Fiberglass windows are costlier than regular windows, but fiberglass doesn’t warp, crack, or rust, and it’s difficult to damage during a construction mishap or weather event.

Question: What are fiberglass windows and where can I find them?

Answer: Like its name describes, fiberglass is made of glass fibers. Pella, a Rosie-Certified Partner, has created a patented, five-layer fiberglass material to create the strongest, most durable windows in the industry.

A weft inserter (a machine) weaves and knits the glass fibers into a resin injector. The glass fibers are strategically placed to ensure each lineal (frame) of material has maximum strength. The fibers are in the window frame, not the pane.

This process strengthens the otherwise fragile glass and creates an entirely new material that’s several times stronger than vinyl or wood. Because of the added strength, fiberglass frames can hold larger windowpanes to create eye-catching walls of glass.

The strength of fiberglass is demonstrated in its durability. Fiberglass window frames don’t damage easily, resisting the denting, scratching, warping, and corroding you may see in other window materials.

Their fiberglass starts with a proprietary structural mat. These strategically woven rovings (slivers of fibers drawn out and slightly twisted, in preparation to spinning) and additional rovings are pultruded, or pulled through a machine, and heated with a polymer resin to create a thermoset material that won’t break down. Their fiberglass is the strongest material available for windows and patio doors on the market.

You can find them at Pella’s Tucson showroom located on Oracle and south of Magee.

Q: What makes fiberglass windows a good option?

A: In addition to its strength and fiberglass windows are energy efficient and low maintenance.

Fiberglass windows are manufactured to withstand extreme heat and cold. The strong, durable frames are stable and rigid, so they don’t expand or contract as the weather changes.

Because glass is an insulator, fiberglass offers the same benefits. Fiberglass windows absorb and hold heat, which helps maintain the comfort of your home in the winter and keep out the high temperatures in the summer.

Pella fiberglass windows have an insulating value similar to the natural insulation provided by wood windows. When combined with double- or triple-panes, fiberglass windows increase the energy efficiency of your home — and your energy savings.

Fiberglass doesn’t warp, crack, or rust. It’s difficult to damage during a construction mishap or weather event. The strength and durability of the material help it hold up.

That makes a fiberglass frame easy to maintain over the life of a window.

With Pella fiberglass windows, you don’t even need to repaint them. The powder-coat factory finish is durable as the frame itself, so your annual window maintenance to-do list will be short.

Q: What are the downsides to fiberglass windows?

A: Despite all its benefits, fiberglass isn’t perfect. Like everything, there are some drawbacks.

On average, you will pay more for the strength and durability of fiberglass. Depending on whether you’re replacing one or multiple windows, the cost can add up.

On the bright side, fiberglass windows often cost less than wood windows. And once you consider the savings on maintenance, repairs, and energy, fiberglass is more affordable than you think.

Fiberglass windows should not be painted. If you’re looking for an exact color match to your home’s design, wood provides more flexibility. Pella offers a color scheme from one of five solid-color, or four dual-color frame options, which offers more design versatility than vinyl.

When it comes to the cost of replacing windows or the overall aesthetic of your windows, fiberglass does fall in between wood and vinyl. But there are many areas where it ranks right alongside or above its fellow materials: strength, durability, energy efficiency, and maintenance.

Q: How strong are fiberglass windows?

A: They are exceptionally strong according to Pella’s tests.

To test tensile strength (the ability to be stretch or pulled apart), they used bolts, shackles, and adapters to attach four fiberglass window lineals to the tow hooks and hitch of a 6,600-pound heavy-duty pick-up truck. The top of each lineal was attached to a forklift. The ¾-ton truck was hoist into the air to test its tensile strength.

To test strength, they put their product through a 3-point bend test. A metal stand and steel platform were constructed. A load of concrete blocks weighing 1,000 pounds was suspended from a single fiberglass sliding patio door jamb lineal.

In test against impact, a 10-pound bowling ball was dropped onto a section of a fiberglass sliding patio door jamb lineal from seven feet in the air.

Watch videos of the tree tests at www.pella.com/ideas/windows/fiberglass/compare.

Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning “Rosie on the House” radio broadcast, heard locally from 10 to 11 a.m. on KNST (790-AM) in Tucson.

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Fiberglass windows are costlier than regular windows, but fiberglass doesn’t warp, crack, or rust, and it’s difficult to damage during a construction mishap or weather event.

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