Go Green With Andersen Windows New 100 Series

Andersen Windows and Doors has been providing quality wood clad windows and doors for many years, now has introduced a product to rival the lower end vinyl market. Everyone recognizes Andersen as a quality, high end window company and never has Andersen ever targeted the competitive vinyl market. But that is now changing and with a very impressive, environmentally friendly and lower cost window.

Andersen’s new 100 series has some very unique features that will make all other window companies wonder how to compete with such a different product. The 100 series window frame is engineered of a special product called Fibrex®. This Fibrex® material construction offers the strength of solid wood and twice the stability of vinyl and is covered in more than 30 U.S. patents. Adding this stable frame with the special corner system and a window is created that is extremely strong, stable and resistant to racking.

If you have heard of Trex, Timber Tech or any other composite decking you will understand what a composite product is manufactured from. Similar to these decking products, Fibrex® is a composite composition that is extruded in a frame similar to a vinyl frame. Fibrex® is a blend of recycled wood and polymers that has received the Scientific Certification System (SCS) of a recycled content of between 18% and 24%, but comes from 40% pre-consumer reclaimed wood fiber. The series 100 also meets the Energy Star qualifications in all climate zones. The finish on the 100 series also meets the SCS Indoor Advantage Gold Program criteria for building materials that will not negatively impact the indoor air quality. Now Andersen has made a statement in the world of green building by introducing a very environmentally friendly product.

Composite products have proven their durability in all weather climates by resisting any amount of water and withstanding major hot climates. Now vinyl products can not say the same, but many vinyl products have improved over the years. But no vinyl window company has perfected a process that can handle dark colors. Now there is an option to this problem without spending more than triple on your windows. The 100 series is available in a cocoa bean which is very close to the old bronze aluminum but blocks thermal heat and cold transfer more than 700 times better than aluminum. This makes the series 100 window great for retro fit applications that have dark aluminum windows.

I think this is one of the most innovative windows introduced in many years and has a lot to offer. Andersen backs this window with a ten year transferable warranty that adds value to any home being sold. The series 100 window also qualifies for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, federal tax credit.

Learn more about this great product at http://www.andersenwindows.com/100series

Original article: Go Green With Andersen Windows New 100 Series – written by Steve Feller on Factoidz

The Park City Area Home Builders Association is leading the way with Green Building, within the State of Utah, with a new group called Build Green Utah.

Build Green Utah is leading the state in building homes for the future. As an active program of a Home Builders Association, Build Green Utah is a member-driven organization comprised of proactive builders, architects, and associates that are investing in an environmentally sound, socially supportive, and economically healthy future through a conscientious building industry.

Build Green Utah :

• Provides a standard, recognized third party certification process for green homes in Utah.
• Communicates the ease of integration and the aesthetic value of green building practices.
• Promotes green building and its benefits through builder and consumer education, as well as through collaboration with local governments.
• Ensures the future welfare of our environment, economy and community through a conscious, ethical approach to building.
• Raises awareness and educates the general public about the advantages of green building.
• Strengthens the green building community as a whole, by building a dynamic network of members working toward common goals.

Many more local home builder associations plan on follow a similar program.

Engineering New, Sustainable Solutions

In 1993, Andersen finished development of the revolutionary and highly sustainable Fibrex^® material with its now wholly-owned subsidiary, Aspen Research Corporation. Fibrex material is a patented composite made of reclaimed wood fiber from Andersen manufacturing operations and a special thermoplastic polymer, some of which is also reclaimed.

Fibrex combines the strength and durability of wood with the maintenance ease of vinyl. It is a technology that is leveraged across Andersen Corporation’s product portfolio.

I have seen this window and it fits into the green building category very well. Anderson uses 40% recycled wood and plastic from its window manufacturing plant. I was excited to see this product come into the market. But then I found out it has elevation restrictions and is only available in the south west.

So for the people in the south west here are some of the benefits.

Fibrex and Sustainability

Andersen Corporation became the first and only Green Seal^® Certified window manufacturer in large part due to the environmental benefits of how we make Fibrex. But did you know that the sustainability of Fibrex extends to the home as well?

• Insulation
  Because of its superior thermal insulating properties, Fibrex can help reduce heating and cooling requirements.
• Durability
  The thermoplastic polymer in Fibrex resists rot, decay, and fungal growth, ensuring a longer lifetime and reducing manufacturing demand. Warranted not to flake, blister, peel, pit or corrode.
• VOC Reduction
  Fibrex also helps reduce VOC emissions, since no wood preservative treatment or painting is required.

It is great to see new innovative products come onto the market and I like the green and sustainable approach that Anderson is taking but wished it was available in more areas.

This information came from Anderson Website at Anderson Windows.com

With more people looking to save energy and the increasing cost of water in many communities, the idea of recycling rain water gaining more demand. This is a great way to water outside with little cost and even non potable water uses in the home can be supplied with rain water. One issue is the local codes within some communities. Some municipalities will not allow of catching rain water so be sure to check with your local building department prior to installing a rain catching system.

One company that has developed an excellent system for rain catching is called RainEscape™. They have developed a rain catching system to create a dry or living space beneath the deck. RainEscape™ is marketed to give homeowners more dry or living area underneath the deck area. But they also have an add on product called Aquaeras™ RainWater System.

RainEscape™ is the premier patented deck drainage system that creates a 100% dry storage or livable space beneath a deck with a 20 year warranty. RainEscape™ is easily installed in a couple hours on TOP of the joists allowing any custom ceiling material to finish the underside of the deck. Add cans lights, ceiling fans, speakers, etc. since no water ever enters the deck structure. RainEscape’s™ Cedar Color blends with surrounding architecture should the ceiling not be custom finished underneath the deck.

Aquaeras is a compete turn-key kit for rainwater collection off the entire residential home or commercial building. Aquaeras(TM) fully integrates with any sized Above ground or Underground potable storage tank(s). for both Indoor and Outdoor uses. Multiple tanks can easily be connected to create any size total rainwater storage needed.

Aquaeras is an “on-demand” system. Turn on a faucet, flush a toilet, or have an irrigation system turn on, and Aquaeras turns itself on and off Automatically!!

For each1 inch of rain collected off a 1,000 sq. ft. roof, deck, yard, or driveway, one can expect to capture around 625 gallons of rainwater. (ie. 3,000 sq. ft of area = 1,800 gallons of water for each 1″ of Rain)

So if you are looking for a solution to recycle rain water take a look at RainEscape™ at http://www.rainescape-se.com

Or contact me at

kyanisunrise@greenbuildingideas.info

One of my friends on Twitter created this great video on catching rain water. Check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/user/getintothegoodmix

Well I told you I would throw out some topics that can be debatable. I believe that the Green movement is for the best but I am not on board with every aspect. I hear people say we should ban plastic grocery bags, plastic beverage containers and other plastic products. I do believe we need to keep these products out of the land fill and also stop littering with these products. We need to educate more on the topic of recycling.

I what to show you an example of a product and a company that has taken recycling to a different level.

Trex Decking is a composite decking that is durable, easy to use and great looking. There are many other companies that supply a similar product but from my experience trex is one of the best.  I have taken one piece of information from Trex’s website http://www.trex.com to explain how well they recycle.

Recycling Facts

• Trex keeps some 300,000 tons of plastic and wood scrap out of landfills every year.
  • that comes to about 600,000,000 pounds saved annually
• NO TREES ARE CUT DOWN for the purpose of making Trex. Our wood comes from:
  • reclaimed wood from woodworking operations
  • used pallets
  • sawdust (300 million pounds a year)
• Trex recycles all forms of polyethylene.
• Trex is one of the largest plastic bag recyclers in the United States.
  • Grocery/Retail/Drug Stores
    • 7 out of every10 recycled grocery bags in the U.S. end up at Trex (about 1.5 billion per year)
  • Industrial Accounts
  • Agricultural Operations
  • Food & Beverage plants
  • Government agencies
  • Colleges & Universities
  • Bulk Pellets/Flake & Densified
• Our manufacturing process is as green as our final product.
  • Trailers are hydraulically powered with vegetable-based oil
  • Our proprietary processing method eliminates smokestacks
  • Factory runoff/refuse is recycled back into the manufacturing line
• As much as possible, Trex packaging is made from recycled paper and plastic.
• We regularly seek out third-party audits to make sure we’re continuously improving our green practices while meeting all environmental, health and safety guidelines and regulations.

Green Projects and Affiliations

• Trex Company is a proud member of The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) the nation’s foremost coalition of leaders from every sector of the building industry.
  • Works to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built, and operated
  • Goal: to create an environmentally and socially responsible environment that improves the quality of life
• Trex has been included in national environmental projects such as:
  • the BASF Near Zero Energy Home in Paterson, NJ
  • the Solar Decathlon, a collegiate green building competition
  • the National Building Museum’s “The Green House” exhibit in Washington, D.C.
  • Maui Wildlife Refuge Complex, Kealia Pond NWR in Hawaii
  • Point Defiance Zoo, Theater and Kids Zone in Tacoma, WA

  “Directly quoted from Trex website” www.Trex.com

Now I think this product is great and it along with many similar products would not exist if we did not have these plastic products. So I don’t think we should ban water bottles. We need to just more conscious of recycling these plastic products.

I have personally been to the Trex plant in Nevada and have seen the garbage that is unloaded on a daily basis. Believe me it is straight garbage but it is a beautiful product when it comes out the other end.

The plastic and wood is ground into fine pieces, then heated and blended in a huge hopper. When it reaches the proper consistency it is pushed through a die similar to a pasta press to make the shape. As it passes through the die it immediately goes into a trough of water to cool.

Plastic products have a place and a purpose. So I don’t think we should ban water bottles and plastic bags. I think we should all recycle more and buy products like Trex that do a good job with recycling. Please leave a comment and tell the other reader what you think.