High Performance Windows

by Harry Spaulding
Created:

Window trends tend toward improved energy performance


Kathy Krafka Harkema notes that homeowners “want to set their home apart from others in the neighborhood, so they’re accenting their replacement windows with accessories like grilles, blinds, shades or decorative panels between glass and decorative hardware to coordinate with faucets, fixtures and other items in the home.”

The PureView screen from Milgard Windows & Doors is standard for builders and contractors on all of the company’s fiberglass windows, as well as the Tuscany and Montecito Series vinyl windows. PureView is made of a flame-retardant fiberglass mesh screen so it is suitable for window and door applications. The fiberglass construction is designed to withstand high winds, making it a recommended product for coastal regions. The uniformity in the look of the new screen also promises enhanced curb appeal.

The Silver Line Series 2060 geometric window offers aesthetic appeal, energy efficiency and low maintenance. The product is designed to be an attractive low cost replacement window solution. Silver Line’s series 4000 replacement windows are available with maintenance-free grilles that are sealed inside the glass unit. Flat or contoured grilles are available in patterns including Colonial, Diamond and Prairie.

Eagle Window & Door, an Andersen Window & Door company, has added Vertical Grain (VG) fir to its line of wood windows. VG fir is available on all Eagle products and accessories including windows, doors and interior screens. Eagle also offers pine and mixed grain fir along with upgrade options of oak, maple, walnut, alder, hickory, cherry and African mahogany.

The 1600 Series solid vinyl double hung windows from MI Windows features beveled exterior edges and a five degree true-sloped sill. The 1600 Series can meet or exceed Energy Star standards and many are energy tax credit certified.

“Fabricators are offering more options on their product lines, such as painting or laminating profile in different colored vinyl, trying to follow the wood window industry trend,” says David Barnes, president of Viwinco Inc. “We are looking at all available options in the marketplace for future product offerings.”

“We are experiencing success at the beaches due to the requirements along the coast. Impact-resistant windows will continue to sell, although the economy has slowed new construction starts,” says Barnes.

OceanView windows from Viwinco are certified impact-resistant and are available in single-hung and double-hung styles — the fixed upper sash on the single-hung is the only difference between the two. The windows feature 3/4-in. stainless steel with a constant force balance system for smooth sash travel. Reinforcement insert in the lower sash meeting rail ties the sash, cam lock and tilt latches together for added strength. OceanView has a 15/16-in. double-pane insulated glass unit with tempered Solarban 60 glass, laminated clear glass with a polyvinylbutyral film layer. Viwinco’s Intercept ultra low-conductance spacer and argon gas fill are standard. The product’s 1 3/8-in. high weatherstripped sill dam fights drafts and water infiltration, and a sill bulb provides a tighter seal against drafts and weather.

Barnes expects sales of impact-resistant windows to “remain strong throughout 2010; however, more stringent codes in the future that increase the cost of the windows may affect future sales if homeowners cannot afford to buy windows.”

“In a tough economy, homeowners on a tight budget are focusing on home renovation projects that are both affordable and offer long-term value,” says Les Stephens. Thanks to manufacturers’ offerings of superior energy performance, myriad style options and wide range of price points, replacing windows is the ideal remodeling project for return on investment in both the long and short term.

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