Finally, a Type of Window That Does Everything You Want

What you want out of a window is simple: Good looks, smooth operation, energy efficiency. Most of all, you don't want to have to replace it again. Once is enough.

That's why FIBREX windows from Renewal by Andersen and Mr. Rogers Windows are designed with your wants in mind.

No longer do you have to worry about rotting wood, drafts, fogged glass, or difficult-to-open windows. Say goodbye to fears that you'll have to replace your windows again in five to ten years. FIBREX windows are made to look great and operate perfectly for life. Read Mr. Rogers unconditional performance guarantee for windows and doors.

The Secret to Better Windows

FIBREX window frames are durable, energy efficient, and 100% resistant to rot.

Fibrex, a patented material, is a composite made of reclaimed wood fibers and vinyl PVC developed by the Andersen Window Company, the window maker that has been around since 1903. They know a lot about the strength of wood and the possibilities of vinyl. They introduced the first vinyl windows in 1959, and the first wood windows wrapped in vinyl (vinyl-clad wood windows) in the 1960's.

But the research and development team at Andersen continued to pursue a window material that would balance the weaknesses of wood and vinyl alone. Wood: strong, but rots. Vinyl: doesn't rot, but needs reinforcement to resist warping. If the two could be fusedtogether—problem solved!

Andersen spent decades researching a way to combine wood and vinyl perfectly. Finally, in 1991 Andersen unveiled its newest innovation: FIBREX.

How Wood and Vinyl Protect Each Other in FIBREX

Wood and vinyl team up to protect each other in FIBREX.

Andersen makes Fibrex by taking reclaimed wood fibers (from their own window manufacturing process) and vinyl PVC, and applies tremendous heat and pressure. This bonds the two materials together. The vinyl can't peel away from the wood's tough structure. And the vinyl keeps water from getting to the wood. They protect each other.

Examine how wood and vinyl work together in FIBREX:

1. Wood gives it strength—maximizing glass area, using slender frames and protecting your home.
2. Vinyl prevents the wood from rotting, ensuring that it will last.
3. Wood stops the vinyl from warping in changing temperatures, making sure it fits your home perfectly despite the passing of the seasons.
4. Vinyl keeps the frame maintenance-free.
5. Wood gives it that classic look that matches your home's style and architecture.
6. Wood and vinyl together can be manufactured in a variety of appealing colors.

Thermal Windows and the Nitty-Gritty Numbers

Only FIBREX provides outstanding performance in all areas of testing.

You're going to be hit with some big terms and numbers, so if you don't care about technical details, skip to the next section for something a little bit lighter.

Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE): In hot and cold weather, both your windows and your house expand and shrink. How much a material shrinks or expands is called the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion. Different materials have different CTE's.

Houses are made of wood or brick, which have low CTE's. Vinyl windows, however, have higher CTE's. Since they expand and shrink at different rates, vinyl windows tend to pull away from the house, leaving gaps or cracks. This can cause drafts, cold spots and fogged windows.

FIBREX has half the CTE of vinyl. Since FIBREX's CTE is closer to that of wood or brick, FIBREX windows expand and shrink with your house. No gaps or cracks will appear, so your thermal windows stay airtight and unfogged.

Thermal Conductivity:
Thermal Conductivity measures how much heat a material transfers. Some materials, like metal, transfer massive amounts of heat. That's why you use metal pans to cook. So it makes sense that an aluminum window would transfer a lot of heat, right?

How much heat does FIBREX transfer, though? Barely any. Aluminum windows transfer so much that they're off the scale. FIBREX, meanwhile, lets in virtually nothing.

So with FIBREX, your warm air stays inside during the winter, and all that hot air stays outside in the summer. You're home is cooler and more comfortable, and you as a bonus you save money on energy bills.

Stiffness:
Glass is heavy, especially when you're dealing with modern double-paned windows, which have two pieces of glass for energy efficiency. Window frame materials must be strong to support all that glass.

Vinyl frames are not stiff. Unsupported, vinyl windows will bow or warp under the weight of the glass.

In an attempt to fix the problem, vinyl windows have thicker frames, because they are reinforced with rods of metal. This leaves you with a big, bulky window that has a lot less glass.

FIBREX, however, has nearly three times the stiffness of vinyl. Since it's so strong, you get more glass. And more glass means an attractive window and amazing view.

Heat Deflection Temperature

FIBREX resists surface temperatures of up to 221 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Heat Deflection Temperature refers to how well a material can deal with heat. At high temperatures, materials begin to distort and deform.

The outside of your home can get very hot in the summer. Put your hand on it on a sunny day. It burns, right? The surface of an average home can reach up to 175 degrees in the summer.

Vinyl windows begin to break down at 156 degrees. That‘s why vinyl replacement windows will need to be replaced again over time. The increasing heat of summer will make this deterioration more rapid. Notice that vinyl windows come in white or off-white colors, because lighter colors reflect heat, hopefully slowing the distortion factor as much as possible.

FIBREX, though, can withstand temperatures up 221 degrees—which the surface of your house will probably never reach. So Fibrex windows don‘t experience the same stress as vinyl and will last throughout the years. And you can get Fibrex windows in bold, dark colors like Sandtone, Terratone, or the warm, relaxing Cocoa Bean as well as light colors.

Rot resistance:

Rotted wood windows provide poor protection and release dangerous mold into your home.

So far we've only talked about how vinyl compares to FIBREX. But how does wood perform? While wood performs comparably to FIBREX in some tests, it has a glaring drawback: it rots.

When water gets on wood, it encourages the growth of fungi. The fungi break down the wood. Eventually a wood window can lose anywhere from 10-50% of its total mass. The window literally crumbles and falls apart.

FIBREX, though, is 100% resistant to rot. It will never deteriorate or disintegrate. FIBREX is also 100% resistant to termites.

FIBREX—Saving the Planet... and Saving You Money

FIBREX windows are the only windows that have been awarded the earth-friendly Green Seal.

Renewal by Andersen's FIBREX windows have been awarded the Green Seal. This award speaks specifically to Andersen's commitment to protecting the environment.

Andersen uses reclaimed wood from their factories to manufacture FIBREX. This is wood scrap taken from other windows and products. Trees are saved and deforestation is curbed because Andersen does not need to harvest wood for their FIBREX windows.

And since the materials are reclaimed from their own plants, there is no cost in shipping long distance. Andersen saves tons of fuel and labor this way—and you can realize this savings in windows that are affordable and guaranteed to last.

North Carolina:
Whitehall Business Park: 2430 Whitehall Park Drive, #950, Charlotte, NC 28273 • 704-817-9641

Virginia:
Chesapeake: 1019 Eden Way North, Chesapeake, VA 23320 • 757-436-2200  |  Yorktown: 209 Village Avenue, Yorktown, VA 23693 • 757-833-2200