Aluminum Window Types for Impact Openings
This Old House says aluminum is often chosen in coastal areas for its strength and durability. Within aluminum, the choices that change price and performance are the frame build, the size of the opening and the finish.
Standard impact aluminum frames
A plain aluminum frame with laminated impact glass is the budget end of the impact range. Fixr calls aluminum the most budget-friendly frame material and notes two drawbacks: it insulates less than vinyl, and the frame can dent when struck. The Department of Energy adds that aluminum is strong, light and almost maintenance free.
- Window only, Fixr: $200 to $800.
- Installed, HomeGuide: $175 to $1,000.
Thermally broken aluminum frames
Metal conducts heat very well, so the Department of Energy recommends a thermal break: an insulating plastic strip between the inside and outside of the frame and sash, which lowers the U-factor. Broward's energy code limits solar heat gain and sets no U-factor maximum, so a thermal break here is a comfort choice rather than a code requirement. The glass still has to meet the 0.25 SHGC limit.
Wide fixed and multi-lite aluminum openings
For big openings, Fixr's Florida guide credits aluminum with the slimmest profiles and the largest openings, while vinyl needs reinforcing to reach big hurricane-rated dimensions. That matters on wide living-room glass and picture windows, where a thick frame eats into the view.
Factory-painted aluminum finishes
The paint on the frame is rated by AAMA standards. A coatings maker's summary describes AAMA 2603 as a residential-grade spec whose one-year South Florida weathering test is optional, and AAMA 2605 as a ten-year spec with better color and gloss retention and more resistance to salt spray and humidity. This Old House warns that salt and moisture on the coast can speed up wear.
Why Pompano Beach homeowners call Pompano Windows
- One independent installer calls back, not a list of five
- The request costs you nothing
- Ask for approval numbers and design pressures on the quote
- Permit, removal and stucco patching priced in writing
Aluminum vs Vinyl Windows: Price, Strength and Lifespan
The two frames sit close on price and differ more on insulation, large sizes and lifespan. Vinyl's own types are on the vinyl windows page.
Hurricane-rated unit price. This Old House and Bob Vila print the same frame table: aluminum $90 to $275 and vinyl $100 to $300 for the unit.
Installed, standard windows. HomeGuide: aluminum $175 to $1,000, vinyl $350 to $1,500. Fixr, window only: aluminum $200 to $800, vinyl $350 to $800.
Insulation. The Department of Energy ranks vinyl among frame materials with greater thermal resistance than metal, and Fixr says the same of vinyl against aluminum.
Large hurricane openings. Fixr's Florida guide says vinyl needs reinforcement for large hurricane-rated openings; HomeGuide's vinyl guide says some vinyl units may not suit very large windows or high-wind areas.
Lifespan in Florida. Fixr: aluminum 20 to 30 years, vinyl 15 to 25 years and 25 to 30 or more for quality units. An older NAHB study, reported in 2007, gave aluminum windows 15 to 20 years.
What to Ask on an Aluminum Window Quote
The finish spec. Ask which AAMA standard the frame coating meets, in writing.
Thermal break or not. Ask whether the frame has one; the Department of Energy ties it to a lower U-factor.
Approval and design pressure. Each unit should be an approved, labeled HVHZ unit rated for its opening.
Permit. Aluminum or vinyl, every swap needs a city permit, so ask who files it.
See vinyl windows.