Latest Articles in Design & Performance
-
June 23, 2015The Clean Power Plan, set to be released by the Environmental Protection Agency this summer, is a sweeping set of regulations designed to reduce total U.S. carbon emissions by 30 percent by 2030. The fenestration community should take note, as one of the hallmarks of this new plan is a “beyond the fence line” approach to reducing carbon emissions. According to a draft version of the... more »
-
June 18, 2015The issue of skylight fall protection is not new. Manufacturer members of the AAMA Skylight Council have been especially proactive over recent years in improving the installation and maintenance safety of their products. However, concerns have surfaced anew in the wake of a relative blizzard of reports of individuals falling through skylights while engaged in snow removal from beleaguered roofs... more »
-
June 18, 2015How important is it to you to be able to open an exterior window and bring fresh air into an interior space you are occupying? Would you consider buying or renting a home that did not have operable windows? If you did not have operable windows in your kitchen or living room would it bother you? The 2015 International Building Code and 2015 International Residential Code requires interior,... more »
-
June 2, 2015In the last four years, the world of door glass framing—the seal between the door and glass—has changed dramatically. Before, there was one choice: one frame, one profile. Surveying the market today, you’ll see that we now have options. Some options deal with performance, others with aesthetics. Some work well in hot and humid climates, others in cold climates. This new world of... more »
-
May 28, 2015Window and door dealers, Window & Door magazine wants to show off your showroom! Please answer a couple of quick questions and submit an image of your space for for a chance to be included in our Dream Showroom coverage at this year’s GlassBuild America expo.* Don’t miss this free publicity opportunity. Fill out the form below by June 12. And, don’t miss your... more »
-
May 19, 2015The first word that comes to mind regarding impact windows and doors is "hurricane." Yes, impact glass windows and doors are mostly used in hurricane-prone states where, in certain places, it is a state law to install hurricane shutters or upgrade to hurricane glass. However, impact glass is beneficial in many applications beyond category three hurricanes and winds. Once window... more »
-
May 9, 2015The vertical separation between our living space and the elements is made up of three primary sectors: the common wall area, fenestration and the installation perimeter of the fenestration. All three share similar demands as part of the building envelope—to keep weather out and climate control in. Even though a window (or door) is an independent component in itself, it’s still a window, in a wall... more »
-
May 9, 2015The series of columns on the new provisions of the 2015 International Codes for fenestration continues this month with a discussion about design wind speeds from the 2015 International Residential Code. The design wind speed model used in the 2015 IRC has been revised to the Strength Design (SD) model. With this change, the design wind speed model used in the 2015 IRC will be consistent with that... more »
-
May 9, 2015How to navigate the multi-panel door marketABSi orchestrated the details on this project that uses LaCantina Door’s folding door system to extend the kitchen and living room of this farm house into the veranda. (Photography by Open Homes Photography) The concept of bringing the outside in is nothing new to the industry. But, the trend hasn’t yet permeated all levels of the general public, as traditionally it has... more »
-
March 24, 2015One window design trend in recent years is a movement toward a “narrow, flat, pre-punched appendage around the entire perimeter through which we drive nails to anchor the fenestration to the wall structure.” You may be wondering why I’m being so abstract in terming this component. I choose to because there is no one term and I want you to consider what you would naturally... more »