Window & Door is pleased to honor Kasson & Keller Inc. with a 2010 Crystal
Achievement Award for the Best Product Literature in the Small/Medium Manufacturer Category. We had a very competitive field of nominees this year, but our judges were clearly impressed with the EcoShield Window brochures and their recognition is well deserved. More than 10 years ago, Window & Door developed the Crystal Achievement Awards program to recognize innovation in product technology, manufacturing and marketing. Many leading window and door manufacturers and industry suppliers are represented in our prestigious list of past honorees. Selected by a panel of judges representing all segments of the industry, our winners can be truly proud of their accomplishment.
Window & Door’s Crystal Achievement Award web page can be found at http://www.windowanddoor.com/best-product-literature/CA2010#kaskel
EcoShield single hung and double hung windows are designed for easy cleaning by tilting the sashes inward so the outside of the window can be cleaned from the inside. To tilt a window in for cleaning, first unlock the security locks on the sash. Each window comes with two tilt latches on each operating sash. Raise the bottom sash about three inches. Using both hands, disengage the tilt latches on both sides simultaneously. While holding the latches with your thumbs, gently pull the top of the sash toward you until the latches are clear of the frame. Holding the top of the sash, continue to lower it until you pass 90 degrees. This will lock the balance shoes in place. To tilt the top sash (on the double hung), lower the sash about three inches and follow the same procedures. To return either sash to its operating position, swing the sash back up and push the top of the sash gently until the tilt latches snap back in the side jambs.
A common question that is asked of us is “why are your vinyl new construction windows and replacement windows environmentally friendly?” The following is an excerpt from a document on the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) Web site which highlights a number of the environmental benefits associated with vinyl windows:
Designed to conserve energy: Vinyl window frames and sash corners are fusion welded for maximum strength and protection against air and water infiltration. Tests using the common measure of insulating ability, the U-factor, have shown that vinyl windows regularly perform exceptionally well because of the excellent thermal performance of the frame. Warm air stays inside during the winter and cool air stays inside during the summer. Energy is conserved and money is saved when the furnace and air conditioner don’t have to work so hard to maintain the desired temperature.
Winning combination high durability, low maintenance: Vinyl windows are impervious to rot, rust, corrosion, blistering, flaking and infestation by termites or other insects. Vinyl resists attacks by fungus and mildew, and scratching a vinyl window will not require any touch-up. Even better, a heavy rain or simply washing with water and a mild soap is all it takes to keep vinyl windows clean.
One billion pounds recycled in just one year: Vinyl can be reprocessed and recycled repeatedly. Scrap is routinely recycled directly back into vinyl products, making it a resource-efficient operation. In fact, 99 percent of the vinyl used by processors goes into a finished product. A comprehensive study of vinyl recycling completed in 1999 found that more than 1 billion pounds of material were recovered in 1997 and recycled into useful products. Twenty million pounds of that were recycled at the post-consumer level.
To view the whole AAMA article click here.
Kasson and Keller, Inc has partnered with National Grid and Boston Green Building to provide DOE – R5 windows on several Deep Energy Retrofit projects in the Boston, MA marketplace. The windows are part of a National Grid program that provides significant financial incentives to homeowners that retrofit their homes with super-insulation and window upgrades. Kasson and Keller DOE – R5 windows were selected because they exceed the most stringent specifications set forward by the Department of Energy, Energy Star and the Federal Tax Incentive Package. “We are pleased to be a specified product for National Grid Deep Energy Retrofit projects. This is a significant step in our Eco – Friendly product strategy and our continuing effort to develop cost effective ways to reduce energy costs and the carbon footprint one home at a time,” noted Jack Meehan, Chief Marketing Officer.
Condensation is a common problem on windows, even highly energy efficient windows. This occurs more often in the winter but really any time the temperature of the glass reaches or goes below the temperature of the dew point of the air inside the house. The dew point is the temperature at which the air will no longer hold the moisture that is in it. Generally the more dry the air the lower the temperature of the dew point which is why condensation on windows actually tends to be more prevalent in newer houses or in houses with new highly energy efficient replacement windows. Older houses tend to be more drafty and as a result, the mixing of the dry air that seeps in from outside with the more humid inside air keeps the overall inside air dry enough to prevent condensation. Over the years houses have become better sealed to keep the warm air in and the cold air out in the winter. While this more efficient sealing of houses lowers the cost of heating it will also tend to keep the moisture in the house when the house is not ventilated properly or contains a lot of moisture producers. The condensation then occurs because even on a highly energy efficient window the temperature of the inside pane of glass will be somewhat cooler than the air inside the house being heated by the furnace. When the wet air inside the house creates a high dew point temperature and comes in contact with the cooler glass on the window the moisture in the air is drawn out and forms condensation on the glass. The solution to this problem is to reduce the moisture contained within the inside air so that the dew point is lower than the temperature of the inside pane of glass. The moisture in the house can be reduced by using exhaust fans in your bathrooms and kitchens and venting clothes dryers or gas burners to the outside which all expel a substantial amount of water vapor. It is also a good idea to make sure that the outside sensors on your furnace humidifier are set up properly so that the humidifier is not putting too much water in the air.
The US Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Program (BTP) is coordinating a volume purchase of R5 windows and low-e storm windows, to expand the market of these high efficiency products. Price has been the principal barrier to more widespread market commercialization. The aim of this volume purchase initiative is to work with industry and potential buyers to make highly insulated windows more affordable. Kasson and Keller, Inc is proud to be selected as a participant in the BTP VPP. We provide a wide array of products accepted under the DOE – R5 criteria for windows. For more information and pricing click here: marketing@kassonkeller.com.
Welcome to the new EcoShield Window Systems blog site. We will be using this site to post announcements, frequently asked questions and their answers as well as general industry articles or discussions that may be of interest to our customers. We hope that you will find the information useful during the window purchase process. This information is also posted on our Facebook or Twitter site. We will also be posting the latest two articles on the home page of our web site.
