Window makers invest in innovation

Window manufacturers are launching new products and adding capacity for hot sellers in response to demand from the new construction and remodeling segments, which continue to edge up but also show signs of letting up.

Overall, the new housing market is expected to grow in 2022, then drop slightly in 2023, with a 5 percent decline forecast for 2024, according to the Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance's 2021-22 "Study of the U.S. Market for Windows, Door and Skylights."

Released in May, the study says demand for prime windows grew by 8.8 percent in 2021 with orders for new housing increasing by 13 percent. While the report projects an increase of 5 percent in prime window demand for 2022, it shows flattening in 2023 and a decline of 5 percent in 2024. In the remodeling and replacement segment, window demand grew in 2021 by 5 percent and is forecast to grow in 2022 by 5 percent, with growth of 3 and 2 percent in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

Charlotte, N.C.-based Jeld-Wen Holding Inc. and Bayport, Minn.-based Andersen Corp. are responding with new products and capacity expansion.

Jeld-Wen began shipping a new line of composite windows and patio doors that it says surpasses vinyl in strength and durability. Made from blended wood fiber and PVC that is coextruded with color, Auraline True Composite-brand products look like wood but require no painting and only limited maintenance.

The publicly traded company is using a material that consists of 28 percent reclaimed pre-consumer wood fiber and 72 percent PVC by weight, according to a product data sheet. The resulting windows and doors are twice as rigid as vinyl, which improves strength and allows for thinner profiles for a contemporary clean-line design, according to Caleb Standafer, director of strategy and general manager for Auraline products.

"Auraline delivers homeowners a luxury look for less, offering the beauty and efficiency of wood combined with the durability and ease of maintenance that is far superior to vinyl," Standafer said in a news release. "These windows and patio doors answer the call from homeowners who are demanding premium aesthetics at a more affordable price."

Jeld-Wen sales increased 12.7 percent to $4.8 billion in 2021 compared with the prior year thanks to product price increases and foreign exchange gains.

Jeld-Wen officials are calling the Auraline line next-generation products that fill a market gap with design features and environmental benefits beyond containing recycled content.

The company says the slimmer sight lines provide up to 28 percent more visible glass for more natural light, which reduce energy consumption of artificial interior lights.

Auraline products are Greenguard Gold certified by UL Solutions LLC after meeting rigorous third-party chemical emission standards to reduce indoor air pollution and risk of chemical exposure from what is commonly referred to as volatile organic compounds.

The standard premium glass package also delivers nearly 40 percent more energy efficiency than industry basic glass packages, the company said.

The next products to be released will include casement windows, which are hinged at the side and open the full frame area; awning windows, which are hinged at the top to open out from the bottom; direct set, geometric and radius windows, which enable wide-open views with minimal disruption; mulled windows; and three- and four-panel sliding patio doors.

Jeld-Wen came into 2022 with robust demand as did Andersen, which last month started construction of a second expansion to add capacity at its Renewal by Andersen manufacturing campus in Cottage Grove, Minn. The expansion is part of the company's strategy to meet current and future demand for its Fibrex material-based products, which are made from a vinyl and wood fiber composite.

The manufacturer, which says it is America's No. 1 brand for window replacement, is nearly doubling the size of its 360,000-square-foot value-add center. Built in 2020, the facility has manufacturing, warehouses and office space.

Andersen now is building a 332,000-square-foot addition onto the facility that will house another 65 dock doors, 250 trailer parking stalls and more office space. When the expansion is complete, the Cottage Grove campus will total more than 1 million square feet.

"We are building for the future, and we will continue to lead the industry in growth," Renewal by Andersen President Troy Barrow said in a release. "The combination of a phenomenal homeowner experience and the best-in-class products produced by our manufacturing teams are driving this huge growth in demand and thus, this second expansion."

Earlier this year, Andersen officials announced a strategic investment in Ubiquitous Energy. The Redwood City, Calif.-based company patented a transparent photovoltaic glass coating that converts light into electricity using semiconductor materials while maintaining visible transparency.

The three installations completed in 2021 demonstrate solar technology that does not disrupt the aesthetics of the building's envelope, according to Ubiquitous Energy officials. The technology provides a clear, natural experience expected from traditional windows, but with energy generation. The company uses 100 square feet of the solar windows to power the overhead LED lighting in its conference room.