Good News! A good window does not have to be expensive, but you do need to know what to look for if you want to know you're getting a good window value.
You can't judge a window by its price tag. Just like a car, some of the most expensive cars are in the shop for repairs more often then some of the least expensive. But unlike a car, the death of a window can be somewhat subtle and the homeowner may not be aware the windows performance is dropping; not even aware that the windows (once thought great) are only working at fraction of performance level that the windows provided when the windows were new. The key to making a responsible decision on what window to buy is to know what makes a window durable and which windows are durable; or, will the windows still perform well in year two, year five, ten or twenty years from now?
Windows 101 Basics
Manufacturers make the windows but mostly rely on dealers to sell their products.
When a window dealer picks up a new window line, a representative from the window manufacture comes out to speak to the sales representatives to tell them how wonderful his or her window is and why the salesperson should promote their particular window.
I've been selling windows long enough to have heard sales pitches from most of the manufacturer’s representatives and they all seem great, after all, the manufacturer’s are selling the salesman whom will be consulting the homeowner. The truth is, there are some windows that are durable and will perform well for many years, but most windows are not durable and the typical window salesperson doesn't know anymore than the limited information the manufacture representative gave him/her to promote their product.
Windows usually work just fine when they are new, but declines in performance rather soon after. The University of Massachusetts says in it's article “Understanding Energy Performance” that the durability of a window should be considered when deciding what window meets your needs.
Most window salespeople are unaware that 88% of all windows made are constructed with a single butyl rubber seal (PIB) to maintain the integrity (gas & low-emissivity) of a window. Only 12% of all windows made (most in Europe) are constructed with a secondary seal. A major glass manufacture published the results of tests (call P1 test) on various types of sealants to determine what configuration gave the best results for durability; the test lasted 40 weeks and the first seal to fail (in the first 24 hours) was the PIB seal that is used by most all major manufactures.
The “National Fenestration Rating Council” (NFRC) is a non-profit organization that administers the only uniform, independent rating and labeling system for the energy performance of a window or door. If you have been shopping for windows at a ‘big box’ home improvement store, you may have seen the 'NFRC' sticker on the windows. The 'NFRC' says that the sticker is for manufacturers to have a fair and level playing field to compare products and an accurate method of showing the energy benefits of new designs or technology.
Although I like the concept of the NFRC's mission statement; It might be well to note that according to ‘Umass-Amherst’ the ”NFRC does not evaluate durability”. The testing the NFRC performs only will determine what will a new window do in a lab situation, not what would a two year old (or older) window would do in the same situation.
The 'American Architectural Manufactures Association' (AAMA) sets voluntary standards for air leakage, water penetration, structural strength and forced-entry resistance. It should be of no surprise that the vast array of windows manufactured for residential use are constructed to meet the absolute minimum requirement, thus keeping manufacture cost down to make greater profits since most window buyers (not knowing the difference) shop on lowest price rather than for the best value.
The purpose of this information is to educate our prospective customer of the potential pitfalls of not being informed and not knowing what questions to ask from a window salesman, we also hope you’ll consider allowing us the opportunity to earn your business by answering questions, such as:
• Which seal option has the best durability? Which window manufacturers use the newest technology?
• Because 25% of a windows heat loss is through the frame of a window, some window manufactures use foam to get the windows ratings up. Most foams used in window construction are not sustainable. Why is not using a sustainable foam in the production of a window such a major problem?
• What are design pressure (DP) ratings of a window? and what window rating would be appropriate for where I live?
• What's the least expensive durable window available to me?
• I'm selling my house and durability isn't an issue to me. I just need a good-looking cheap window to increase the resale price of the home. What do you recommend?
Beware of scams! If a window salesperson says:
“If you don't make a commitment to this purchase “tonight,” you will loose the special pricing that’s being offered to you;” or “I need homes for a promotion; we want to use your house for a promotion or model and will give you deep discounts if we can use your house for our promotion; however, if you don't say yes to us right now, we will make the offer to someone else and you’ll loose the discount.”
This is an sales technique called “fear of loss” and it is used when the salesperson is aware they offer a product that is either inferior, over rated or just over priced for what you get and the next salesperson you see may have just what you want at a much better price.