Windows For High Wind/Rain Areas?
nesika41
| Posted in Energy, Heating & Insulation on
I have been searching–without finding anything–both this forum and the Internet, for hard, objective information about windows that can handle the wind/rain loads of the Oregon coast. Both the suppliers in the little town I live near sell Insulate/Certainteed, and some locals like them and some don’t. One guy liked them because , he said, they’d “always replace ’em if they went bad.” Which is good, I guess, but I would hope to find windows that didn’t need replacing; or is that unrealistic?
Is there no clearinghouse where numbers are kept about which windows perform the best?
Replies
We too are planning on building on the Coast....Manzanita. How about you?
Wind ratings for our area are 90mph, so I looked carefully for window specs. Milgard has a sort of storm or severe weather window which, as it was explained to me, carries vent holes at the top and another feature that I can't reference right now. Added about $50 per window as I recall.
But one of the shortcomings of Milgard is that the glass thermopane panels are installed against the stops from the inside....meaning the wind is constantly pushing the window away from its seal, as opposed to a manufacturer like Alpine that installs the panels from the outside. Don't know if this is a real concern, but it sounds reasonable.
The guy I worked with (...ok, he's my nephew) is Chad Cook of WoodView inc at 503-255-5015. Gave me a better price on 36 windows than HD and a way better price than Chown for essentially the same windows. Price quotes came directly from central office, so doubt I got a price break...but can't swear to that.
BruceM
Bruce,
I'm down south, near Gold Beach. 90-100MPH wind gusts.
I can't tell exactly what windows you are getting. Milgard? Alpine? Who/what is Chown? I thought HD only sold Viking .... oh, wait, I remember now that they carry a fair spectrum, including Pella, etc. My closest HD is now about 4 hours away, in Eugene.
Milgard seems to be the choice of many builders in CA central valley, where I used to live. But I don't know what the consensus is over here on the coast. Maybe I ought to just start calling builders and asking, 'cept I'd probably just get a bunch of answering machines.
Check w/ Allegany Door and Window in Coos Bay, 269-1963; he'll beat HD, Jerry's, Lowes, etc., save you a long trip to the valley or Medford and you'll have close connect with a Rep.
And John Sprung is absolutely right about the swinging window advantage.
Edited 6/5/2002 6:51:48 PM ET by Notchman
John, I'm using a combination of fixed and opening windows; for the openers, I was leaning toward casements, just because I don't like the break lines on sliders and DHs, but what you say makes perfect sense: type of window may be more important (here) than brand.
Notchman, I'll try Allegany. What brand(s) does he sell?
Pretty much full range: Certainteed/Insulate, Marvin, Anderson, Pella, etc. He has a small display area, carries little inventory (mom and Pop deal w/low overhead) I get most of my major building materials from him, too. (Ply, TGI's, mouldings, housewrap, caulkings and windows and doors, of course). Worth a look see. South end of Coos Bay, south side of 101 just past (from your area) Bunker Hill.
Been meaning to get back to you. Allegany was a full 25% less than the lowest of my local suppliers! Forgot to ask if they would deliver this far, but I don't mind driving there to save nearly $200. Thanks.
Try punching in "SFBC approved window" into a Google search. I got quite a few listings for companies and related information. SFBC stands for South Florida Building Code used in Dade County (Miami). If I understand correctly it is rated at 150 mph.
Probably more important than the maker is the method of operation of the window. For weathertightness, you want a swinging design, such as casement, awning, or hopper. You want to avoid a sliding design such as double hung or horizontal sliders. The reason is that the sliding windows have to slide past the friction of their weatherstripping, so they can't put much pressure on it. Swinging windows can use mechanical latches to compress the weatherstripping much tighter than is possible with sliding windows. If you look around Scandinavia and Eastern Europe, you'll see lots of casement and awning windows. Double hung and sliding windows are found mostly in milder climates.
-- J.S.
Check the Window and Door Manufacturers Association: http://www.nwwda.org/