Many times during the winter months, the statement is made, ‘I’m not replacing my windows until Spring time.’ On the surface, the statement makes sense. Who wants their house opened up when there is snow on the ground?

Speaking from experience, I had my windows replaced in the winter. Growing up in the Upper Midwest, where it is cold and snowy several months out of the year, it was obviously a slower time of the year for the window dealer. But because it was a slower time, we were able to get the windows installed very quickly.

I asked the dealer how slow things were during the winter months. He explained that, yes, it is slower, and there are a lot of people that don’t want their homes open up to mother nature in the winter. But there are different incentives we offer to encourage homeowners to get their windows installed.

For example, the window installations for a typical house where I lived took between 2-3 days. So this dealer would offer to pay 25% of the heating bill for the month the windows were installed. This seems like a pretty reasonable proposition; in addition, the windows began lowering heating bills immediately -- and now provide the comfort my family was looking for and the energy savings I was anticipating.

Next time you think the winter months are a bad time to install your windows, think about the different options that might be available to you. The winter may actually be the best time to get them installed.

Lots of homeowners have questions about the Energy Star program because, when they decide to research and purchase new or replacement windows or doors, they invariably run into terms like "ENERGY STAR labeled," "U-value" and "Solar Heat Gain." Who can blame consumers for being confused? A long-time proponent of the Energy Star program, Gorell undertook an interesting project to help consumers understand as much as possible about the Energy Star program. In a series of brief, easy-to-understand videos, Gorell's lead engineering manager addresses the most commonly asked questions as well as misunderstandings about the program. Now, these videos were not professionally shot in a studio, nor were they read from carefully prepared scripts. They are short, to the point and done simply, in an educational manner. The collection of 20 Energy Star videos can be most easily viewed on YouTube. Hopefully consumers will find them helpful, with so many answers about Energy Star in one place. To see them, click on this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Erdl8occ4j4&playnext=1&list=PL0073BF1FD13191B1&index=1

I get a lot of questions as to what is going to happen in 2011. I have to admit I’m basically an optimist so I really believe that we are going to see a better recovery than is being forecast. I don’t see a boom, but I do think we could see GDP approaching 4% growth rather than the 2.5% that I’ve been hearing. That may not sound like much, but it is a sixty percent improvement, nothing to scoff at. It won’t stop the job issue in the near term, although I’m told anything over about 3% means job growth. Job growth of any kind will further stimulate the economy. Kind of feeds on itself, growing economy means job growth, which means more economic growth, which means more job growth. Isn’t free enterprise great!

In addition for the replacement window industry two major research studies, one by Ducker Research, sponsored by the American Architectural Manufacturers Association and the Window and Door Manufacturers Association, and one done by the Harvard Housing Research Center; both are forecasting 10%+ gains in sales next year – thank goodness. Since our window industry started into the recession early, sometime in 2006, we seem to be coming out earlier than many other industries and not much could make us happier. It’s been the most difficult recession for this industry I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been part of the industry since it began in the early 1960’s.

I’ve also been asked about the Energy Star Program for next year and there are still some unanswered questions. As you may know the Energy Tax Credit is set to expire at the end of this year. As you may also know, some areas of the country need more than just an Energy Star approved window to earn the tax credit. The question is whether or not the tax credit, or a variation on the theme, will be re-instated for next year. There are bills pending to extend it, but who knows what will happen. There is also talk that if this lame duck Congress doesn’t extend it, that it is likely to happen with the new Congress come the first quarter. If I were buying windows now or even well into next year, that could not be installed until next year, thus missing the tax credit opportunity, I would buy tax credit approved windows even though Energy Star windows may be quite acceptable for my location. The chance that the tax credit or a variation is approved next year sounds pretty likely, so why take the chance of not qualifying if it does get extended?

Wayne Gorell

Hats off to IBACOS and all the sponsors and participating companies that provided funding, products and services for the “Energy Efficiency Lab Home” built in the community of Ohio Township just outside of Pittsburgh. The home was officially opened by IBACOS with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on November 11, a beautiful, sunny day.

IBACOS is a research organization with one of its goals being to make homes actually self sufficient in terms of energy. Attending the opening of the lab home, I was somewhat skeptical of this lofty goal, but was truly amazed by the time I left.

The house utilizes some of America’s most energy-efficient building products and systems, including Gorell R-5 Energy Star qualified windows, geothermal heating, solar energy panels, state-of-the-art lighting and so much more. Some of what I observed represents new paradigms in home building. I’m not an engineer, but I always figured engineers knew what they were doing by placing heating and cooling ducts on outside walls of homes. Not in this house. Small, round plastic ducts have replaced the kind of metal vents we’re all familiar with – and they’re on the inside walls of the lab home.

There’s more. Instead of intermittent blasts of heat and cool air, the warm or cool air emitted from these ducts is pushed through constantly and gently, in low volume. You can barely feel the air moving and you can’t even hear the heating and cooling system.

I had asked about concerns for how “tight” this home is. I’ve heard that a home that’s too closed up can invite problems involving mold and mildew. These issues have also been addressed in building this home. The Lab Home features an air re-circulation system that cleans and re-circulates air in the house.

Another thing that’s impressive about the Lab Home is that it was designed to be a home that’s affordable to most Americans. It isn’t at this point, because of all the time, research and experimenting that was involved, but homes just like this one will be affordable – hopefully some day very soon. If you look at this Lab Home, you’ll see that it’s not unlike other modest, new homes in the plan.

If you would like to see or learn more about the Lab Home, visit this web site --http://www.theresearchalliance.org/111110-lab-home-ribbon-cutting.aspx

When homeowners are considering home improvement projects, inevitably the question of how to pay for them comes up. A lot of people might be surprised at the different ways there are to pay for a project.

Yes, there is more flexibility if the consumer has a stronger credit score, but with financing as challenging as it is today, even homeowners with the strongest of credit scores need to be looking for the best way to financing things. The bottom line is there are different financing plans available to homeowners regardless of credit scores.

Many homeowners, including myself, like the idea of home equity loans. There are tax advantages to financing a home improvement project this way, and the interest rates usually are very low. With home equity loans, there are even different types of loans available, including but not limited to, interest-only loans and conventional-style loans.

There are also low-rate interest loans available. Some of these low interest loans are tied directly to energy-efficient products that are part of the home improvement project.

Consumers can also can pay for projects with a credit card. There are advantages and disadvantages with going this route as well. One of the disadvantages is that the interest paid on this isn’t tax deductible. At the same time, however, homeowners may accrue ‘credit card points.’ And there’s the liklihood of more of a fixed rate as well.

Certainly, cash may be the easiest and most straight forward way to pay for projects.

Really, there are various ways to finance and pay for home improvement projects. There aren’t just one or two ways. I encourage homeowners to really research and seek out different avenues to finance their projects.

There's a very interesting article -- about cleaning windows -- that originated from Readers Digest Magazine. It's called "8 Clever Solutions for Cleaning Windows" and it addresses not just cleaning windows, but other items associated with windows -- like blinds, screens, shades and window sills. Some of the tips seem to be more just common sense, but I admit, they're ones I didn't think of. Windows becoming dirty again too soon after cleaning them? Tip #6 says to clean the furnace or AC filter -- that's likely the problem. Tip #4 is interesting -- to help keep your exterior window stay cleaner longer, apply a coating of floor wax. Tip #1 addresses the fundamental issue -- how to clean window glass and avoid streaking. In a way, this is common sense, too. What do window cleaning professionals use when they clean glass? A squeegee, of course. The tip is to "use a window-washing squeegee with a smooth, soft rubber edge." And it states not to clean glass in direct sunlight because quickly drying glass is more susceptible to streaking. The complete article -- including the other five "clever solutions"' can be found at http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/life/8-clever-solutions-for-cleaning-windows-2405885/

As Fall comes to a close and colder weather begins to invade northern states, many homeowners are rushing to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. While major improvements like installing a high-efficiency furnace or replacement windows will yield the highest savings, there are a number of smaller fixes homeowners can make that will help control monthly utility spending. Most of these small fixes can be made in a relatively short amount of time and are fairly inexpensive.

1. Inspect the exterior caulking around existing windows and doors for gaps and cracks, which will allow cold air to enter the home. Use a high-quality silicone caulk, which can be purchased at any local hardware store, to fill gaps and cracks.
2. Use expandable foam insulation to seal gaps around exterior vents and pipes to prevent cold air infiltration.
3. Add additional insulation to attics and exterior-facing walls to reduce heat loss. For easily accessible areas like attics, consider fiberglass or reflective insulation products; for un-insulated exterior walls, blown-in cellulose insulation can be used.
4. Furnaces should be inspected and cleaned to ensure they are running at optimal performance levels.
5. Reverse ceiling fans to push warm air down toward the floor for greater comfort. When looking up at the fan, it should be moving in a clockwise direction.
6. Install heavier, wall-length curtains to reduce heat loss above and below windows when sunlight is not shining through them.
7. Place shrinkable plastic sheeting over the interiors of windows. While this is not the most attractive solution, it is fairly easy to do and relatively inexpensive.
8. Consider placing storm windows over the exterior of existing windows to reduce heat loss and prevent drafts.
9. Consider replacing existing windows a couple at a time to ease the expense associated with replacement, while benefiting from the return received from lower monthly energy bills.

One of the most common questions from someone who is interested in buying new windows is in regards to the appearance of Low-E glass. There is a misconception that Low-E glass is very dark and hard to see through.

Over the years, glass manufacturers have made significant strides in increasing the thermal performance of Low-E glass while minimizing the darker tints.

Technically “clear” glass only transmits 81% of visible light. Most standard Low-E glass allows 72% of the visible light through, while the higher performing Low-E glasses might allow 64% through.

Although it might sound like that is stopping a lot of the visible light, consider your car. The top 6 inches of your windshield is more tinted than the rest and the side windows are far more tinted than clear glass. Most people don’t find those levels of tint “too dark” when they consider the thermal and UV benefits that this tinting offers.

Also think about the windows in your office building. Many office buildings are built with or recently renovated to have Low-E glass. Does it look “too dark” when you look out of your office window?

While “dark” is a matter of personal preference, most people don’t even notice that their windows have Low-E glass once they are installed. If you have any concerns, speak with the salesperson that you are working with. They will have several glass samples for you to review to make the decision of what will work best for your home.

I’m amazed at how fast painted exterior finishes on vinyl windows and doors have grown in our industry. It was really just a few short years ago that this finish process was virtually nonexistent with any window fabricator. The new water based coatings such as the Aqua SurTech’s D-200 we provide, have remarkable adhesion and durability properties compared to solvent based attempts in years past. These exterior colors have added a whole new dimension to what can be done to satisfy customers who want more than just a white window. Not only is this water based coating safe for the environment, having exceptionally low VOC’s (volatile organic compounds), its chemistry also allows for dark colors to be used without fear of fading or distorting the vinyl in severe heat conditions. Click on the following link to learn more about or view Gorell's vinyl finish options.

A comment sometimes voiced about patio doors is the height of the door sill – and the concern that it could be a hazard if someone were to trip on it. Sliding patio and other doors of this nature are designed to meet specific performance guidelines in accordance to testing regimens created by the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) and accepted by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and various building codes.

To achieve what the industry recognizes as "high performance” and to manufacture doors with the water resistance level homeowners need, a higher sill height is required. This is necessary to resist water penetration – especially in heavy or severe rain and storms. Virtually all comparable products that are designed to have similar performance have a high sill height.

Unfortunately there just is no other way to achieve the necessary performance levels. I, too, have high-performance patio doors in my home, with four small grandchildren who use the doors regularly. Fortunately we've never experienced a tripping problem.

For homeowners who believe the sill height is a concern, I'd suggest perhaps some sort of bright tape at the sill when the door is in the open position to attract the attention of visitors. It would be nice to have high-performance doors with a lower sill, but the science just doesn’t allow it.

I hope this adequately explains the need for higher sill designs on high-performance doors.

There is much BUZZ today about new reflective foil insulation materials. In reality these have been around for years. Ever since the invention of aluminum foil in the 40’s we have been finding ways to use the versatile material. Low-E metallic glass coatings take their basic reflective characteristics from this early foil research. Industry has simply found a way to bring the reflective foil properties to a transparent level. All of this has lead to a rebirth of interest in heat reflective insulation wraps. The newest wraps are using far greener methods of production and adding new ideas to enhance their value. Some even use new foamed inner layers to add body and provide better service.

The questions now are, what is the best application of all the various types of insulation materials available? Should I use fiberglass, Cellulose, expanded foam, chopped glass, or a foil? Where should the insulation be applied? The answer lies in the use of a combination of all these materials. Their applications are dependant on the buildings construction and geographic location. Reflective foils do a wonderful job of reflecting radiated heat energy from the sun in the attics of homes located in southern climates. They can also be helpful to reflect radiated energy back in to a northern home. The key is that they must be installed properly to provide an air space on both sides of the foil. Keep in mind that the foil is metallic and so will act as a conductor of heat and electrical energy. Always follow the manufacturers instructions. Fiberglass, foams and wood fiber materials do an effective job at reducing conductive energy flow. So the best bet is to use both materials in harmony to both stop conductive energy loss and radiated energy gain in your homes envelope.

Being part of the construction and building products industry, we have our challenges, but we also have our opportunities to make our community a better place. One of those opportunities is Habitat for Humanity. Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit, nondenominational Christian housing ministry founded on the conviction that every man, woman and child should have a decent, safe and affordable place to live. Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Habitat and its homeowner families have built or rehabilitated more than 350,000 houses. Habitat invites people of all backgrounds, races and religions to build together in partnership. Our company, Gorell Windows & Doors has recently partnered with Habitat to donate windows for a home in Blairsville, PA. If you would like more information on this organization, and how you can get involved, visit their website at www.habitat.org.