Products in Focus: Windows/Doors

Feb. 1, 2001
New Products/Case Studies

Windows help Texas students learn "eco-education"
The students at Roy Lee Walker Elementary School in McKinney, Texas, are being exposed to "eco-education," which teaches students about their environment by integrating the technology of the school building into the curriculum.

In 1997, the McKinney Independent School District was awarded a $200,000 grant from the Texas State Energy Conservation Office for the design and engineering of a sustainable school prototype - the first sustainable school project in the state.

The school incorporates everything known about environmentally sensitive architecture, which is designed to avoid excessive energy consumption.

The windows allow the classrooms at Walker Elementary to receive most of their internal lighting from the sun. According to studies, daylighting enhances education by improving scholastic performance, increasing attendance and improving concentration.

Daylighting also will allow the school to cut its energy costs. Walker's HVAC and lighting systems have been downsized because there is less consumption of energy.

Roof windows
Velux-America has introduced its Model GHL roof window. The new window is designed for within-reach installations where egress is not required. It is available in two sizes, 21 1/2 inches by 39 inches or 30 1/2 inches by 39 inches. Comfort-coated glass, a double layer of low-e coating and argon gas between the pane, provides added protection against heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer.

Aluminum windows
Wausau Window and Wall Systems has added three products - 3150 double-hung tilt windows, 4250 offset fixed and projected windows, and 2250 insert vents - to its Advantage line. The 3150 tilt windows feature block and tackle balances for easy opening and closing, and add a tilt sash for cleaning. The 4250 Offset is available with one-inch setback from the exterior face of the frame to the exterior face of the glass. The 2250 Insert Vents are available with either glazed-in or flat back frames.

Prox locks
A new door lock is available from Alarm Lock. The Trilogy Prox Lock PDL3000 is a proximity/digital, stand-alone single-door access lock, with audit trail. The lock accepts most HID proximity cards and keyfobs, and is programmable with up to 2,000 user codes.

Rolling doors
Woodfold-Marco Manufacturing offers wood accordion and roll-up doors that are custom-made exactly to size. Select solid hardwoods are machined to precise tolerances, selected for color consistency and assembled. The roll-up doors can be set up to operate manually, with an awning crank or with an electrical motor.

Skylight panels
Skywall offers translucent panel skylight systems. They are lightweight and virtually shatterproof. The panels are protected by Tedlar, a covering from DuPont that prevents dirt and soil from adhering. This allows the panels to wash clean in the rain and reduces maintenance costs.

Window tinting
Pleotint introduces a new technology called thermally reversible light scattering, or thermoscattering. It allows the view from a window to be obscure when the glass temperature is cold. When the window is heated, the view becomes clear. The first product to use the technology is called ThermoSEE glass.

Key control systems
Schlage has expanded its line of key control products with the Everest family of keyways. The cylinder is designed to accept only an Everest key, and the key has a patented undercut groove to prevent unauthorized key duplication. Existing cylinders can be upgraded easily to this new cylinder.

Windows
Moduline Window Systems offers the Renaissance Option, which brings back the neoclassical style of architecture. The windows have the retro look of wood, steel and aluminum windows of the past. The Renaissance Option is available in any window system or type of muntin.

Door Closer
DORMA Architectural Hardware introduces the TS 68 door closer. It adjusts to sizes 2, 3 and 4 and is appropriate for common interior doors up to 43 inches (109 centimeters) wide. A special template for regular mounting can enable the closer to meet barrier-free requirements. It does not require a mounting template.

Door chart
Chicago Metallic has released a new Door/Frame Color Selector chart. It features standard frame finishes and five premium colors. The door/frame system is rollformed from 18-gauge steel and designed for one-person handling and installation in less than 15 minutes.

Fire doors
Cornell Iron Works has added features to its rolling fire doors. The M100 FireGard is used for large doors or doors with coils recessed in soffits or above ceilings. After testing or power failure, the M100 is reset from the floor at the touch of a button. The FireGard EZ Test 'n' Set rolling fire door is chain-operated to eliminate the need for field wiring. Both systems feature governors that reliably control closing speeds.

Lockset
Marks USA has manufactured its first decorative cylindrical lever lockset. The design matches its Monaco series of tubular locksets, but is available in most of the keyed functions. It is available in ANSI grade two and will satisfy applications that require a decorative and reliable heavy-duty lever lockset.

Door switches
Larco has improved its automatic door activation switches to withstand harsh weather. The stainless steel cover plates are durable and eliminate rust and corrosion problems. The new design is available in a variety of standard and custom messages, and Larco offers a wide range of installation options.

Window treatments
Phifer introduces its new SheerWeave Style 2390 and Style 2360, Phifer Screen 530 and new colors to the SheerWeave 3000 fabric line. Styles 2390 and 2360 are woven of PVC-coated fiberglass yarn to provide a view through the fabrics, allowing only soft diffused light to enter through the window. The PhiferScreen 530 is an alternative to interior sun-control applications, improves air-conditioning efficiency, protects interior furnishings from fading and reduces heat and glare.

Deadlatch
The Medeco 15 Series Heavy Duty Tubular Deadlatch is available. Featuring a Grade 1 deadlocking latch, the product prevents shimming and "loiding" of the bolt with a credit card or similar tool. It automatically deadlocks when the bolt enters the strike. The deadlatch features a stainless-steel latch bolt and choice of a 2 3/8-inch or 2 3/4-inch backset. The deadbolt is reversible for left-handed or right-handed, standard or reversed bevel doors between 1 5/8 inches and 2 1/4 inches thick.

Door modification kits
Tubelite offers 10- and 12-inch stacked bottom rail modification kits, which bring existing stock doors into compliance with bottom rail specifications of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Rather than replacing the door, the kit modifies it by adding a six-inch cross rail and a snap-in spline to the existing four-inch bottom rail.

Entrance system
A new CD-ROM covering general product specifications and details is now available from Vistawall Architectural Products. The new PerforMax entrance system is featured, which is designed to handle the daily abuse of high-traffic areas. The system is highlighted by the steel reinforcement of its anchoring features and hardware package.

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