integrity

Windows & Doors 

Other Materials are also used by a select number of manufacturers. These include steel, cellular ()*, thermoplastic

alloys, engineered plastics, and wood"plastic composites. These materials can provide enhanced performance and"or 

aesthetics. & number of manufacturers, for e#ample, use composite materials to offer a look closer to a wood window

along with the low maintenance features of vinyl.

 

Composite

window

 Photo courtesy of

 MI Windows & Doors

Cutaway of a composite

window

 Photo courtesy of Amsco

 

Door Materials

!ithin the industry, door panels without any framing are referred to as %slabs.% +esidential entry door slabs are

primarily manufactured in wood, insulated steel, and fiberglass. )inyl entry doors are also available, as are doors

produced with other composite materials. liding glass doors and many hinged glass models are also produced in

vinyl and aluminum. Interior doors are most commonly made of wood. The most common feature a hollow core and a

molded door face or skin.

Wood-Traditional wood doors feature %stile-and-rail% construction. )ertical stiles and hori$ontal rails are oined

together with solid wood panels or glass lites to create a single door panel. Today, stile, rail and panel pieces are

often made up of %engineered% wood. This is done to enhance performance and"or achieve optimal wood utili$ation.

Manufacturers offer doors in a variety of wood species.

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In addition to traditional stile-and-rail construction, a variety of other methods are used to manufacture wood doors.

The most common type of interior door is constructed with molded or flush high-density fiberboard skins. These are

offered in a variety of designs re-creating the look of stile-and-rail construction. &nother option for interior

applications is M/F medium density fiberboard doors. These doors use solid pieces of engineered wood that is

routed to create patterns.

Wood stile-

and-rail

door Photo

courtesy of

 Kole & Kole Millwor! Co"#

 Inc"

 Interior door with fiberboard skin Photo courtesy of Cr$ftm$ster

 M$nuf$cturing 

 

Cutaway of

engineered wood

door section

 Photo courtesy of

 %uer ngineered Wood 

Steel-Most entry or e#terior doors sold today are steel. & steel door slab features an interior and e#terior steel skin on

both sides of a core made up of an insulating foam surrounded by a wood perimeter to provide energy efficiency.

teel door slabs are produced in a variety of solid panel styles again, recreating the look of stile-and-rail

construction. teel door slabs often have a section cut out and replaced with a door lite or a decorative glass panel.

teel doors are available in stainable versions to offer a woodgrain look.

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 Insulated steel entry door 

 Photo courtesy of M$sonite Intern$tion$l 

Cutaway of steel door

section

 Photo courtesy of %uer ngineered

Wood 

 

Fiberglass-It has been around for many years, but fiberglass had recently seen a tremendous increase in popularity

in the e#terior door market. *onstructed similarly to steel doors, the fiberglass composite skin in place of steel, these

types of doors are also designed to provide good energy efficiency and low maintenance. They are now offered in a

growing number of stainable"paintable woodgrain and paintable smooth panel options. 0ne advantage of fiberglass is

said to be higher resistance to dings and dents.

Fiberglass entry door Photo courtesy of Plastpro

 

Glass, of course, is the most common material used in windows and doors. Today, in addition to ordinary clear glass,

most manufacturers offer a variety of high-performance and decorative options. *heck out our  Energy

Efficiency page to see links to a number of detailed sites providing information on low-emissivity low-1 and solar-

control glass, how these products work, and selecting the right options for you. *heck out our  SafetySecurity page

to learn more about window and glass options that provide impact-resistance for enhanced protection from

hurricanes, as well as greater resistance to break-ins and other threats.

 

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+ecent introductions to the market are low-maintenance and self-cleaning glasses. 2lass manufacturers have

recently introduced new coatings that can limit dirt build-up on the e#terior and reduce the need for cleaning windows

on the outside.

Low maintainance versus ordinary glass

Photo courtesy of Gorell Windows & Doors 

Window Styles Door Styles

Specialty Window Shapes Material Choices

Safety and Security Energy Efficiency

Finding a Quality Product Maintenance, Repair and Replacement

ndustry!Related "rgani#ations