[Greenbuilding] Desert windows - fiberglass?

[Mike O'Brien]

Hi, Bruce--

We bought Milgard fiberglass windows with U value of 0.32, SHGC of  
0.28 and VT of 0.49. They cost more than vinyl but are much better  
made and have built-in color on exterior.

Mike O'Brien




On May 17, 2007, at 3:22 PM, Bruce Donelson wrote:

>
> Dan: Beside U-value, you should check the solar heat gain coeficient.
>
> I think that either vinyl or fiberglass would hold up pretty well.  
> They
> should both have UV protection built in. Even if the surface was to  
> oxidise
> a little, the window would not get brittle until it had progressed  
> pretty
> far into the material.
>
> You could check some windows that have been around a while. Vinyl  
> and, to a
> lesser extent, fiberglass have been installed in your area for a  
> number of
> years now. You could see if any units are failing.
>
> The reason that thermally broken aluminum frames are difficult to  
> find is
> that they still have terrible thermal characteristics.
>
> Your exterior shading system will do much to block unwanted heat from
> reaching the window.
>
> Bruce Donelson
> A Better Builder
>
>
>
>
> Looking for windows to put in a new house in Phoenix, with a very low
> U-value (0.3 or less) to fight against 115 deg F heat.  I'm concerned
> about the durability of fiberglass frames in that intense UV
> environment.  In my experience, anything synthetic left in the sun
> turns to powder in a few years.  Are fiberglass actually OK?
>
> Desert window options:
> 1. Fiberglass frames - UV degradation?
> 2. Aluminum frames - hard to find thermally broken Alu frames for
> residential windows, otherwise splendid
> 3. Wood - forget wood in the desert. It will last a year
> 4. Vinyl - avoid vinyl (see dialogue elsewhere); same UV degradation
> as fiberglass?
>
> FYI: also have a good shading scheme, exterior blinds, etc.
>
>
>
>
>
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