And we meet again! Thank you for taking the time to visit us at The Home Improvement Minute. I want to continue our discussion on vinyl replacement windows and the modifications that has occurred in the industry, as well as the benefits of these changes. One of the evolutions of the vinyl replacement window has been the reinforcement at the meeting rails.
Now, you may ask “What exactly is so important about reinforcement and specifically reinforcement at the meeting rails?” The answer to that question is very simple… durability. You strengthen the window, while adding durability to the product to eliminate a weakness. This reinforcement strengthens the two meeting points of the window, where a standard double hung window meets and locks, to ensure the window will not settle over time or become permanently set due to high winds.
For some time, since this practice has evolved, aluminum was the common material of choice for adding strength. There is one problem with this. As we discussed in the second part of this blog, aluminum is a conductor. When you have a conductor within a vinyl replacement window, this increases the chance for condensation as well as expansion and contraction, which can lead to stress fractures of the frame, sash and glass package. This is now changing with the introduction of the Innergy Bar.
It’s time to think green! The Innergy Rigid Thermal Reinforc
ement bar is manufactured of a fiber glass reinforced resin, which includes a 20 percent bio-based resin. This process incorporates soy and other renewable resources! Who would have thought or believed that a green product, such as the Innergy Bar, could perform 700 times better than aluminum! It doesn’t stop there. The Innergy Bar is unreceptive to heat and cold, therefore making this product a non-conductor.
I could keep going when it comes to discussing home improvements and vinyl replacement windows, but this is a good stopping point. In the next Home Improvement Minute we will continue to discuss the features and the benefits of the Energy Weld Series 8000 vinyl replacement window, as well and the vinyl replacement window industry. We will discuss the do’s and the don’ts from the haves to the must not haves in home improvements. Until next time, keep improving.
