There is no one "best" window or door. Much depends upon
the performance demands, individual taste, and budget. One way to
determine whether a window or door is a quality product, however,
is to see if it is "certified."
Certified products are all measured against a single performance
standard, with ratings achieved for various criteria. These criteria
may include structural performance, air and water infiltration resistance,
thermal performance, solar heat gain resistance, and forced entry
resistance. Your local or state building code may set minimum requirements
for many of these criteria. Coastal communities, for example, are
more frequently higher structural performance ratings to withstand
strong winds.
Certified products are tested and rated to allow proper selection
of a product that will meet a home or building's needs. To be certified,
products must be re-tested on a regular basis and manufacturers
must submit to annual plant audits by an independent body to provide
assurance that windows and doors produced in the plant are built
the same way as those tested.
Participation in certification programs is voluntary. While manufacturers
are not required to certify their products, state and local building
codes may require windows and doors to be certified and labeled.
The two major certification organizations for window and door products
in the U.S. are the American Architectural Manufacturers Association
and the Window and Door Manufacturers Association. These two programs
allow windows to be rated and labeled for structural performance,
air and water resistance, and a variety of other attributes. Additionally,
the National Fenestration Rating Council offers a program to certify
energy performance. Other independent bodies offer certification
services to the industry as well. In Canada, windows and doors are
certified by the Canadian Standards Association.
The following links can provide more information on these certifications
programs, and lists of manufacturers that provide certified products.
American Architectural
Manufacturers Association
Window & Door
Manufacturers Association
National Fenestration
Rating Council
Canadian Standards
Association
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