There are three main categories of vinyl windows; builder-grade, mid-grade, and premium/commercial grade windows.  Remodel America does not sell builder-grade products which are designed to fail and generally have very poor construction.  The windows tend to be bulky, ugly in design, and are made with inferior components.  Mid-grade products will have basic necessesaties like fusion welded frames and sashes, thermo-pane glass, virgin-vinyl, constant force balance systems, glass packages with Low e, argon or krypton gas; and cast-aluminum locks. Premium/commercial grade windows will start with all of the basics of a mid-grade window and will be upgraded with features like thicker vinyl frames for commercial use, foam filled frames and/or sashes, hurricane grade wind-load resistance, triple pane glass, designer glass options, slim-line frames that mimic the look of wood windows, and a myriad of niche options.

Who the manufacturer of the window is just as important as the window itself; you want to deal with a major player in the industry.  It is most important to deal with a manufacturer that uses top-of-the-line equipment and has a tight manufacturing process.  If the production of the window is shoddy then you will have a high number of defects in the products resulting in poorly performing windows.  Remodel America prefers to deal with recognized leaders in the vinyl window industry; Soft-Lite and Slocumb are two of our most popular manufacturer’s; both companies are AAMA certified (click here to find out more about certification) and have the best manufacturing equipment in the industry and plants that operate cleanly and efficiently.

Learn more about the different types of windows by visiting this page and learn more about energy ratings in our next post.  Don’t want to wait?  Start here.

You can download your tax form here.

Unfortunately, tax credits have not been extended at this time for 2012 but stay tuned as we will notify you of any updates and changes as they happen. And remember that if you need new windows, doors, and other energy saving home improvement products you will still save hundreds on your utility bills by purchasing your home improvements now. Contact Remodel America to see how we can save you money and beautify your home this winter.

While wood windows are more expensive than man-made vinyl windows they offer an historically accurate look that cannot be duplicated. In our area filled with historical homes wood windows provide an authentic way to restore your home. However, wood is a limited resource and in this age of conservation awareness we all want to find ways to be eco-friendly. Andersen shows us how they are working to limit their use of natural resources via tight manufacturing processes that limit errors resulting in remaking-and wasting-our limited resource, wood. Andersen also introduces us to Fibrex, their composite material which uses wood chips to form a durable, strong, and attractive compononite of their windows; Andersen is able to use close to 100% of the wood they source for their windows with innovations which allow for sustainability of their products. Watch this video and enjoy learning more about Andersen; you will also get to sneak a peak at their manufacturing facility.