New Technology, Manufacturing Processes Provide ''Windows Of Opportunity For Builders" by Juli Bridgers A window is no longer simply a pane of glass surrounded by a frame. No longer are windows' sole function the admission of light into a home or building. Windows in new construction today serve many purposes and "perform" many functions - most significantly energy conservation but also enhancement of the home's design and quality. The "windows of opportunity" for builders encompass evolving window technology that focuses on ever-improving glass options, as well as an ever-growing selection of window styles builders can offer their customers. According to Carl Gatlin of Builders Resource, Inc. in West Chicago (630-231-7745), home owners want windows that allow for more natural light into their homes, be unique in shape, size and design, and be as "gentle" as possible in their effect on heating and cooling costs. Rapid advances in the technology and manufacturing processes, says Gatlin, have made a wide range of insulating glass options available to the industry. As a result, architects and builders can now use and add more windows to a building in a wider variety of shapes and styles than ever before to meet everything on home buyers' "wish lists." With the use of Argon and Krypton gases, glass coatings and films, and varying the thickness of glass and air spaces, insulating glass can now attain "R" ratings as high as 11.5. Jim Miller, Sr., Regional Manager of U.S. Operations for Canada-based Willmar Windows, (815-728-0636) says the right windows fulfill all the homeowner's needs: psychological (comfort and security); functional (ventilation, light, energy efficiency); and aesthetics (style and design). "Energy conservation is optimized when all components and details of a home's construction are carefully integrated as a part of the total design," Miller points out. "For example, many homes can remain comfortable all summer without air conditioning if proper shading (overhangs and/or trees), efficient window glazing, and effective cross-ventilation are incorporated into the plans." Glazing Options In Windows Harnessing solar energy for use in a house employs the greenhouse effect and contributes to the conservation of non renewable energy resources. To optimize the use of collected solar energy, a building must be climate-responsive, well-sealed and well insulated. Appropriate glazing can greatly enhance solar energy collection and retention. Thanks to remarkable technological developments, "intelligent" coatings and films between panes of glass have resulted in high performance windows that have revolutionized solar control. An industry leader in innovative window solutions, Willmar Windows offers 17 different glazing options incorporating state-of-the-art technology. "When selecting window glazing, year 'round comfort should be a prime consideration," says Miller. "Balanced performance results in all-season comfort for home owners. High insulating qualities, good light transmission, UV radiation-blocking characteristics, and noise reduction are all important considerations when choosing glazings." Other Window Options Throughout the window industry, more companies are replacing the wood in their windows with extruded cladded parts, resulting in a hollow sash with a minimum of wood. "It's questionable as to whether you could really call these windows 'semi-maintenance-free'," says John Hook, owner of the Pozzi Window Center in Grayslake (847-223-6278). "Today's wood windows are just as maintenance-free, if not more so, as other materials. Pozzi continues to enhance the quality and amount of wood we use in our window and door products." An added advantage of wood windows, Hook notes, is that their millwork is often used as a reasonably priced interior design element. Windows are more than ever before an integral part of home design. They are no longer simply a functional element; homes are often designed around customer-specified specialty windows. Pozzi Windows' Thermal Bar Simulated Divided Lite answers the growing market demand for simulated divided light as an attractive alternative to true divided light. Simulated divided light offers many advantages, among them cost - a fraction of that associated with true divided light. Pozzi also offers maintenance-free features in its four different clad extruded exterior options and three wood designs - all featuring incomparable quality and price. Still, Hook says, there is a tendency for buyers to look only at the bottom line when making window selections. "Builders should point, and help their customers evaluate, the long-term quality and value they add to the home," including warranties and services offered by distributors and manufacturers. To help educate the home-buying consumer, Hook suggests that builders and installers become familiar with the compa ny(s) they are dealing with, and the prod ucts they are buying. "Take the time to visit the distributor, browse the showroom to v iew the types and styles of windows avail able." Knowing the options available in windows, he adds, lets builders offer many more options to customers. Hook also recommends that builders and instal]ers thoroughly understand window distributors' service policies and warranties, and get to know the Technical Support people. Service and warranties benefit both builder and buyer - by giving the customer greater value and the builder an added selling point. Martin Construction in Downers Grove, Wilson Colonial in Lake Zurich, and LJK Builders in Lake Forest have all taken advantage of Hook's expertise in design and installation of Pozzi windows and doors. Use Millwork To Make Homes Stand Out - And Sell Out Home owners and builders are always searching for distinctive features that make their homes unique. An ever widening variety of millwork profiles and wood species let builders introduce that "something different" in interior doors and trim. Manufacturers today are producing doors in a wider selection of styles and species than ever before; a greater selection of natural woods from worldwide resources gives designers, builders and home buyers exciting options. "We can now get beautiful, unique woods from all over the world," notes Gatlin of Builders Resource. "Extraordinary finishes, and, in many cases, truly unusual and handsome designs, can be achieved. Almost any design and profile can be created with natural woods." By using combinations of "standard" profiles, he says, builders can give their homes a more individualized, one-of-a-kind look. As John Hook of Pozzi Windows and Doors mentioned earlier, wood windows' millwork is often used as part of the interior design. Tom McIlwee of J.J. McIlwee Co., in Itasca (630-285-1600) sees a trend toward more painted woodwork packages in new home building, as well as increased use of solid-core, raised panel hardwood-core doors, upscale mouldings, and monochromatic window hardware. J.J. McIlwee offers builders exceptionally handsome millwork in a number of natural woods: pine, poplar, oak, cherry, maple, ash, hickory, walnut, fypon and marbleine. An array of interior-enhancing casing, base, show, chair rail, crown, cove and wainscot mouldings are also available, as well as skylights, windows, doors, stairs and hardware. "Builders we've worked with like Pasquinelli, Urban Estates and Chicago Capital find it's easiest to use a 'one-stop' supplier for their millwork, windows and doors," said McIlwee. J.J. McIlwee's Master Builder Program offers home builders volume discounts for complete interior/exterior packages. Advice To Builders "Find, work with, and keep a supplier with whom you are comfortable working with is the best advice we can give," says Gatlin of Builders Resource. He says to look for a supplier who provides timely quotations; a wide range of products, and timely service of those products; reliable deliveries; and knowledge of products and the window industry. Good communication - including accessibility - as well as an understanding of a particular builder's needs, are also crucial to developing a solid working relationship between builder and supplier. To improve that working relationship, ???? says, builders need to also order materials in a timely manner. "Don't wait until a week before you need materials to order them," he cautions. "We don't like to tell our customers it will take four weeks when they need it one. We strive to meet delivery dates, and we can when we have the lead time we need. Work out the details well in advance, and it's a win-win situation for both of us - and, of course, for your home buyer customer." Builders Resource's customers include Lehr & Associates; KPS Remodeling; and Dennis Zerfas Carpentry. Besides consumer demand for aesthetically pleasing window design, builders must also be aware of local government regulations for residential windows. Tom McIlwee of J.J. McIlwee Co. notes that more municipalities are enforcing bedroom egress, as well as tempered glass, codes. "Builders are wise to work with a professional supplier who 'knows the codes', so to speak," he says, "and can deal with them before the windows are ordered or even manufactured. It saves a lot of headaches - and money." Window Glazing Options ¥ Selective low emissivity (low E) coatings of metallic material are virtually invisible, allowing light to pass through while sensitivity blocking heat and most UV rays. Two generic types of low E are pyrolytic (hard) coatings, produced by fusing tin oxide onto the surface of molten glass. Sputtered (soft) coatings involve coating the glass surface with silver or zinc atoms in a vacuum. Low E coatings are used singly or in multiple layers to obtain the desired glazing characteristics. ¥ Solar Shield glazings utilize specially formulated Low E coatings to block out most of the sun's heat and most UV whole providing a clear view, due to their low shading coefficient. ¥ Solar Gain glazings capture the sun's heat and admit a high level of visible light thanks to a high solar heat gain coefficient. Both Solar Sheild and Solar Gain keep the inner glass surface warmer, reduce condensation, and reduce heat loss to the outside. ¥ Heat Mirrortm consists of a specially coated low E film mounted as a separate layer between panes of glass in an IGU, creating additional airspace(s) and dramatically reducing heat loss, heat gain, UV radiation, condensation and sound penetration. Though more expensive, Heat Mirrortm represents the highest performance glazing option available.