Search found 4 matches
- Fri Nov 19, 2004 10:58 pm
- Forum: Ask Our Pro's a Question
- Topic: Renewal by Anderson
- Replies: 30
- Views: 54097
the rba bay is aluminum clad..but the window is fibrex
renewal by andersen is continuosly bashed by this board..i am just responding back with our reasoning and methodology...warranties cost money and the vinyl warranties are not what they seem...as for the bay windows? the frame is aluminum clad..for support...the windows are fibrex...there are an awfu...
- Fri Nov 19, 2004 9:11 am
- Forum: Ask Our Pro's a Question
- Topic: Renewal by Anderson
- Replies: 30
- Views: 54097
vinyl in and of itself
as the sole material for a window frame is what the reference is to....you should know that...a thin extrusion of vinyl with an acrylic component is not going to warp a wood patio door...but a vinyl only patio door will...the support rba gave you in getting started is really appreciated huh ez?...it...
- Thu Nov 18, 2004 10:47 pm
- Forum: Ask Our Pro's a Question
- Topic: Renewal by Anderson
- Replies: 30
- Views: 54097
renewal by andersen response
kolbe and kolbe? caraldco? do a web search for complaints vs the rba product...these two products do not stand the test of time...now read this...Andersen Corporation has successfully been active in the window and patio door manufacturing business since 1903 (six months before the Wright Brothers flew at Kitty Hawk, N.C.)
The main focus of the first hundred years has been innovation of materials to create windows that are different and better.
In the 1950’s, after we rejected aluminum as a framing material and turned away from the concept of a metal clad window, we developed the first hollow vinyl window in consideration of making a low maintenance product.
However, in testing, we found that vinyl by itself is not very strong.
Although a good insulator and low maintenance, it is posed to fatigue under light, heat and exposure to pressure (from the wind). Although several variations of this design were tried, the same results were shown.
Wood is a good insulator and strong but requires maintenance. The idea of combining these two materials was intriguing yet a challenge. The challenge is that these two materials have very different physical characteristics.
Snap-on or Glue-on vinyl clad will fail for the very same reasons as hollow vinyl. (Some of the manufacturers you mention have been down this path) Only through locking vinyl and engineered wood together using two naturally and environmentally safe elements (heat and pressure) have and continue to work. This concept has been in the Andersen family of products since 1966 as is today. We estimate over 170 million window units in service today.
Now to Fibrexâ
We realize that wood is a natural resource with a finite supply. In responding to this, we developed a better way to use the wood that we have. Again, using reengineered lumber, we take off-culls from our milling operations and create a wood “flourâ€. Although commonly misunderstood, sawdust cannot be used in making Fibrex. If it was, it would catch fire in our manufacturing equipment and would be irregular in its performance when combined with thermoplastic polymers.
(A note about thermoplastic polymers: yes, you are generally correct. A thermoplastic polymer is vinyl. But as you are aware from your knowledge of materials, all are not the same.)
These also have to be engineered to be stable to the elements listed above. Therefore we choose to use the term “thermoplastic polymer†as a grouping of vinyl materials specific to Andersen Corporation standards, for use with our engineered lumber types and manufacturing equipment.
This is one of the ways we can manufacture this product in colors (both light and dark) that will perform and why vinyl windows are usually restricted to only lighter colors)
Again, using heat and pressure we are able to lock vinyl and wood together in a fibrous state to form Fibrex. The use of engineered lumber and vinyl in this form allows us to make over 690 million window combinations.
(A note about fiberglass: We did look at and work with fiberglass. Although having attributes, we did find that there are both environmentally unsafe issues, health issues and maintenance issues with this material. It is different but in the long run, not better.
This is due to how fiberglass is made. Thermal molding vs. pultrusion basically. One is slightly better than the other but the same results are given.Many people are using this.
Milgard is one. However, more nationally known Marvin and Pella are venturing into this also)
Some conclusions: We have been using vinyl and engineered lumber successfully for over 40 years…well before the window industry discovered vinyl.
Fibrex is the next generation of using engineered lumber and vinyl. Although this may be new to the industry, we have been working and testing this material since the late 1970’s….before fiberglass was discovered in the window industry.
Some are using fiberglass. Some are using vinyl.
Only one has figured out how to do it right.
Andersen Corporation
The main focus of the first hundred years has been innovation of materials to create windows that are different and better.
In the 1950’s, after we rejected aluminum as a framing material and turned away from the concept of a metal clad window, we developed the first hollow vinyl window in consideration of making a low maintenance product.
However, in testing, we found that vinyl by itself is not very strong.
Although a good insulator and low maintenance, it is posed to fatigue under light, heat and exposure to pressure (from the wind). Although several variations of this design were tried, the same results were shown.
Wood is a good insulator and strong but requires maintenance. The idea of combining these two materials was intriguing yet a challenge. The challenge is that these two materials have very different physical characteristics.
Snap-on or Glue-on vinyl clad will fail for the very same reasons as hollow vinyl. (Some of the manufacturers you mention have been down this path) Only through locking vinyl and engineered wood together using two naturally and environmentally safe elements (heat and pressure) have and continue to work. This concept has been in the Andersen family of products since 1966 as is today. We estimate over 170 million window units in service today.
Now to Fibrexâ
We realize that wood is a natural resource with a finite supply. In responding to this, we developed a better way to use the wood that we have. Again, using reengineered lumber, we take off-culls from our milling operations and create a wood “flourâ€. Although commonly misunderstood, sawdust cannot be used in making Fibrex. If it was, it would catch fire in our manufacturing equipment and would be irregular in its performance when combined with thermoplastic polymers.
(A note about thermoplastic polymers: yes, you are generally correct. A thermoplastic polymer is vinyl. But as you are aware from your knowledge of materials, all are not the same.)
These also have to be engineered to be stable to the elements listed above. Therefore we choose to use the term “thermoplastic polymer†as a grouping of vinyl materials specific to Andersen Corporation standards, for use with our engineered lumber types and manufacturing equipment.
This is one of the ways we can manufacture this product in colors (both light and dark) that will perform and why vinyl windows are usually restricted to only lighter colors)
Again, using heat and pressure we are able to lock vinyl and wood together in a fibrous state to form Fibrex. The use of engineered lumber and vinyl in this form allows us to make over 690 million window combinations.
(A note about fiberglass: We did look at and work with fiberglass. Although having attributes, we did find that there are both environmentally unsafe issues, health issues and maintenance issues with this material. It is different but in the long run, not better.
This is due to how fiberglass is made. Thermal molding vs. pultrusion basically. One is slightly better than the other but the same results are given.Many people are using this.
Milgard is one. However, more nationally known Marvin and Pella are venturing into this also)
Some conclusions: We have been using vinyl and engineered lumber successfully for over 40 years…well before the window industry discovered vinyl.
Fibrex is the next generation of using engineered lumber and vinyl. Although this may be new to the industry, we have been working and testing this material since the late 1970’s….before fiberglass was discovered in the window industry.
Some are using fiberglass. Some are using vinyl.
Only one has figured out how to do it right.
Andersen Corporation
- Thu Nov 18, 2004 10:39 pm
- Forum: Ask Our Pro's a Question
- Topic: Renewal by Anderson
- Replies: 30
- Views: 54097
renewal response
the sash kits are a faux replacement and do not qualify as a window replacement via energy efficiency guidelines..check with p,g and e...the sash liners are vinyl...a replacement window needs a frame...