Davis Lake Condominium Association Mandate • To research the product, the supplier, the specifications, the purchase and installation options for new windows to replace the current 34-year old aluminum, single pane windows. • To provide a process for all owners to use to eventually replace their windows and ensure that these will all be the same and look the same. To present this report to the Membership at the Annual Meeting on March 11, 2017 Rick Delorme Presenter Committee Members Dave Powell Keith McDonald Rick Delorme February 2017 1
Thank you Dave and everyone for the opportunity to make this presentation on windows. The opportunity was available and we felt that this is important information to inform so many of us at the same time. It’s a litt le technical so I am going to follow my script so that I don’t leave out any details and to get through this more quickly. On our committee is Dave Powell 325, the financial guy, Keith McDonald 225 the windows expert given that his business is working with windows and me Rick Delorme 523 who asked the question about new windows. We will recommend a process to approve a window product, a supplier and a time-line to replace our 34-year old windows. Today my goal is to suggest: -Why we should replace our windows. -What our options are for products. -What we have chosen as the best windows. -Who we have chosen to supply us with new windows. Some of us want new windows and some don’t. Some need new windows and have been waiting for a resolution and approval on how we will do this. If we need a new front door, we know what it has to be. If we change our lanai enclosures, we know that we have to follow appearance and code guidelines. With this in mind, our committee has come up with a window replacement process. This will allow us to go ahead, at our discretion and time line and eventually all have all the same windows. 2
We have all heard all of the following regarding our windows Broken and pitted aluminum frames that can no longer be cleaned or shined. Sliders that are broken or do not open and close smoothly. Locks that are broken. Screens that are brittle and needing to be replaced. Thin single pane glass windows that are pitted and scratched. Frames that leak when we actually do get rain. Humidity that seeps inside through the aluminum frames and glass. Fabric fading on drapes and bed spreads. No sound barrier from street traffic. Cleaning is impossible except for going outside and for some that means requiring a ladder and someone to climb. The screens are on the outside and are practically impossible to remove, they get brittle after a while and they break. And what about those who live in the dark because they close their blinds and drapes to block out the heat of the sun and are not enjoying the views and the Florida sun. Age and wear are not the only reasons to consider new windows: Most people think of a window’s function as simply to allow light and air into the home. But when you think about it, a window in a Florida home has a rather complicated job: - it must allow the sun’s light to pass through, but not the sun’s heat - it must keep cool conditioned air inside, but not allow condensation to form on the surface of the glass - it must not allow hot, humid outside air to leak into the home - as Hurricane Andrew and other significant storms have demonstrated, windows are traditionally a key point of entry for storm-force winds, hail, rain, and wind- borne debris, so ideally a Florida window must also be impact-resistant. 3
When doing an estimate, at my Condo, the sales person, from Home Depot, was about to finish and he said, “I noticed that all the time that I have been here, your AC has been operating quite often to keep your place cool. I find it odd that it is running that much for such a small space. He said let me check the temperature of your bedroom windows. ” He used his thermal reading device and when he pointed it at the window he said my window was generating 82 degrees of heat into the room. So the outside temperature was coming right into my house, my AC was sending cooling into the bedroom via that small vent above the door and was being warmed by the heat from the window cancelling most of the potential for cooling that room. Standing next to the window was like standing in front of a heat radiator. This has confirmed MY decision to upgrade my windows regardless of any other reasons. Think of this also. When we run our AC’s during the summer months and that is at least 6 months for some, when we are not here, imagine if our systems would run even 1/3 less than they do now. Not only would we save electrical costs but we would save the wear and tear on our AC units. OK, let’s talk windows: 4
Look at our current aluminum frame windows and single pane another way. This is your current window in a cold winter up north? Cold is icing up the frames and ice and moisture is showing on the inside of the glass. It’s easy to see cold when it is ice and moisture. The heat of the sun and humidity actually does the same, however it ’ s much less visible. Aluminum which is one of our best metals to conduct heat in cooking and heating, is what we have around our windows. The temperature outside is what the aluminum frames radiate inside. What we need is a way to have a view on a bright sunny day (in Florida) but not get the heat from the sun. Now some of us have expensive California style shutters or black out drapes and we keep them closed to block the sun. This cuts some of the heat also but then all that heat, humidity and sun can’t be good for the shutters or drapes either. Not to mention that you no longer have a view of our nice property or the Florida sun. Using the same analogy, would you put shutters or heavy drapes to cut out the cold and moisture in that winter window? 5
Our windows need to provide a way to reflect the UV rays but let the light in. What windows offer this technology? The choice is already made for us. All windows sold in Florida are now manufactured and supplied to the end user according to the Florida Energy Code. So actually waiting this long has made it easy for us and we will get the benefit of the latest research in windows technology. The following is the Florida Energy Code. 6
The following will explain the code. All suppliers and sellers of windows are now selling only according to the building code. A permit is required and the job will be inspected so this guarantees that all windows must be according to this energy and impact codes. Although there are significant variations in prices for windows, the manufacturing processes and quality of materials and the installation costs would be the obvious reasons for this. We have located a local business that works directly with many manufacturers. This company has a reputation for winning awards and has been in business for 15 years. This is a family business and they have in-house sales people and several installers. 7
The Company known as Clear Choice USA Windows is owned and operated by Rance and Stacey Fulks. We met Rance at a presentation here at the Davis Lake office. He explained in detail regarding building codes and what manufacturer ’ s products were offering and assured us that he had windows to meet our needs. We visited their sales showroom. We saw more windows that you can imagine. We saw cut away windows, bad windows, shattered laminated windows that demonstrated how they do not crumble when they break. We saw a warehouse of new windows all going to hundreds of new installations. This greatly increased our approval and confidence in this company and the people who own it. We met Stacey and found out that at one time, she even helped with installations. She know windows. 8
Clear Choice USA Windows represents the largest supplier of windows in North America. I’m sure you’ve all hear d of Andersen Windows. They have suggested a window manufactured by Silver Line Windows which is owned by Andersen and they developed a new window to beat all other manufacturers on specifications and price. This new design exceeds current code requirements and is lighter and easier to install. This is the window label to show the compliance to the code: 9
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