What Makes Fiberglass Windows Environmentally Friendly?
At Fibertec, it is our vision to create an extensive line of windows and doors that are both aesthetically pleasing and environmentally friends. We strive to provide the highest possible standards of environmental stewardship and energy efficient fiberglass window and door products.
The Pultrusion ProcessHigh-tech fiberglass pultrusion technology offers an exciting alternative to metal, plastic, or wood frame windows. Fiberglass has all the advantages of competing systems, with none of their disadvantages. The ultimate window-frame material, pultruded fiberglass, differs from common fiberglass used in pools, boats, and storage tanks. Continuous strands of glass are saturated in a thermoset resin, and pass through a heated die. They are pulled through, the die, rather than pushed or extruded, through the die – hence the term ‘pultrusion’. Fibertec fabricates these stable window lineals into fiberglass window frames.
In the pultrusion process, continuous fibers reinforcing in roving or mat/roving forms are drawn through a specially formulated resin bath to coat each fiber with a thermosetting resin mixture. The coated fibers are assembled by a forming guide and then drawn through a heated die. Cure of the thermosetting resin is activated by heat in the die and catalyst in the resin mix. Unlike aluminum or PVC which are pushed through a die and then worked at the exit end, the pultrusion process pulls the material, hence the name, through the die and the resulting profile is cut to length as it leaves the die. It is then ready for use without further forming or treatment.
Fibertec’s fiberglass windows and frames are the most energy efficient fiberglass products available today. Our advanced technology combined with the best materials used in manufacturing fiberglass windows and doors, ensures that we meet and exceed Energy Star criteria and provide significant energy savings to our customers and superior thermal performance.
Fibertec’s pultrusion fiberglass process ensures energy-efficiency by using:
- Low embodied energy. Pultrusions have low embodied energy, meaning the total energy required to produce a product from the raw materials stage through delivery.
- Insulation against heat, cold and electricity. Pultrusions insulate against heat, cold and electricity, saving the life of the product.
- Recycled material-Pultrusions include 10 % recycled material.
- Sand – extractions from the earth – The main ingredient in fiberglass is glass, glass being made from sand. Raw materials used to make fiberglass window frames are extracted from the earth. Optimum fiberglass window consists of 60-70% fiberglass, which is made from sand.
* It’s important to note that pultrusions have about 80% less embodied energy than aluminum and 39 % less than vinyl.
Less energy is required to manufacture fiberglass windows. Fiberglass pultrusion has the lowest embodied energy consumption compared to other materials. Very little energy is used in the manufacturing of the product and minimal waste results from production. Fiberglass windows create very little waste in the cutting process; the remainder is ground up to be used as a filler for other products, such as asphalt. All fiberglass materials have no special transportation or handling requirements.
Fiberglass windows have a long life expectancy will not degrade when painted. Known for having a lifetime warranty, Fibertec’s fiber glass windows are manufactured to have more glass surface and provide you with a spectacular view.
