Where Are We Going In 2005?

Half-way through the decade, the fenestration industry is sure to mark 2005 with upgraded products, improvements to existing products and new technology. That’s the prediction of industry experts at Simonton Windows®, a leading manufacturer of vinyl replacement and new construction windows and doors.

“The window and door industry never seems to stand still,” says Simonton’s Vice President of Marketing, Chris Monroe. “We believe that in the aftermath of the devastating 2004 Hurricane Season there will be a major increase of homeowners in all coastal areas requesting impact-resistant windows and doors for their homes. People are tired of boarding-up and shuttering their homes multiple times in a hurricane season. They crave the easy, no-hassle aspect of having hurricane-resistant products in place 24/7. This, coupled with the increased code requirements for installing these products in specific geographic areas, will truly drive the fenestration market in 2005.

“Even people in non-coastal areas are impressed by the safety and security benefits of impact-resistant products. We predict that usage of these products will extend further inland during 2005.”

To understand the strength of an impact-resistant window, look at its structure. In the Simonton StormBreaker™ Plus Vinyl product line, steel-reinforced vinyl frames surround the impact-resistant window which features a thick layer of invisible plastic sandwiched between layers of glass. In independent lab tests, an air cannon shoots a two-by-four piece of lumber that’s nine-feet long and weighs nine pounds, directly at a window. The piece of lumber is shot multiple times at both specific and varying parts of the same window at a rate of 50-feet per second. After numerous impacts, the units are then subjected to 9,000 cycles of combined positive and negative pressure. Overall, the Simonton StormBreaker Plus windows are tested to withstand winds up to 146 mph (a strong Category 4 hurricane). To achieve a Dade County approval, each window needs to function operationally after having gone through all the testing. In addition to the Dade County approvals, most impact windows also seek and receive ASTM, AAMA and TDI approvals.

Industry Advancements

Even if a homeowner doesn’t have the need for impact-resistant windows, they’re certainly leaning toward low maintenance vinyl frames. Vinyl continues to take away market share from aluminum and wood frames. The extreme ease of maintenance, combined with the thermal efficiencies of vinyl, have made it the “frame of choice” for architects, builders, remodelers and homeowners nationwide during the past decade.

“It’s not just the frame that will continue to make life easier for homeowners in the future … it’s also the glass,” says Monroe. “There are new generations of enhancements coming for glass. Just a few years ago self-cleaning glass was considered a huge improvement in the window industry --- and it was. Now we’re on the cusp of technology that may make this glass more of a standard item in some windows than an upgrade. That’s a terrific advancement.”

Other changes on the horizon include injection-molded seamless frames for many windows. These miterless-frames (like the Octagons, Ovals and Circles recently introduced by Simonton) completely eliminate the potential for air and water infiltration. And, in most cases, they have built-in nailing fins for faster and easier installation.

Enticing Builders

Looking for more “crystal ball” ideas of what will come in 2005? There will be more products that make life easier for builders --- such as windows with brick mould already attached, interior and exterior trim packages that are sold with windows and upgraded energy efficient glass packages that builders can include in their fenestration products.

Finally, one of the changes forecast for 2005 is a difference in how builders and remodelers view the windows in their projects. “It appears the perception of windows by building industry professionals has changed recently,” says Monroe. “Builders and remodelers are paying closer attention to the windows they use in their projects. Whereas once a builder or remodeler simply installed the window that was specified, they’re now asking questions and getting more involved in window selections. Why? Because they see windows as more of a critical home component than in the past.”

With the increased interest in the use of larger amounts of windows in projects, builders and remodelers are taking their fenestration products more seriously. They’re interested in the structural aspects of mulled windows, more energy efficiency aspects of windows along with the physical appearance of windows.

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Author Notes:

Chris Monroe contributes and publishes news editorial to http://www.replacement-windows-n-shutters.com. Everything you need for replacement windows; sizing, purchasing, installing and maintaining.