[Greenbuilding] apples, oranges, and u values

[Frank Tettemer]

Hi All,
Speaking from the point of view of a builder,  I have happily installed Fibertec Windows, from Concord, Ontario, and find that their installation sequence works well.

I have also installed Thermotech Windows, from Arnprior, Ontario, as well as Inline Windows.  All three companies offer excellent quality, and out perform, (in quality of construction, and thermal breaks in their sash), any window you can buy at the local building supply stores, such as Jeldwen, Mason, Anderson, and Weathershield.

I have always specified low E and argon in West, North, and East walls, with none of that in the South walls.
Here in chilly north-central Ontario I have not installed double glaze windows for over a decade ... always the triple glaze, as the performance is worth the additional 10% to 15%.

Speaking about wooden windows, I have triple glaze Pella Windows in my own home, and have had them for close to two decades, with no failures. I bought them back then because I love the look of wood, and because I had no idea about the thermal properties of insulated fiberglass in 1993.  Maybe they weren't available then?
The significant thing about wooden windows is that without triple glaze, the condensation formed in the dead of winter would have discoloured the pine wood frames by now, but with triples, there is still only the original wood finish, (5 coats Tung oil), which is admittedly needing a few more coats, but has protected the wood for all this time, (19 years).

Frank
Frank Tettemer
Living Sol ~ Building and Design
www.livingsol.com
613 756 3884

Lynelle writes:
I've been VERY happy with my Thermotech windows.  They've performed beautifully.  My house is not a Passivhaus, but is well insulatewd an passive solar.  I did not use my furnace at all this winter and only used 2 cord of wood to heat 2200 sq. Ft.
> From my BB

-----Original Message-----
From: "John Straube"<jfstraube at gmail.com>

Why not get fiberglass triples? $35 to 40 per sf for residential size and quantity?  PVC is not that stiff or durable and moves a lot. Not horrible but FG is better. Thermotech Inline Accurate Dorwin etc.
Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.

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