Vinyl window and door designs in ecosmart house
REHAU vinyl window and door designs will contribute to the highly efficient building envelope of the REHAU MONTANA ecosmart house. The high-performance operable units will be System 1400 casement and awning windows and System 4500 tilt-turn windows. System 4500 will also be used for outward-opening French doors. Different glazing packages have been selected to meet the varying solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) requirements of each of the home's elevations. All of the window and door designs have U-factors of 0.25 or lower. The vinyl is an unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (uPVC), specially formulated by REHAU for impact and fade resistance.
Advantages of vinyl windows and doors
The thermal efficiency and durability of vinyl makes it an exceptional construction material. Homeowners benefit from lower energy bills and enjoy the convenience of never needing to paint their vinyl windows and doors. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates a $125 to $340 annual energy savings for each traditional single pane window that is replaced with an Energy Star vinyl window.
The REHAU window and door designs chosen for the ecosmart house are some of the highest performing products on the market, reducing the overall heating and cooling loads of the house.
The System 1400 casement and awning is believed to be the first and only vinyl window design ever to earn the window industry's highest performance rating - AAMA 101 "Architectural" Grade 70. Three continuous seals around the sash create an effective air and water barrier.
The System 4500 tilt-turn is not only thermally efficient but also very versatile. This popular European design offers three window styles in one: an inward opening window in the turn position, secure top-venting window in the tilt position and a tightly-sealed window when closed. Matching inward and outward opening single and French door configurations are also available. With multiple locking points surrounding the sash, the system provides optimal air and water tightness and can achieve commercial AAMA ratings up to AP-HC100.
Operable sashes on both systems open fully for maximum ventilation and ease of cleaning from inside the house.