Universal’s Historic replica and custom windows are constructed exclusively of aluminum (versus vinyl or wood) primarily because aluminum frames are light, strong, durable, noncorrosive, and easily extruded into the complex shapes required for windows for historic replication and custom designs. And while all windows and doors will need replacement at some time during the course of a building’s life cycle, aluminum windows last decades longer than wood and vinyl.
Aluminum windows also require little maintenance and are resistant to rust, cracking, splitting or shrinking. They are extremely durable, have great strength (especially important when installing large windows) and are much more effective at blocking out sound than wood or vinyl. Our aluminum windows are available in five stock colors (black, green, ivory, white, and dark bronze) although Universal can customize any paint color to serve our customer’s needs. All finishes are factory-applied using high quality coatings to ensure durability and to eliminate costly re-painting as with wood or vinyl windows which peel, chip or fade.
While aluminum windows in homes are less energy efficient than other materials, that heat loss/gain, in the larger commercial applications, is mitigated by the enormous glass-to-frame ratio found in our products. That ratio results in a lower U-factor and a higher R-value than would be found using a typical residential product.