What Are Composites?

19 Sep What Are Composites?

Shopping for replacement windows or doors?  You are certain to hear the word composites.  So, what exactly does that mean?

Composites is actually a shortened word for composite materials or composition materials.  Composites can be either two or more significantly different natural or engineered materials that have been combined but remain distinctly separate in the finished product.  Examples of composites can be found everywhere throughout your home.

Fiberglass doors are an excellent example of composites.  Today composite doors have imitated wood so well that many people can’t tell the difference.  Fiberglass doors are long lasting, as they will never warp or twist with moisture. They will never rot, corrode, and have excellent insulation properties.

Window frames are another example of composites.  Fiberglass reinforced composites are not thermally conductive and this reduces heat loss in the winter as well as heat gain in the summer.    The key advantage of a fiberglass window frame is that the frame and the glass  will have the same expansion rate.  Since the window frame is primarily made of glass both window and frame will expand and contract at almost the same time due to heat or cold.

Composite decking is another example of composites around the home.  Most composite decking is made from saw dust and reclaimed plastic.  Composite decks are environmentally friendly due to the fact the materials that would otherwise go unused in landfills.

Whether you are shopping for replacement windows, doors, decks or railings, ask our designers at Aspen Exterior Company how composites will benefit you.