High Performance & Stylish Window Designs

Deciding what type of windows to use when building and designing your new home will be one of the most important decisions you will make, because they add warmth, beauty and light to your living spaces. Since windows and doors typically account for about 10 to 15 percent of the total cost of your home building project, you'll want to be sure to make economical and practical choices.

You'll also need to consider the style, size and color of your windows since they are one of the most visible features of your home — both inside and out — and are instrumental in achieving the overall look and design you want.

You'll find that most consumers are demanding high-performance, high-quality windows, no matter what size home they are building, because they understand the value of long term energy savings. The energy tax credit is also making it easier for homeowners to choose larger, more stylish windows featuring the latest technology and add-ons.

Pella Windows and Doors® offers an innovative SunDefense® low-E insulating glass, which not only keeps conditioned air in, but blocks 95 percent of damaging UV light.

In response to consumers request for bigger and more stylish windows, companies like Kolbe Windows and Doors®, NanaWall®, Marvin® and Pella® are designing dazzling and functional walls of windows that have very minimal height and width restrictions. For example Kolbe Windows and Doors® recently introduced its TerraSpan® lift-and-slide door, which can incorporate up to 10 individual panels of up to 12 feet in height that either nest in back of one another or recess into a pocket, completely disappearing from view.

Marvin® offers its line of Ultimate Lift and Slide doors, which can be pocketed or stacked and feature low-E glass with insulating argon gas.

Homeowners are not only looking for energy efficiency, but they also want as many options as they can possibly choose from when picking a window. This means manufacturers are constantly updating and adding to their glass, configuration and size options as well as interior and exterior finishes, hardware styles and finishes and other special features.

People want to set their home apart from their neighbors, so they're accenting their windows with accessories like grilles, blinds, shades or decorative panels between glass and decorative hardware to coordinate with faucets, fixtures and other items in the home. While most homeowners opt for natural shades and lighter tones, more and more people are seeking to express their personal sense of color with a bold contrast of colors on the exterior of their windows and doors.

People also want their windows to be easy to use and maintain, which is why many companies offer a wash mode feature which allows the unit to swivel so you can wash the outside of the window from inside the house.

Since windows and doors are seen and enjoyed from both inside and outside your home, it is worth the time to choose your windows carefully so that you can create a stylish, functional and energy efficient living space.