Selecting windows material

Vinyl windows are your best choice because they offer thermal characteristics similar to wood, are extremely durable and provide a finish that is virtually maintenance -free. Also keep in mind that the best performing vinyl window systems have multi-chambered frames with welded corners.

Stability
Improved Weatherability
Good Insulator
Low Maintenance
Recyclability
Energy Efficiency
Impact Resistance
Maintains Shape in Intense Heat

Vinyl's performance and longevity compare favourably to those of other building materials. Vinyl windows and doors are rapidly capturing a major market share as more builders and homeowners learn about vinyl's outstanding value and economy.

Environmentally Friendly

Vinyl doors and windows make environmentally good sense even before they're installed. In the manufacturing process, relatively little energy is used. In fact, production of all vinyl worldwide represents less than 0.3% of all oil and gas consumption.

Doors and windows account for an even smaller fraction of the total. The use of vinyl as a construction material actually saves over 40 million barrels of oil per year! š

Installed in the home, vinyl windows and doors are eco-friendly in yet more ways. Their marvellous energy efficiency saves huge amounts of heating fuel.Since they never need painting; stains, strippers and thinners are eliminated. And, since they last such a long time, replacement and the resulting construction debris are minimized.

Closely Regulated

The additives used in vinyl to add stiffness and other qualities desired in a building material are closely regulated by the EPA, the FDA and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

As to emissions in the manufacturing process, while vinyl production has more than tripled in the last 25 years, dioxin levels in our environment have decreased between 30 and 80 percent.

This lack of correlation between the vinyl lifecycle and the dioxin emissions has been confirmed by one of the most extensive dioxin testing programs ever conducted by any industry. That work, sponsored by The Vinyl Institute, based on EPA protocol and subject to independent third party review, indicates that worldwide vinyl production contributes less than 1% of overall dioxin emissions.

Strict Standards

Vinyl production must meet or exceed very strict health and safety regulatory standards set by governing bodies.

The vinyl industry has subjected its products to extensive testing to demonstrate that they are safe to use, and it maintains and active testing program to address new standards, as well as new concerns, as they develop.

Vinyl products meet a demanding range of health and safety standards established by the FDA, the National Sanitation Foundation, The National Fire Protection Association, and the Consumer Product Safety commission, as well as model building codes.

šSources: The Vinyl Institute and AAMA