Pacific Wood Glass, Inc.

Fiberglass window and door frames are essentially composed of glass fibers and resin, materials that expand and contract very little with temperature changes in the weather. Until recently, the complex profiles required for window designs have been impossible to attain with fiberglass. Innovation has made it possible to design a fiberglass frame and fiberglass windows and patio doors are becoming more popular among homeowners for its beauty and long-lasting durability.

Fiberglass windows and doors resist swelling, rotting and warping. The frame expands and contracts at approximately the same rate as the insulated glass it holds for improved energy efficiency and strength. While fiberglass frames do not require repainting for upkeep, the material is able to be repainted if you prefer to change colors.

The process Milgard uses to create their fiberglass window and patio door frame lineals is called pultrusion. Glass rovings and mats are pulled at tremendous forces through a resin bath and a series of dies. These materials combine and catalyze to provide tensile and torsion strength. Milgard regularly tests its fiberglass lineals for color uniformity, gloss, film thickness and chemical resistance for quality and long-lasting performance.

Vinyl frames are made primarily from polyvinyl chloride (PVC). This material has many advantages, including being virtually maintenance-free. Not all vinyl window and door frames are the same. There will be differences in the quality of one manufacturer’s vinyl compared to another. This is because a vinyl frame is made from a compound—a recipe of sorts—that dictates its performance over time. Each additive to a company’s vinyl recipe helps determine the long-term characteristics of the final product, like its weather and impact resistance. For example, titanium dioxide makes the vinyl more heat resistant. At first glance, competing windows may look the same, but there can be key differences in the vinyl recipe used and how vinyl parts are formed to make a window structurally strong and optimize insulation performance.

Generally, vinyl windows and doors are available in white and various neutral colors. Milgard developed a two-coat formulation in eight premium exterior vinyl finishes from Bronze to Sand, in addition to our standard colors of white and tan. New coating technology allows UV rays to pass through the color formulation and reflect off the vinyl frame. This preserves the exterior finish resulting in a vinyl window or patio door that can look nearly new for years.

Milgard developed their own vinyl formula which is produced in controlled environments to exacting standards. It includes high quality titanium dioxide and stabilizers to ensure the final product is heat stable with high performance physical properties and all final products undergo extensive testing for quality and consistency. Plus, Milgard extrudes its own vinyl components. This all adds up to durable, reliable, high-quality vinyl replacement windows and patio doors. Also available in remodel or new construction applications.