FAQs

The Good Housekeeping Seal is an emblem of the magazine's Consumer Policy, which promises a refund or replacement for defective products within two-years of purchase.

Vinyl is THE ideal window construction material because vinyl:

• Doesn't deteriorate or rot.
• Can be extruded and shaped into brilliant window designs.
• Doesn't damage or corrode when scratched.
• Can be fusion welded to eliminate air and moisture leaks at the joints.
• Offers excellent insulating properties—especially when used in multiple-cavity frame designs.

ENERGY STAR is a U.S. government program—administered by the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency with the cooperation of manufacturers—that's designed to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels through the education of consumers. The program covers many different types of products. Windows and doors can only carry the ENERGY STAR label if they are tested by an independent laboratory through the NFRC program and meet specific, predetermined U-value ratings. By selecting ENERGY STAR products, you will reduce your energy costs and help make the environment cleaner.

NFRC stands for the National Fenestration Rating Council. It's a program established by the U.S. Department of Energy to help consumers compare window products and options. Window manufacturers participating in the program are required to label every window to its specific thermal performance level. Customers are then ensured that the products they select meet the requirements for their application. Participation in the NFRC program is voluntary. Not all manufacturers participate because it requires outside third party inspection and extensive product testing. Nescor IS a participant in the NFRC program.

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. For example, installing stock windows requires that you add brick or siding to the exterior, and drywall or other materials to the interior. In addition, custom-made windows allow you to choose the best solution to the problems you want to solve by replacing windows.

A true replacement window is a window that's custom built to fit within the opening of an existing window. It's built to fit precisely and can be installed without disturbing the interior and exterior areas around the window.

These energy and maintenance savings will allow you to recoup your window investment over time. Ask about our 40% Energy Savings Pledge!

Many high-quality windows are actually engineered to make cleaning easier. For example, double-hung windows with the latest internal constant force balance system allow a home owner to easily maneuver the sashes up and down. They tilt in—and lock securely in place—for safe, easy cleaning. Quite a difference from old wood windows that stick and are difficult to move up and down. 

Absolutely. Vinyls are like any other man-made compounds. There are numerous components in vinyl compounds and there are many vinyl manufacturers that produce numerous types and grades for window manufacturing. Lesser-quality vinyls typically have problems with brittleness or impact resistance, color consistency, and expansion and contraction. The best vinyls are proprietary compounds formulated specifically for manufacturing high-quality windows.

The profile design and methods of assembly determine the strength of a window. Just as beams or roof trusses are designed for specific mechanical loads, so are window shapes.

The strength of the sash and frame dictate how the window will maintain its shape under high winds. A weak window can flex and reduce the effectiveness of the weatherstripping, resulting in air and water infiltration and, subsequently, higher energy costs. A weak window design also requires near-perfect window installation to ensure an effective seal.

You'll have windows with long-term strength and squareness if you select windows with:

• All fusion-welded joints.
• Glass sealed to the sash frame.

Numerous factors, including how the frame and sashes are engineered and built, the type of glass used (single-, double- or triple-pane), the weatherstripping, the type of low-emissivity coating on the glass and the presence of argon or krypton gas. 

Although the U-value is actually the important number in evaluating windows and doors today, most people are more familiar with the related concept of R-value (or R-factor). The R-factor of a window is the measure of its resistance to the transfer of heat flow. The higher its R-value, the greater its insulating ability.

U-value (or U-factor) is the measure of the window's ability to conduct heat—in other words, the amount of heat transmitted through the window. The lower a window's U-value, the better the window is at insulating your home.

Low-E stands for low emissivity and is a fairly new advancement in glass technology. Basically, it's a microscopic, metallic coating—applied to a surface of glass—that reflects and re-radiates heat energy either into or out of a home depending on climate conditions. Using Low- E is an excellent way to increase the energy efficiency of a window. In fact, it's so effective that every Nescor window with Low-E is ENERGY STAR®-compliant in every region of the U.S.

Using a low-emissivity glass in your new windows or doors will filter more than 50 percent of the damaging UV light. The absolute most effective glass for this purpose, however, is Heatshield 19, a new technological breakthrough in insulating glass, incorporating high performance soft coat Low E with a special coated glass that locks over 99% of harmfull ultra-violet radiation.