• If you have a tilt in window, please remember to lift your window up before you tilt them in towards you, then bring them completely back into the house until they stop and rest before you clean them. Holding the window or balancing the window on your knees can cause it to become uneven or cockeyed inside of the frame putting pressure on the balancers and shoes. This is one of the leading causes of breakage on this window. If you have a cleaning service passing on these instructions it could save on unnecessary service calls and repair bills.

• Cheap cleaning supplies for your windows: White vinegar mixed with water (50/50) and old newspaper work great (but wear gloves to prevent hands from getting ink on them),

(This trick works wonders on very dirty outside windows without using every paper towel in the house.)

• Finishes on Entry Doors should be protected and preserved by applying a coating with UV inhibitors every year. This keeps the harmful rays of the sun from fading your door and keeps most finish warranties valid. If you need a copy of the product warranty most manufactures have them online.

• Make sure that weep holes in sliding doors, garden windows, storm windows, or any windows or doors that do not have a sloped sill are cleaned out regularly. This will keep water from backing up and causing water damage to your home.

We can go on and on about how strong and long-lasting a window is, but in today’s world energy efficiency is just as important. The patented Ultrex material has an extremely low thermal expansion rate, keeping the windows stable and weather tight, reducing the risk of seal failures and air leakage into your home. The Marvin glass options include the standard LoE-272 glazing which will maximize your home’s thermal efficiency, as well as the LoE-366, which is recommended for high sun exposure locations. This means you can take advantage of the already amazing sight lines that Marvin Windows give you but your utility bill doesn’t have to suffer.

Marvin Infinity Fiberglass Windows were just featured as a Hot New Product for the Home and Remodeling Show. Here’s just a couple reason why Marvin Infinity is so Hot!

Marvin Infinity windows are made from Ultrex fiberglass, a pultruded fiberglass material so strong and durable it is superior to other window materials, making the product virtually maintenance free! And what does Pultruded Fiberglass mean? Pultruded fiberglass is an engineered material created from a matrix of components with ~ 60-70% glass content, an inert and natural material. It’s created by strands of glass and glass matting being pulled through a heated die. It is then cut and shaped for each specific window. Fiberglass has a 38% longer useful life expectancy than vinyl and is 8x stronger than vinyl Ultrex Fiberglass not only uses pultruded fiberglass technology but Marvin Infinity also includes a patented cap-stock material. This material is added during the main process to create a superior UV resistance and finish quality. To sum it up, not only is every Marvin Infinity product manufactured with super-strong fiberglass, it also innately has UV resistance and a great quality finish.

Next Stop: Are Marvin Infinity Windows Energy Efficient?

Marvin Infinity Double Hung in White

Match or Beat Pricing Policy Gaurantee!

Free labor on blinds & shades when purchased with windows. Offer ends 08/20/2011

Around the House: Winterization
Located in the November-December 2010 issue; pages 78-80.

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Basically, there are 4 factors for quieting noise coming through windows.

1. Air infiltration:  Sound travels on air. A window with a low (less than .10) air infiltration rate will deaden the noise coming through the windows.
2. Staggering glass thickness:  Using 1/8″ rather than 1/4″, will slow down different sized sound waves.
3. Spacing the glass farther apart:  The farther the distance the better the noise deadening abilities of the product.
4. Laminated glass:  Whether it’s 1/4″ or 1/2″ laminated glass, they will increase your noise abatement against the lower frequencies.

The average humans’ perception of change from noise to noticeable difference is 5 STC (Sound Transmission Classification) points. To notice about 1/2 the noise level, the average human needs a 10 point difference in the STC.

One of the best ways to deaden noise through windows is to use acoustic storm windows with your existing window. We can reach an STC of 35-50 depending on the thickness of glass in the acoustic storm window and the spacing from the primary window.

There are many myths that we run into out in the field that competitors like to state; here are just a few of the sound deadening MYTHS:

Myth #1 – Argon or Krypton in a window improve sound resistance because they are heavier than dead air.

Myth #2 – Triple pane deadens more sound than double pane.

Myth #3 – Vinyl windows are better than aluminum or wood windows when it comes to noise prevention.

Here at The Window Man we’re proud to carry ProVia Doors. Why are we so enthusiastic about these doors?

Here are some of the features that make ProVia the perfect door for your new construction or renovation project in DC, Maryland and Virginia.

Features:

* Finish on doors backed by an exclusive 5-year warranty.
* Hinges are coated with a special rust resistant zinc dichromate finish.
* Our doors are available in our treated wood frame or ProVia’s exclusive 18-gauge steel L-frame design.
* The exclusive ProVia 20-gauge steel security plate provides a level of security not found on residential doors.
* To reinforce the lock and deadbolt area, we add commercial gauge steel to our steel doors and a solid wood block to our fiberglass doors.
* ProVia’s multiple blade sweep eliminates drafts-keeping your home comfortable.
* Our corner seal is the most efficient you’ll find in keeping moisture, air and dirt out of your home.
* Our fully adjustable oak or vinyl cap provides the best energy efficient fit with our style of sweep.
* Our own state-of-the-art threshold provides maximum thermal efficiency.
* Solid Brass Hardware from Schlage.
* We take extra precautions to protect your door during shipping.
* Using our own fleet of trucks to ensure that your door arrives undamaged and on time.
* Hundreds of style combinations available.

For more information about ProVia entry doors, stop by any of The Window Man’s three Virginia showrooms today.

Here at The Window Man we pride ourselves on being the Educational Window Company. We start the educational process by talking about the three Window Evils.

1 Air Infiltration 60%
2 Radiant Heat 30%
2 Conduction/Convection 10%

Today we’re going to talk about air infiltration, also called or air leakage.

Air leakage is unwanted amounts of outside air entering the house through cracks and small openings. A leaky house allows moisture, dust and allergens into your home, making it unhealthy. As air pressure changes in your home, these same leaks also allow heated or cooled air to escape. These air leaks waste energy dollars! Air infiltration causes cold drafts and temperature differences within a room, which frequently causes the thermostat to be set higher or lower, so that the average temperature is at the desired level. The Window Man takes pride in only selling windows that far exceed industry standards to reduce the air infiltration into your home.

Air leakage may come from gaps and cracks around the windows and doors in your home and can account for 50% of your heating costs. By reducing air infiltration, you can use lower thermostat settings and your comfort level significantly increases.

A good analogy is to think of going outside on a cold, windy day wearing an expensive, good quality winter coat all decked out with thermal fleece and water repellent, but if you don’t zip it up, you get little of the benefits you paid for.

Choose a window that has been tested and AAMA certified for air infiltration. If a manufacturer elects to have its product tested, it cannot have more than 0.3 cfm/ft2 of air leakage per linear foot of crack space.

Vinyl is the most popular material windows are made from, but vinyl moves! Vinyl expands and contracts 10 times more then other window materials and windows are tested at normal room temperatures. Our experience shows that vinyl windows need to be tested at “.10” cfm or less, which is 3 times better than a passing grade so they don’t become drafty in the winter when they shrink.