Performance Matters

Summer is in full swing here in western Pennsylvania. With it come many of my personal pleasures, such as water-based outdoor recreational activities, farmers’ markets, gardening, swimming with my son and extra-rich chicken eggs from all the free-ranging our flock is able to do. But with summer come some less desirable attributes such as trouble keeping our house sufficiently cool and battling the ample insects from the nearby farms.

Our home’s windows and doors play a huge role in our comfort all year, but I perhaps notice it most during these hot summer months as I struggle to stay cool and keep the bugs out. Although we’re fortunate to not live in an area prone to natural disasters, much of the country is in the midst of, or preparing for, a season predicted to be rife with hurricanes, wildfires and other natural disasters, where the ante is upped for fenestration to not only provide comfort, but also safety.

Code-setting organizations continuously work to build codes and standards that ensure the utmost safety and performance of fenestration products. This issue of Window + Door focuses on how codes and standards can work to protect buildings and occupants in the face of natural disasters.

• Jim Horn of Cornerstone Building Brands discusses standards for impact resistance certification, offers manufacturers a hurricane preparedness checklist and guide and provides a case study of of how hurricane-resistant windows helped save a family’s home during Hurricane Michael;
• Karl Fippinger from the International Code Council explains how residential safety from wildland fires starts with building codes;
• Janice Yglesias, executive director, FGIA, reviews updated standards for door hardware performance;
• And don’t miss Fenestration Canada’s Technical Director Terry Adamson’s feature about Canadian energy codes, where he examines Canada’s national building codes, as well as provincial building codes.

All of these pieces are just a sample illustration of the vital role codes and standards play in our industry. Organizations such as the National Glass Association, Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance, Window and Door Manufacturers Association and more work each day to ensure codes and standards development for fenestration, glass and glazing are up-to-date, attainable and functional.

Although not a code, the anticipated finalization of Energy Star Version 7.0 will give the industry a new set of guidance to look toward to maximize the energy efficiency and performance of residential fenestration products. Stay tuned for further Energy Star coverage and analysis later this year in Window + Door.

Of course, the windows and doors that protect our homes can’t sacrifice aesthetics. If anything, homeowners are becoming more discerning about performance and beauty working hand-in-hand. A collection of case studies illustrates how doors can transform a home and meet its functional and aesthetic goals.