It’s the middle of summer, hot and steamy over much of the country. The weather last winter was severe with storms and snow and record cold temperatures. The weather this spring was severe with tornadoes and extreme flooding. And the forecast for this hurricane season is also SEVERE. Everyone is worried about the unemployment levels, the insanity in Washington DC, and lots of other things such as oil and gas prices.

One thing you can count on, even though they are coming down now, I don’t think anyone expects gas prices to decline in the long term. So even with all the unknowns and all the worries, it is still a great time to consider replacing your old drafty inefficient windows. With the huge choice of options available, you can customize your new windows to do exactly what you need for where your home is located. You can protect from severe storms with Hurricane certified windows, you can reduce your energy bills and make your home significantly more comfortable with high performance, energy saving windows. You can have options galore as to color and blinds and muttons. But the one thing you do have to do is choose wisely, and buy the best performing window you can afford from the company with the best reputation. Buy only vinyl framed windows, as it is by far the best material to make windows out of, vinyl is final! Maintenance free, attractive, color fast, energy efficient, won't rust or rot or deteriorate, corners can be welded to stop water and air penetration – no other framing material can make these claims.

The big step is to stop procrastinating and pick up that phone and call your chosen window professional serving your area. You won't regret it.

Summer means sunshine and warmth. It means more daylight and longer days. It means vacations, picnics and amusement parks. These are some of the things we all love about the summer season.

Unfortunately, for some of us, summer can also mean less sleep. Lawnmowers waking us up early in the mornings. Children playing loudly and keeping us awake in the late evening. Neighbors’ party guests and music keeping us up until the pre-dawn hours. The sounds of summer can be bothersome, particularly if you’ve got to wake up early for work and can’t join in the fun.

There is, however, an easy solution—windows and doors with laminated glass. Laminated systems consist of three glass panes, two of which sandwich a tough polyvinyl butyral (PVB) interlayer. This interlayer is what gives laminated glass systems their remarkable properties for keeping out exterior sounds, such as noise from traffic, aircraft, yard work and pets. The glass and interlayer actually help absorb and deaden sound waves.

Gorell’s Armor Glass Plus laminated system, for instance, provides as much as 100 percent perceived improvement to the human ear in sound deadening. This glass system achieves Sound Transmission Class (STC) ratings as high as 35.

Homeowners who want to keep their homes more peaceful and quiet by blocking exterior sounds should consider windows and doors with laminated glass. These products provide excellent noise reduction—as well as other benefits such as safety, security and UV protection.

Most homeowners are aware that the sun’s UV rays can fade furnishings – we see it all the time on the cushions of our patio furniture. Unfortunately, those same UV rays can fade the inside of a home, too – from draperies to furniture to carpeting – because they can easily penetrate windows and doors.

There’s not much homeowners can do to protect items that are left outside, but there is an easy way to protect the inside of homes—replacement window and doors! Windows with high-performance Low-E glass actually filter out much of the spectrum of UV light that causes fading.

The glass in windows and doors carries a Fade Protection Factor (FPF) rating. Like Sun Protection Factor (SPF) for sunscreens, FPF is a rating achieved through independent laboratory testing. A higher FPF number means greater fade protection for household furnishings because virtually all of the UVa and UVb rays are being blocked by the glass and coatings.

Clear glass for instance, has an FPF of only 2. Laminated glass systems offer particularly good fade protection—like Gorell’s Armor Glass Plus option that carries an FPF rating of 50 (the highest rating possible)!

The bottom line is this: Nothing can completely prevent fading, but if homeowners want to keep their interior home furnishing looking newer and brighter for longer, they should consider high-performance replacement windows that help block the sun’s harmful rays from homes.

For more information on the FPF ratings for Gorell’s various high-performance glass systems, visit http://www.gorell.com/pages/glass_chart.htm.

Our interest in saving energy is always increasing. So to address that, in 2010, the Department of Energy (“DOE”) introduced its High-Performance Volume Purchase Program to promote and encourage the sales of very high-performing, energy-efficient windows to both residential and commercial window buyers. This program has been expanded in 2011 to include much more information, vendors and choices for the window-buying public. The web site to go to for information on this program is http://www.windowsvolumepurchase.org. The following article (from http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/14/idUS118462289620110614) also has some very good information on this program.

DOE Makes Buying Insulated Windows a Breeze

By Matt Smith

Tue Jun 14, 2011 1:19am EDT

One of the easiest ways to conserve energy is to prevent heat lose through the use of heavily insulated windows, which the U.S. Department of Energy has just made easier for many businesses, schools, universities, architects, builders and large communities. In May, the Department of Energy expanded its High Performance Windows Volume Purchase Program. The expansions in the program make it easier for both residential and commercial buildings to find the appropriate high performance insulated windows, vendors and prices on the program's expanded website in order to save both money and energy.

Buyers can search through over 30 vendors who have met the requirements of the program for their specific window needs, as long as they meet the requirement of needing at least 20 windows.

"The high performance windows and low-E storm windows in the program can offer significant energy efficiency at attractive prices that make them cost effective in heating-dominate climate zones," said Graham Parker, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory senior staff engineer who manages the program for DOE's Building Technologies Program. The high performance windows also qualify for federal and utility incentives and rebates being offered across the country, he said in a press release. In addition, the DOE has expanded the program to offer commercial windows that also are high performance.

Double-pane, low-E, R-3 windows have typically been considered the standard for energy efficiency for residential construction in the last decade or so, but recent studies have shown that highly insulating, primarily triple-pane, windows reduce average heat loss through the window by more than 30 percent when compared to R-3 windows in residential buildings situated in heating-dominated climate zones. In situations where full window replacement is not an option, low-E storm windows can be installed over current windows to reduce heat loads by up to 20 percent, according to a DOE press release.

The program's website is filled with information about the advantages of insulated windows, including the amount of energy and money they can save depending upon what type of climate the building is in, what builders and residents need to know about ordering and installing these windows and the advantages of buying in bulk, and which type of windows are right for which type of building or budget. The website is also full of examples of buildings that have made the switch to insulated windows, such as the Cambria Office Facility in Pennsylvania and the Wisdom Way Solar Village in Massachusetts, and how this switch has benefited them.

(Reprinted with permission from Green Building Elements)

The first half of 2011 is coming to an end, and none too soon for those of us engaged in building products. The second half looks to be much better for our industry and the economy in general. Unemployment is expected to decline from here – finally – slowly, but steadily. Gas prices are forecasted to continue to come down, as always, not as fast as they shot up, but back into a more reasonable range as the summer progresses. These two facts should make consumers feel better about where they are in life and hopefully be ready to spend some money again.

For us in building products, we hope at least some of that increase in spending will go to fixing up homes. There isn’t much that makes a homeowner feel better than improving their home. It’s an investment in the future. Whether they plan to stay in the home, or hope to sell it when prices start to rebound, improving a home offers many benefits. You and your family are happier while you remain living there, and if the plan is to sell, making “good” improvements will add value to it for the future.

Things like highly energy efficient replacement windows make your home more attractive, more comfortable, and add significant value to it. If you’ve been putting off replacing those ugly drafty old windows, how about doing it now? Remember, things are getting better even if the politicians don’t want you to think so. Over 90% of people have jobs and aren’t losing them. Gas prices are coming down, and there are some great values and sales going on with windows and doors for your home. Check the internet for a good, reputable home improvement dealer in your area and check out their credentials, then call them for a free in home estimate – you won't regret it – it’s time to take this economy back into your own hands and make that decision.

So you were all ready to buy new, highly energy efficient vinyl windows and doors for your home this spring. You’ve been waiting a couple of years now for the economy to settle down and housing prices too stabilize. You know they will add value to your home. You know they will save you energy. You know they will improve the appearance of your home. You know they’ll make your family more comfortable year round. You know they are virtually maintenance free and you’re really tired of scraping and puttying and painting your old windows. And maybe the biggest reason is that ladder seems to get taller and taller each spring and fall for the regular maintenance of those old windows.

You put it off again when those gas prices went through the roof. All the talking heads were saying, “it could be a double dip recession looming on the horizon”. You got scared again and who can blame you, if you listen to the news at all, it is all negative. Who in their right mind spends money when they don’t know what’s coming next.

Well, what’s coming next is more of the same. The election rhetoric is in full swing, the party in power is saying things are bad but they are getting better and they have plans to fix everything. The party out of power is saying things are bad and they have a plan to fix everything. They both are saying things are bad and they are going to fix things and that isn’t going to change much in the next 18 months.

So, you can sit on your hands and do nothing for another couple of years or you can act now. As I said above, you already know you need them and you all ready know it’s a good investment so what is going to change if you wait other than your home wont be comfortable and you will have to go up down that ladder a whole lot more.

Do it now, pick up that phone and call a reputable home improvement professional to help you select what is right for your home.

Yes - pick up that phone and call – RIGHT NOW!

As you may have read in one of our recent blog articles, the latest hurricane predictions from the Colorado State University forecasting team is for 16 named storms, nine hurricanes and five major hurricanes with sustained winds of 111 mph or greater this year. So, if you live in a hurricane-prone zone, you need to be planning for a very serious hurricane season this year.

For homeowners who are unsure what type of protection they need for their area of the country, or who want to explore the possibilities available, Gorell offers a “Hurricane Buyer’s Guide” to help simplify this very important decision. This guide will help homeowners determine how well their home—and family—is currently protected, what type of protection (i.e. shutters, standard windows, custom windows) does and doesn’t work, and what level of protection might be required in specific areas of the country.

To download Gorell Hurricane Buyer’s Guide, visit http://hurricane-window.com/downloads/gorell-hurricane-windows-guide.pdf.

Most homeowners know that one of the biggest benefits of replacing older, less-efficient windows with newer, high-performance models is energy savings. Today’s replacement windows are much more technologically advanced, and they’re better at reducing home energy usage and improving the comfort of homes.

However, many homeowners believe these energy savings occur primarily during the winter months—when new windows prevent furnaces from running so much. While it’s true that replacement windows can help lower energy bills in cold weather, energy-efficient windows are just as important during the summer months.

Surprised? It’s really very simple: The Low-E coatings that keep warm air inside during winter months also work in reverse—they reflect outside heat away from windows in warm weather. This keeps the inside of homes cooler and results in air conditioning units running much less. Voila—summer energy savings!

When considering new replacement windows, homeowners should ask to see the NFRC ratings for each model they’re considering. Depending upon what area of the country a home is located in, a window’s Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) ratings can be important to consider. SHGC is pretty relevant to areas where warm weather prevails, because this value measures the heat from solar radiation that enters a building. A window with a good SHGC rating can really help reflect that outside heat away from homes and lower air conditioner usage and overall home energy bills.

Replacement windows are a good value ANY time of year, and ANY place in the country. Windows with Low-E coatings are designed to improve home comfort and reduce energy usage—no matter what the weather is like outside!

Homeowners are faced with many design choices when it comes to their home. In most parts of your home there is no one perfect product. You generally have multiple products to choose from and each has their own pros and cons.

Windows are no different. One of the most common questions we hear from homeowners is “Should I buy wood windows or vinyl windows”?

Wood windows offer a rich appearance that can be stained or painted to match the color of your home. Many people choose to stain the interior and paint the exterior so they can be different colors. Whether you paint or stain you will just have to remember to refinish them every few years to ensure they maintain their appearance. If not done frequently enough the wood can begin to degrade. If you do paint them, you want to be careful to not paint the windows shut which can cause a safety concern in an emergency.

Vinyl windows typically are made with one specific color of material that is the same on both inside and outside. Most vinyl windows offer a limited choice in colors – white, tan, brown. The benefit of vinyl is that it is a maintenance free finish. There isn’t a need to paint or stain the windows and they won’t get painted shut.

Still can’t decide which is best for you? Well, we make the decision easy. At Gorell, we offer low-maintenance vinyl windows that can be customized to have the beautiful interior appearance you get from stained wood. We have three (soon to be four!) gorgeous interior wood finishes that don’t ever require painting or staining. We also offer countless exterior color choices to complement the appearance of your house. (http://www.gorell.com/pages/frame_finish_colors.htm)

Why settle for a product that is almost what you want when you can get the best of both worlds?

This week is the ‘unofficial’ start of hurricane season. Many homeowners along the coast look to hurricane windows with protective laminated glass to keep them safe and secure.

But laminated glass isn’t just great for hurricanes. Laminated glass has many benefits to offer than just hurricane protection. This super strong glass has five very strong benefits for homeowners. Laminated glass is considered safety glass. When this type of glass breaks, it creates the visual look of a spider web. Although the glass breaks, it stays attached to the PVB interlayer. Here is an example.... http://www.hurricane-window.com/pages/miami-dade-county-approved.htm

Laminated glass is also security glass. With certain types of laminated glass such as Gorell’s Armor Glass Plus, a ‘would be burglar’ can hit the glass over and over with a baseball bat, and after awhile, they just give up. Here is a quick video showing the effectiveness. Click on the baseball video http://www.gorell.com/pages/armor_glass_plus.htm

Laminated glass also is a great UV protector. It blocks up to 99.5 % of the UV rays that fade carpets and upholstery. In fact, laminated glass is so effective at stopping fading, that some of our country’s most important documents are protected by it, including the Declaration of Independence and US Constitution.

This type of glass also offers great sound reduction from outside noises. Because of the laminated glass make up, the glass helps absorb and deaden sound waves. This helps reduce the amount of noise coming into your house.

And finally if you have a laminated glass unit insulated like Armor Glass Plus (http://www.gorell.com/pages/armor_glass_plus.htm), it comes combined with a high performance glass coating, SolarControl Max. This gives you energy savings and comfort.

So, when you are looking at replacing your windows, consider laminated glass as part of your package. Today, laminated glass like Armor Glass Plus, does a lot more than just protect homes from hurricanes!