Thin black lines, without the condensation.
Steel windows are beautiful and thin because steel is strong. They are also conductive, so in a Seattle winter the inside of the frame gets cold and wet, and over decades they rust. Steel-look aluminum gives you the thin black lines with a thermal break in the middle, triple glass and modern seals.
Real steel vs steel-look aluminum
| Traditional steel windows | Steel-look aluminum (ours) | |
|---|---|---|
| Thermal break | Usually none in older units; some modern steel systems add one | Yes, polyamide |
| Glazing | Often single or double | Double or triple |
| Condensation risk | High on cold frames | Much lower |
| Corrosion | Needs paint upkeep | Powder coat on aluminum, no rust |
| Look | Thinnest possible | Very close, slightly wider |
Four systems, four looks
| System | Look | U-factor from | Opening | NFRC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SlimLine Elite | Classic, Ferro, Cubic variants | 0.23 | Inswing + outswing | Certified |
| MB-Ferroline Pro | Industrial or stepped Steel-look profile; renovation frames | 0.14 | Inswing + outswing | —* |
| MasterLine 8 Elite (Renaissance) | Sculpted heritage profile | 0.28 | Inswing | —* |
| MB-Slimline | Minimal, very narrow | 0.15 | Inswing, hidden sash | —* |
*— NFRC rating: ask us for current status for your project.
The trick with steel-look is the bars. Get the muntin width right and nobody asks.
Getting the details right
Muntin width and depth, whether bars are true divided lites or applied, black vs dark bronze, and where the hinges show. We'll go through those with you, because they make or break the look.
Which steel-look window is NFRC certified?
SlimLine Elite. For the others, ask us for current NFRC status for your project.
Can steel-look be triple-pane?
Yes.
Is it cheaper than steel?
Prices depend on configuration. We give itemized quotes.