UV coatings on new windows come with special instructions

UV coatings on new windows come with special instructions

One new option for people building a custom home is the ability to order your windows with a UV protective coating. This coating limits the amount of UV rays that are able to pass through the glass in the window. This limiting of UV rays helps protect the interior of your home from the harmfulness of the sun.

UV harmful rays are only getting worse; UV’s are already affecting the lifespan of many products on the outside of your home.

The UV coating is a good idea especially for people who want to build custom homes with a lot of large windows that face the southern sun.  Some of the things that can be damaged;

• Furniture materials.
• Rugs and carpets.
• Paint on the walls.
• Paintings and other art items.
• Curtains, shades and blinds.

Those are the pro’s for buying the UV protective coating, there are some cons that you should be aware of before purchasing windows with this coating;

• There is an increased cost for buying windows with this protected coating that is on top of the cost of the windows.

• There are many different types of UV coatings depending on what type of window and also which manufacturer you choose. Some UV coatings work better than others.

• Some of the more effective UV coatings require special cleaning instructions that are very different then how you normally handle cleaning windows. A lot of stronger chemicals cannot be used on the inside of the windows as it can damage the coating on the windows.

• Some of the UV coatings can be easily damaged by anything sharp (finger nails or scrappers). This can be a real problem when it comes to protecting the windows on the inside during construction from drywall mud and paint splatter as you will be hard pressed to remove it without the use of a scrapper or a razor blade.

Talk to your general contractor about the options and the costs when choosing your windows and whether it is really worth it for you to purchase UV protection on your windows.

Rob Abbott
Village Builders Inc.

New Window options for custom homes in 2014

New Window options for custom homes in 2014

The changing needs in design and tastes make staying up with current trends and new technology in window manufacturing a must for custom home builders. The last half decade has seen massive changes in the options that are now available for all types of windows. This leads homeowners to be almost buried in choices when they go to choose new windows and the options that are available for them to have installed in their custom home. Since every option comes with a plus or a minus and a change in price, contractors are having to stay ahead of their clients and the ever evolving choices.

New options arise every year with windows, here is a brief list of some of the more popular options to help you understand what you have to select from;


• UV coatings. These coatings are good for houses with a lot of windows, the UV coating helps protect the furnishings and finishes in the home from the ever increasing harshness of UV light that exists today. There are some down sides to the UV coating; some manufactures install it as a last coat on the windows, which means that if you are not careful with the inside glass surface you could accidentally remove it. If you use the wrong cleaning product or scrape something off the glass with a razor blade or your finger nail it can peel off the protective film.

• Triple pane windows. Triple pain windows have been around for a while but you usually could only get them in certain brands and certain styles of windows, also the price was extreme compared to a normal double pane window. This has changed in the last couple of years, now most brands offer multiple lines and styles of windows in triple pane; also the cost of the triple pane window has come down in price making it a real option for people looking for a more energy efficient home. Triple pane windows work well to lessen the impact of large windows that are affected by high winds and cold temperatures. They also damper outside noise to almost nothing because of the thickness of the glass, basically no sounds seem to be able to resonate though and into the home.

• Coloured vinyl windows. Ever since the release of the vinyl window they have been offered in predominately one colour and that is the natural white colour that is native vinyl. That has all changed in the last decade, most window suppliers offer you a spectrum of colours for the vinyl that their windows are produced in. These vinyl windows also have the ability to be painted if you choose too at a later date for that custom look.

• Solar gain and solar limiting. The building codes in North America are changing and so are the options for your new windows. One of these changes is solar gain and solar limiting windows. What this means basically means is that one window allows more heat from the sun to penetrate into the home (solar gain) and the other blocks the heat from the sun from entering the home (solar limiting) without blocking the sunlight from coming in. The reason for this is to help balance the temperature of the home as this has always been a problem in homes; when the sun is shining on the south side of the building it raises the temperature of only the south side while leaving the north side of the home cooler.  These windows should help even this out with maximizing sunlight into the north side of the home and limiting the heat produces from the south side of the home.This allows your furnace to work more efficiently and for your home to be closer to the desired temperature in every room.

• Hybrid windows. Hybrid windows that are aluminum on the outside and vinyl on the inside are now available. This allows the homeowner to have the look and longevity of aluminum on the outside and the advantage of vinyl on the inside. Having vinyl on the inside lowers the overall cost of the window compared to an aluminum window with wood on the inside. It also lowers the cost of finishing the inside of the window as vinyl doesn’t require any staining or painting to finish.

• European style windows. These type of windows have a hinge to allow air to flow in only through the top or to open like a crank window. These type of windows aren't new to the market as this style of window has been around for decades, but it is now available in vinyl form. These style of windows allow homeowners more options for regulating the air flow into the home and a different look and feel then conventional windows.

This is just some of the newer options that you can find in windows for residential custom homes. As there are almost endless window manufactures in the North American market there are also almost endless window options and they trend in and out depending on style, design and personal taste.

Make sure that you weigh all the options for new windows against the cost benefits that are associated with them. This could dramatically change your window budget for your new custom home.

Rob Abbott
Village Builders Inc.

Window trends in custom homes 2013

Window trends 2013

Here are some trends in windows being installed in custom homes for 2013. Some of the trends have started this year (2013), a lot of trends where started in the 2012 construction year and continued into this calendar year. There are trends that have been sustained year over year as well; they are considered the long running trends.

Window trends in homes for 2013

Here are a list of trends that have stayed the same over the last couple of years;

• For renovations the most popular window to be installed as replacements is still vinyl clad windows.

• Higher end homes are still opting for windows with clear pine finishes on the inside allowing them to be either stained or painted, leaving a higher end finish.

• Most popular still in custom homes is aluminum clad windows on the exterior of the home with wood finishing’s on the inside.

• Crank opening windows are by far the most popular form of windows in custom homes, far exceeding single or double hung windows.

• Because most windows are crank opening windows almost all the windows we install have the screens on the interior side.

• For vinyl clad windows white is by far the most popular window colour for the exterior finish.

• For aluminum clad windows, dark colours have become the most popular, the aluminum allows for dark colours to stand up to harsh environments and will keep its colour longer.

• In larger windows, transoms above the windows are still the most popular way to let light in and also help dress up a larger window giving it more character.

• Large or oversized French doors leading outside to a deck or balcony are a standard thing in custom homes; they are an upgrade on the look and function of patio sliding doors.

• Patio sliding doors are usually made by Pella doors for their reliability, beauty and functionality. The interior finish is usually a clear pine.

• Full round or half round windows are being used as an accent and also to help break up the standard square or rectangle bank of windows in homes today.

Here is a list of newer trends for this year;

• UV coatings are becoming increasingly more popular as people look to protect their furnishings from the harsh sun especially on the Southern exposure of the home.

• Solar gain and solar limiting are increasing in popularity, these new types of windows help balance the homes heating and cooling and reduce the utility bills overall.

• Tilt and slide or roll and slide patio doors have really started to become popular, people wanting more of a view and the ability to let the outdoors in without the heavy cumbersomeness of an oversized patio door.

• Vanishing screens have become a lot more popular lately; the screen rolls up into a holder at the edge of the door out of the way, these screen types are less likely to be damaged from children, animals and harsh winter storms.

• Nano or folding doors have become all the rage, instead of windows on either side of a patio or a pair of French doors, nano/folding doors can be as wide as you want them to be. I have seen plans for a folding door system that was 28 feet wide. It’s like a wall of windows that fold in on themselves to create an outdoor space.

• Banks of windows is the fast evolving trend in custom homes. Instead of extremely large windows architects are drawing many smaller windows in series.

• Instead of bay windows that hang out of homes, architects are designing the floor plan to hang out like a bay window allowing for the creation of a unique space and increasing the view and the angle of which you can accept sunlight.

• Solar powered skylights are all the rage right now, the solar unit powers the opening and closing mechanism on the sky light. This allows you in a renovation to not worry about wiring the skylight with electrical supply power.

These are some of the trends in 2013 that I have noticed, as like all trends things are constantly changing and evolving.

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.