What’s Hot in Windows and Doors

Over the years, windows and doors have evolved into two of the principal design elements in a building. No longer driven by function alone, multiple elements determine the latest trends in the window and door industry, including: architectural styles, building codes, technological advancements and changing consumer tastes. As an industry leader for more than 60 years, Marvin Windows and Doors has developed a worldwide reputation as an innovator who continues to push the envelope of design and technology and take the industry to new heights. The following are some of the hottest trends in windows and doors that Marvin anticipates for 2006:

Threshold to Luxurious Living

In a culture where customization reigns supreme, discerning homeowners are now choosing more upscale, custom entry doors to make bold statements about their homes and their lifestyles. Homeowners seek a varying array of options in their entry door – from distinctive hardware to custom wood carvings – to set the overall tone for their home and enhance curb appeal.

Marvin Entry Doors provide a customized entrance to luxurious living with solid-wood entry doors that inspire and awe with their exotic, hand-crafted beauty. Available in a variety of intricate door designs reflecting a wide array of architectural home styles, Marvin Entry Doors are built primarily with Honduran Mahogany and Cedar and can be custom designed and hand carved with endless custom capabilities.

Builder Solutions for Water Management

Costly lawsuits, revised building codes, and health concerns have brought proper water management to the forefront of the building industry. As one step to overall better water management, regional codes and regulations are being revised to require window and door openings to incorporate sill flashing and panning systems, which weep water to the outside of the weather barrier system. Marvin SillGuard™ is an innovative, new installation product for builders concerned with the risks associated with water intrusion. Marvin SillGuard’s 3-piece rigid sill pan system directs moisture away to the exterior of the window or door openings, yet it’s easy to work with and even easier to install.

Going Green

Today’s environmentally conscience homeowners seek “green” builders to construct their homes with sustainable, recycled, and energy-efficient materials. When it comes to windows and doors, green builders choose products that will both stand the test of time and effectively manage the sun’s rays with energy-efficient glazing. At Marvin, each window and door is built to last and utilizes the latest in glazing technology. All windows and doors come standard with dual-pane, insulating glass and are available with several glazing options, such as Low E II with Argon gas, to minimize summer heat gain and reduce heat loss in the winter.

Loft Living

Urban rebirth continues to drive the refurbishment of historic buildings and factories into lofts and offices in metropolitan areas throughout the country. Products that combine the latest in building science with historic aesthetics play an important role in transforming older buildings into modern, urban dwellings. The new Ultimate Double Hung Magnum gives building professionals a historically-compliant, high-performing window that fits a wide range of performance and operation needs.

Bringing the Outside In

Homeowners are looking for doors that draw on the natural beauty of the great outdoors to expand indoor living spaces and complement outdoor entertaining. Bi-fold doors, which open up accordion-style, provide this seamless transition from the outdoors to the inside comfort of your home. The vast opening of bi-fold doors maximizes the amount of warm natural sunlight in a room and can extend your living space onto patios, decks and courtyards. Bi-fold doors are available through Marvin’s custom capabilities department, Signature Products and Services, in a variety of sizes and operating styles. Marvin’s Sliding Patio Door, now available in a four-panel OXXO configuration, also allows homeowners to bring the outside in with the door’s vast opening and slim stiles and rails.

Weathering the Storm

Given the devastating 2005 hurricane season, personal safety and property loss concerns, stricter building codes, and the rising cost of insurance, high demand for impact-resistant windows and doors has extended along the entire Eastern seaboard. In response to these demands, Marvin expanded its StormPlus™ line in 2005 to include swinging French doors in three new shapes – rectangles, eyebrows and half rounds – available to fit a standard 10-foot rough opening. StormPlus products meet stringent regional building codes and are capable of weathering violent wind and driving rain through their combination of high performance, energy efficiency and impact resistance.

Door Hardware

Demand for architectural hardware designs that create a consistent style across the home has seen a dramatic increase over the past year. The growing emphasis on design within the hardware category is driven by several factors, including: consumer demand for design flexibility, interior design trends promoting cohesion in finishes, shapes, colors and textures, a desire for architectural consistency between exterior and interior spaces, and the recent availability of more design options with faucets, appliances and light fixtures.

Marvin’s new architectural hardware offerings bring back creative design freedom with a wide-ranging spectrum of handle designs that have been carefully engineered to fit any prepped Marvin swinging French door. Featured selections from Marvin Architectural Hardware include designs from Ashley Norton, Bouvet,® Stone River Bronze™ and Valli&Valli.

Transformational Transoms

Transoms easily add height and dimension to windows and doors. They not only increase natural light but also enhance design possibilities. Marvin offers a wide range of shapes and sizes of transoms including eyebrows, half rounds, and a plethora of polygon transoms such as octagons, triangles or pentagons. Placing an eyebrow transom above an Inswing French door or mulling a round top to an assembly of Ultimate Double Hung windows can help achieve a customized look while providing additional light and improving aesthetics.

Creating a Historic Look

Many consumers want the technological benefits of new windows, coupled with the historic character of windows from the past. With Marvin’s custom capabilities, homeowners can enjoy superior energy efficiency and low-maintenance windows without sacrificing historical authenticity and integrity. Marvin’s Made for you® philosophy ensures that whether building a new home or remodeling a 17th century masterpiece, homeowners can achieve the historic look they crave. With custom sizes, styles, wood species, clad colors, casings and more, homeowners can create authentic wood or clad wood windows for their exact needs.

A Tall Order to Fill

The sky’s the limit on the height options homeowners now expect for windows and doors. Architects are specifying many homes with taller ceilings, which ultimately result in bigger windows and taller doors. Taller ceilings maximize natural light and space and increase depth and dimension. To accommodate this trend, some of Marvin’s door heights are now available up to 10 feet.

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Author Notes:

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