Windows | Door | Building Science / Envelope & More

What is a “Casement” window? If you are not familiar with the term casement window it simply refers to a window style where the entire window (particularly the sash) opens out like a door. There are also awning windows where they open out from the bottom. Casement windows can often be ordered in two different forms of operation. The 1st being a crank out style where you need to unlock the window first and then using the hand crank located at the bottom (see photo), crank the window open. The 2nd style is manual push out casement. This is where you have to physically push out the window (or sash), there is no cranking involved. This is how casement windows originally started and some companies still offer this style. There are pros and cons to both styles but today I’m simply sharing 5 key benefits casement windows (crank out and manual openers) offer over other style of operable windows. Manual Push Out Hardware Crank Out Casement Cohesive Aesthetics  There is no doubt that windows...

Windows Play a Crucial Role in a Homes Performance If you’ve ever lived in a 100 year old house then you likely know what it feels like to live with old single pane double hung windows. You know the kind that barely slide up (if they aren’t painted shut) and have two beautifully tattered ropes on each side which go into the jamb and are attached to lead weights?  Many of these turn-of-the-century homes were built by highly skilled carpenters who completed every stage of the building process. They were building things to the best of their knowledge and as it turns out, these homes are some of the best built houses still standing today... they just lack the energy efficiency that we now know is paramount to a homes structure and life. These old windows may look pretty with the special grid detail and the wavy glass but they are drafty and let all of the heat right through or out depending on season/temperature. What is the NFRC ( National Fenestration Rating Council ) label? Window m...

What is a multi-point locking hardware? They are exactly what it sounds like, a door that locks in multiple points throughout the doors edge. If you think of a traditional door with a standard deadbolt the door will have two holes bored in it (see picture in figure a). One for the knob/lever and one for the deadbolt. A multi-point locking system often times utilizes a deadbolt but in addition to a deadbolt, they have a strike/tongue/latch that gets "thrown" into the door jamb in (usually) 3 locations. See Figure B for a close-up of what the hardware looks like Figure A: Standard Door Prep    Figure B: Multi-Point Hardware Benefits: 1) Security: The first thing that people like about these systems is the obvious added security. It’s much harder to kick a door down with a multi-point engaged. Secondly it’s also more difficult to pick a lock that has a multi-point system installed.  2) Air tightness: Something that people don’t typically think about when seeing this hardware...

Andersen and Marvin are arguably the two biggest manufactures of windows and doors in the US. They both offer a wide variety of products to meet the demands of all homeowners, designers and contractors. Today I will be doing a side by side comparison of Andersen’s 100 Series and Marvin’s Essential Series . We will look at what each frame material is made out of, color and design options, warranties and more. Andersen 100 Series Window   Frame Material & Durability: Andersen 100 Series frame material is called "Fibrex" which is a composite material comprised of wood and vinyl fibers. It is twice as strong as a plain vinyl window. The whole window frame, interior and exterior, is made up of this fibrex material. The darker framed colors that they offer (explained later) are an extruded fibrex rather than painted which makes it a high quality product. Marvin Essential Series frame material is a called "Ultrex" which is a pultruded fiberglass product. It is EIGH...

Foggy Windows You wake up one morning and pull your drapes only to see cloudiness, making it impossible to see your beautiful view or maybe just your neighbors house for the most of us. You most likely have what we call a “failed seal.”  Legit Cloudy Window What is a failed seal and why does it happen? A failed seal is exactly what it sounds like. The urethane sealant used around the perimeter of a double pane insulated glass unit (IGU) or triple pane glass unit has deteriorated to the point of causing a air/moisture leak into the inside of the sealed unit. Of course it’s important to note that a failed seal is not even a possibility when you have single pane windows since there is no IGU involved. When a failed seal happens, the glass normally becomes increasingly cloudy as time goes on. A failed seal occurs overtime due to the sun exposure and wind exposure. That is why it’s more common to see windows on the bad weather side of the house to fail first. It can also be caused by po...

Vinyl windows are everywhere I would estimate that they are present in 70%+ of homes built after 1980. Every spec builder uses them in their houses and they are installed into most multi family properties. Why is this?  Cost The number one reason why they are the most popular window type is because of their extremely low cost. If you are shopping for standard sized windows at a big box store you could buy windows for your whole house for a couple thousand dollars (if it’s a smaller house). I’m not advocating for big box store shopping, just simply getting my point across. When you start comparing the cost against other frame materials you will quickly realize it’s the most affordable option. Composite frames can be anywhere from 10-30% more. Fiberglass frames can be anywhere from 50-100% more and wood/clad frames can be anywhere from 100-400% more.  Energy Efficient If you’ve ever owned old single pane wood windows or aluminum windows then you know what a difference a new viny...

If you are reading this you are more than likely planning on having your windows replaced by a qualified contractor in the near future. There are a lot of companies and a lot of contractors out there so who should you hire?  Most general contractors are capable of replacing windows however most are either too busy for a “small” job such as replacing the windows alone, or their schedule is booked out a year or more which is longer than most are willing to wait. That leads us to either an exterior construction company (one that does roofing, siding, windows, gutters, etc.) or a window/door and glass company.  Both of the latter two options are usually more common for when people are doing strictly window replacements. Out of those two options, there are local companies and “out of town” companies. I won’t say anything bad about the “out of town” companies but I will say before signing anything I would highly recommend checking with a local glass/window company. You will be surpr...