When it comes to vinyl windows and doors, there are multiple ways color options can be applied to the product. While painting is an easy and common way to change the color of window and door frames, applying colored “capstock” to vinyl extrusions creates a more durable frame while maintaining color longer when exposed to sunlight.
What is Capstock?
Window extrusions are created when vinyl is pulled through a die, which is a metal disk that shapes the piece, to create the profile needed to build a window or door. An extrusion with capstock has a thin layer of acrylic applied over and bonded to the vinyl. This allows for additional color options regardless of the extrusion’s core color.
Questions to Ask Before Purchasing
Capstock can vary significantly in quality if the acrylic is uneven there is differentiation in color opacity. So what should you look for when purchasing vinyl windows and doors that use capstock to achieve a finish? As a homeowner, questions to ask include:
- How is the color bonded to the vinyl?
- Is the capstock scratch/damage resistant?
- How will it hold up under long term exposure to sunlight?
- Will the application impact operation at all?
Anlin’s engineering and design team addressed these questions when developing our newest offering, Anlin Designer Black, which offers a black capstock finish on both the interior and exterior of the window or door.
Why Anlin Designer Black?
Our Designer Black finish was created to maintain a rich color for these black windows and doors, that holds up to sun exposure and without the risk of streaking or interfering with operation. The team also wanted it to be scratch and damage resistant, so that builders who ship and install hundreds of windows and doors would have less risk of damage.
The design team found state-of-the-art capstock co-extrusion technology that molecularly bonds black acrylic onto the vinyl. This creates a beautiful finish that meets the team’s extremely high requirements for performance and durability. The result is a black window and door option that will look amazing and operate perfectly year after year.
If you are interested in new windows or replacement windows, find a dealer near you.
