The Product You Want
Windows/Doors
Choosing the right windows and doors can make a dramatic difference in the way your home looks and feels. Every home is different, with different styles, different tastes and different needs. But in each home there is the desire to bring the beauty of the outdoors inside while keeping out the extremes of nature.
We offer assistance in the planning and selection of windows and doors. Our staff can provide support and technical assistance including working with your architect or builder. All of our windows are custom-made and designed to lower your heating, cooling and maintenance costs. Whether you are replacing your current windows or building a new home, Kootenay Glass has windows that offer incredible durability and are manufactured to the highest quality standards in the industry.
When your project requires residential or commercial windows with special color appeal, energy savings and style, Kootenay Glass has the perfect choice. Our vents, casement and fixed windows feature heavy duty corner keys with mitred corners, superior hardware and double weather-stripping in thermal and non-thermal configurations.
When you choose your windows from Kootenay Glass , you have purchased the very best windows available. You’ve chosen not only energy-efficient, high-quality and long-lasting windows, but windows built with a sense of pride. Kootenay Glass & Mirror … for today, tomorrow and the years ahead.
Windows – Tips
1. How should I evaluate the energy performance of a window?
Look for products that are tested and approved. This includes testing the U-value of a window. Look for the C.M.H.C. sticker on the window.
2. What is air infiltration?
Air infiltration refers to the movement of air at a different temperature through the different interfacing surfaces of the sash and frame. Look for windows that are designed for absolute minimum air infiltration.
3. What is a “rough opening”?
The rough opening is the opening in the wall that the window or patio door fits into. Normally, the rough opening must be sized 1/2 inch larger than the frame in both width and height.
4. What does it mean to have a “clad” wood window?
“Clad” refers to the covering on the exterior window or patio door unit. From the inside, you see the beauty of wood while the aluminum clad “shell” on the outside ensures the life of your wood windows for many years.
5. What does the term “failed” mean and how can you tell when a window has “failed”?
You know a window has failed if there’s moisture in between the panes of glass.
There are two types of window failures:
1. A seal failure: the glazing is cracked, missing or the fit of the window is bad.
2. A window failure: moisture is leaking in.
6. Can old-style windows be custom made?
Yes. One affordable option that also maintains the historic integrity of a home is to replace an old wood window with a new wood window of the same style.
7. What window material do you recommend for a house in the Northwest?
Window material choices vary by region. In the Northwest, houses use mostly vinyl and wood windows, whereas in the Southwest, more aluminum windows are used. This has a lot to do with the building codes, and the fact that aluminum conducts heat and cold.
8. Please explain the U/R values and how they rate a window’s insulation capabilities.
One way that insulation is created is with dead-air space between panes of glass. Therefore a double-paned window gives more insulation than a single-paned one. Other factors contribute to the insulation qualities of a window, such as the gasket, the material type, and the gas used in a gas-filled window. The U/R value tells how the product insulates. It is a formula derived from the efficiency of the product, and that formula takes into account many of the factors just mentioned. A good R measurement is a high one, while a good U measurement is low since U is the reciprocal of the R. Homeowners are more interested in the R value, while builders are interested in the U value.
9. What is low-E?
Low-E, or low emissivity, refers to how a window reflects certain length waves. A window with a good low-E lowers your energy bill because in the summer it reflects sunlight and in the winter it absorbs it to help in heating your home.
10. What are some reasons why I might want tinted windows in my home?
Tinting on glass is used for more than just keeping out the sun. The tinting, which comes in either gray or bronze, cuts light into the home, and keeps heat out.
11. What is the reason for injecting gas into double paned windows?
Two types of gas are used to fill the space between panes of glass: argon and krypton. These gases are denser than air, which contributes better insulation. Krypton is even denser than argon, hence slightly more expensive.
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