Frequently Asked Questions

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Frequently Asked Questions

Ordering Windows

Can I order a window to fit any opening?
Some openings are too large for one window and may require multiple windows joined together to fill the opening. In some cases your opening may exceed the maximum size that each manufacturer determines.

Can I order a window in any dimension?
Other than the minimums (12” in one direction) and maximums (each manufacturer determines) you can pretty much specify what you want. Vinyl windows are all made to order and there are no custom charges. Wood windows are made to each manufacturer’s standard sizes and custom size charges can be substantial.

What are the advantages of custom replacement windows over pre-made, standard-size windows stocked at home centers and lumber yards?
Because custom windows are made to fit perfectly, they provide the best energy efficiency (which saves energy costs) and install much more easily and with very little mess. Also, because of the myriad of options available that affect appearance and efficiency, custom windows allow consumers to design exactly the windows they need or want.

Standard windows typically cost less in the beginning, but other expenses and factors—like additional labor and the disruption to the home—far outweigh the original savings.

Additional features probably not available on those stock units include grids and higher energy efficiency glass.

Aren't beautiful vinyl windows an oxymoron?
Years ago that may have been true. However, today—with the options available and with advances in window design technology—quality vinyl windows are both beautiful and unique. For example, home owners can choose from sculptured or sleek window styles; white, almond, Desert Tan, Adobe or Brown vinyl’s; standard flat or sculptured grids; and beveled, leaded, etched or stained glass. And these are just a few of the options available.

Superior Windows & Doors is one of a very few dealers able to offer you a vinyl window in ANY exterior color. Bring us your paint chip and we can match it.

Are there differences in the vinyl used by window manufacturers?
Absolutely. Vinyl is like any other man-made compound. There are numerous components in vinyl compounds and there are many vinyl manufacturers that produce numerous types and grades for window manufacturing. Lesser-quality vinyl typically has problems with brittleness or impact resistance, color consistency, and expansion and contraction. The best vinyl is proprietary formulated specifically for manufacturing high-quality windows.

What is insulated glass?
Insulated glass consists of two pieces of glass sealed to a spacer. This creates an insulated air space between the two pieces of glass, resulting in better thermal performance. Insulated glass also reduces condensation while keeping the heat in during the winter, and heat out during the summer.

What is Low-E Glass?
Low-E Glass is coated with a virtually invisible layer of silver that reflects radiant solar energy while permitting visible light to pass through the glass.

In cold, winter climates, the Low-E Glass helps keep rooms warmer by reflecting heat back into the home while letting warm, solar rays in. In hot, summer temperatures, the Low-E Glass lets visible light pass while blocking infrared and ultraviolet radiant solar energy. So your rooms stay cooler and you save on precious energy costs.

What is Low-E Glass with Argon Gas? How does it work?
Added inside an insulated panel with Low-E Glass, Argon gas is an invisible, insulating blanket that replaces most of the air during the manufacturing process. With Low-E reflecting heat away, Argon gas buffers thermal transfer to enhance the performance of the whole glass panel.

How should I evaluate the energy performance of a window or patio door?
Look for the National Fenestration Ratings Council (NFRC) label on the window or patio door. This label shows the U-Factor, Solar Heat Gain, and visible light transmittance values.

What is Energy Star®? What qualifies your products?
Energy Star® is a national campaign sponsored by the EPA and the Department of Energy to promote energy efficient products. The endorsing logo may be found on computers, appliances, or power tools. Any product that uses or affects energy may have an Energy Star® rating.

For more information, please visit the Energy Star® website at http://www.energystar.gov/

Update: The Dept. of Energy has released the new requirements to be Energy Star compliant. Effective Jan 4th 2010 windows will need to have a U-Factor of .30 or lower.

Download the Energy Star PDF for all the details.

What does R-Value and U-Factor mean?
R-Value is a term that measures the insulation properties of a material. For example, fiberglass insulation is measured by ‘R-Value’.

The energy efficiency of windows is measured by ‘U-Factor’. Because windows are not insulators by design, they cannot be measured in ‘R-Values’. However, windows obviously have insulating properties, so there needs to be a measurement that allows comparison of styles and window packages.

There is a relationship between R-Values and U-Factors. Whereas the higher the R-Value, the greater it’s insulating ability, the lower a U-Factor, the better that product’s insulating efficiency. To find a U-Factor, divide the number ‘1’ by the R-Value. For example, an R-Value of ‘4’ is equal to a U-Factor of .25 - an R-Value of '5' is equal to a U-Factor of .20

When working with U-Factor remember: Lower is better

What does Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) mean?
The number to know when selecting windows, doors, and skylights. It’s a measure of how much of the sun’s heat is transmitted through those fixtures, expressed in a number from zero to one. A window that has a SHGC of .3 will allow 30 percent of the sun’s heat to pass through. Whether you want a higher or lower number will depend on your goal: A product with a low SHGC will help to block heat and reduce cooling loads in hot weather; a product with a high SHGC will be more effective at harnessing solar heat in cold weather.

Generally the lower the SHGC the lower the U-Factor.

Can windows keep out UV radiation that fades carpeting, furniture, draperies and upholstery?
Using a Low-E glass in your new windows or doors will filter approximately 80 percent of the damaging UV light. The absolute most effective glass for this purpose, however, is laminated insulating glass that can filter more than 99 percent of UV radiation that fades interior furnishings.

Ordering Doors

Can I order a door to fit any opening?
As with windows there are standard sizes, but custom sizing is done regularly. In some cases you might have to order multiple doors to fill one opening.

Why would I order a wood door?
For the beauty that only a wood door can bring to your home. Wood can be manufactured into many more styles than fiberglass or steel.

Why would I order a fiberglass or steel door?
We do not recommend steel doors (except for commercial applications) unless price is the prime objective. They dent and rust.

We suggest fiberglass doors in high weather areas where a wood door would require a lot of maintenance. If you were planning on painting your wood door a fiberglass door will do the same job with less maintenance and a lower cost.

Fiberglass doors are available in a smooth surface or various wood grain textures and many different glass options. Fiberglass doors are foamed filled and more energy efficient than wood doors.

Finishing Doors

How to stain a fiberglass door
How to paint a steel or fiberglass door
How to paint interior doors
How to stain wood interior doors

Condensation

Will new windows eliminate condensation?
Actually, no. Condensation is moisture vapor suspended in the air, and that's something no one can guarantee to eliminate. However, high-quality vinyl windows incorporating warm-edge technology glazing systems will help to reduce condensation because they're much less thermally conductive than other window types. They can help keep the temperature of the window warmer—minimizing the hot and cold differences that turn moisture into condensation.

Why does Condensation Occur?
Condensation (water vapor or moisture in the air) is a sign of excess humidity inside the home. Condensation occurs when moist air comes in contact with the colder surface of a window or mirror. Although the surface of the windows may be the first place you notice condensation forming, the windows are not the problem. The windows merely provide a visible sign that excess humidity or moisture is present in the house.

Warm air holds more moisture than cool air. And when that warm, moist air comes in contact with a cooler surface, the moisture in the warm air transfers to the cooler surface as condensation.

What Causes Moisture Inside the Home?
Indoor moisture is caused by a variety of factors. Common household activities such as cooking, showering, using the washing machine or dishwasher and other activities that use hot water all add moisture to the air.

Newer homes are often more subject to condensation because they are constructed with better weather tight materials than older homes. Weather stripping, improved insulation, vapor barriers and modern construction techniques are designed to reduce air leakage. But at the same time, these materials and techniques can also seal moisture inside the home. In newer, more weather tight homes, it is important to be aware of humidity levels and to provide adequate ventilation to reduce humidity.

Temporary Condensation
Condensation is often a temporary problem that will correct itself. There are a number of instances during normal everyday routines when temporary condensation can occur, including the following:

During showering or bathing, cooking, running the dishwasher, and other steam producing activities
During the start of each heating season
During sharp temperature changes when sudden drops in temperature, especially in the heating season, can cause temporary condensation to form
During new construction or remodeling projects. New building materials such as wood, plaster, paint and concrete contain a good deal of moisture. When the heat is turned on, this moisture will flow into the air inside the home. It will usually disappear after the first heating season.

Controlling and Reducing Condensation
Good windows can make a difference in reducing condensation. Windows with double pane, insulating glass stay warmer than single pane glass. The double panes of glass provide airspace between the outside and inside glass and aid in controlling condensation by allowing for higher percentages of relative indoor humidity. However, condensation can still occur is the inside humidity is high and there is not enough ventilation.
In addition, factory applied thermal coatings like Low-E (Low Emissivity Coatings) that block the transfer of heat through the glass can further enhance the ability of the glass to resist condensation.

Other simple steps that can be taken to control and reduce the humidity levels in a home include the following:

Vent clothes dryers and gas burners to the exterior and make sure that vents are connected and clear
Use exhaust fans in the kitchen and bath to remove moisture from the air when running hot water
Open a window for a few minutes in the kitchen, bath and laundry room to air it out
Keep attic louvers open year round and be sure that crawl spaces are properly ventilated
Make sure that humidifiers are correctly set according to the outside temperature

If interior condensation persists after following these recommendations, contact a qualified heating and air conditioning professional for further help and recommendations.

Safety

Do you keep windows shut when children are around?
You should keep your windows closed and locked when children are around. When opening windows for ventilation, open windows that children cannot reach. Also, set and enforce rules about keeping children's play away from windows and/or patio doors. Falling through the glass can be fatal or cause a serious injury.

Do you leave windows open because you thought the insect screen provided a safeguard from a fall?
Don't rely on insect screens to prevent a fall. Insect screens are designed to provide ventilation while keeping insects out; they are not designed to, nor will they prevent a child's fall from a window.

Is there furniture placed under or near windows in your home?
Keep furniture - or anything children can climb - away from windows. Children may use such objects as a climbing aid.

Do any windows in your home have guards, security bars, grilles or grates?
These windows are useless in an emergency if the devices on them do not have a functioning release mechanism. Time is critical when escaping a fire. Consult your local fire department or building code official to determine proper window guard placement.

Inspect your home's windows carefully.
Are any windows in your home painted or nailed shut?
Never paint or nail windows shut. You must be able to open them to escape in an emergency.

Do you have any window unit air conditioners in bedroom windows or other windows in your home that may be needed for escape or rescue in an emergency?
Do not install window unit air conditioners in windows that may be needed for escape or rescue in an emergency. The air conditioning unit could block or impede escape through the window. Always be sure that you have at least one window in each sleeping and living area that meets escape and rescue requirements.

If the Door is Warm to the Touch
Before you try to leave your apartment or office, feel the door with the back of your hand. If the door feels warm to the touch, do not attempt to open it. Stay in your apartment or office.

Stuff the cracks around the door with towels, rags, bedding or tape and cover vents to keep smoke out.
If there is a phone in the room where you are trapped, call the fire department again to tell them exactly where you are located. Do this even if you can see fire apparatus on the street below.
Wait at a window and signal for help with a flashlight or by waving a sheet.
If possible, open the window at the top and bottom, but do not break it, you may need to close the window if smoke rushes in.
Be patient. Rescuing all the occupants of a high-rise building can take several hours.

If the Door is Not Warm to the Touch

If you do attempt to open the door, brace your body against the door while staying low to the floor and slowly open it a crack. What you are doing is checking for the presence of smoke or fire in the hallway.
If there is no smoke in the hallway or stairwells, follow your building's evacuation plan.
If you don't hear the building's fire alarm, pull the nearest fire alarm "pull station" while exiting the floor.
If you encounter smoke or flames on your way out, immediately return to your home or office.