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Tuesday, February 9. 2010Builder CurriculumTrackbacks
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The Biblical proverb states "Where there is no vision, the people perish".
Thanks for inspiring vision needed to breathe new life into homebuilding.
Hi Tedd, Are you using European windows and doors or have you actually found an American source that manufactures with triple laminated hardwoods that are completely sealed after all cuts and drilled holes, but before frame/sash assembly, as the Europeans do? To date, with every American Fenestration manufacturer I fine, the U-values don't even matter, because sooner rather than later, the wood will be bowed, twisted and warped to the point that the unit won't close properly anymore, due to cheap, single-piece, Sap wood selections and lack of proper sealing - usually both - but even if proper hardwoods are used, the wood will absorb moisture, so without proper curing and sealing, the problems will be "built-in". In turn this, of course affects the hardware with undue stress and climate exposure to both the hardware and sealing gaskets. Add to that, the inability to get a fully compressed seal around the entire perimeter of the unit with a single lever lock and interior surfaces exposed to exterior elements with the typical out-swing product ~ as you know, the best glazing and installation in the world won't get a great energy efficient window if even one of the 4 or 5 materials - wood, glass, gaskets, hardware and finish - is less that optimal. How do you deal with this? Thanks, Marcia
The answer to question isn't simple. There aren't any really good windows made here, as you know. I have made two trips to Austria to visit a company that makes Passivhaus windows, with the intention of setting up a similar production operation here. The owner of the company agreed to help and we settled on an agreement for our partnership. Then two things happened: First... the housing economy dropped off a cliff; second, and worse, my friend fell to his death on the Matterhorn.
In the meantime, we are getting by with numerous solutions, depending on the situation. We use Loewen windows, including their triple glaze options for most of our projects. For net zero and higher performance projects, it seems to be either Serious windows and Optiwin. We're currently working on a Passive House and the owner wanted to retain control of the window decision and purchase. It's been a nightmare and is now holding up construction. It looks like they will come through a Boston company, but be imported from Germany. Anyway, the window problem is a pretty big one, as you know. TB
Hi Tedd, Thanks for getting back to me. American Fenestration is sorely lacking and such an important component to what you are trying to achieve. I must say - I don't find Loewen to be too far ahead of us. Still unfinished, single piece Doug Fir, skinny frame depth construction and inadequate hardware to fully compress the seal. It will not keep it's thermal value over time - a short time, at that. Goldbrecht owns a mid range company, www.casteliausa.com, built in Germany (in solar powered factories), with a wood and aluminum division you might want to look into. Still triple laminated Northern Scandinavian Pine Heartwood as our base standard, multi point lock German hardware, deep frame construction, glass options galore, excellent water based finish - so good cladding is only for aesthetics, no formaldehyde ... Check out the "about us" menu. Slightly higher priced than Loewen, but it easily does what you need it to do and the full finish must be factored in.
Also, my Linkedin Page http://www.linkedin.com/in/marciakirschbaum or Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Santa-Monica-CA/Goldbrecht-USA/118200977953?ref=ts If you visit Linkedin, make sure to go to my "Files" for the Environmental Aspects. I research extensively anything I take on and I really, with all my heart, do not believe there's a more competent, knowledgeable, quality window company out there, than Goldbrecht and we also have exclusive distributorship to two Swiss Fenestration Companies - www.vitrocsa.ch and hirtmetallbau.ch. I didn't mean for this to turn into a sales pitch, but I love the passion you have for getting our housing quality back on track and to some extent, at least for the moment, I guess that will take a bit of help from the older and wiser countries. Have a great evening. Marcia
In the early 90's, I set up a relationship with a company that was importing German windows. We actually installed them in our client meeting building and set up a display. I even put two doors in my own house. We therefore showed them to every potential client. The style, the tilt-turn operation, and the interior swing were too different for people to accept. Over an 8 year period, we sold them exactly once. I wish it hadn't worked out that way. I love the windows and every time I'm in Europe, I get jealous of how much better they are.
When I was working with my Austrian friend, we were talking about adapting some of the systems and technology to the Western window operation to overcome the problem of market acceptance. We didn't solve the issue before his tragic death....perhaps you have?
Good Morning, That is never an issue on my jobs, my biggest hurdle is price ~ usually before one is even presented, and education goes with that to some extent. All know the windows and doors coming from Europe are more expensive, but many think the shipping makes up the difference rather than quality and I'm not talking about homeowners here - architects and builders. I am constantly amazed to find this lack of knowledge in our professionals. I have met many an architect and builder that isn't aware that there even is such a product as a Tilt and Turn. Once they understand the quality difference and that it is the quality - not shipping - plus the fact that the price point isn't that far off for a much higher quality product, they love them. Homeowner's do seem to have the biggest issue with functionality. They tend to not understand the "Tilt" as being effective ventilation - they imagine the unit being opened into the room and in the way- that may be what you encounter. This is a fairly easy issue to deal with, we manufacture EVERY window style, with Goldbrecht or Castelia, so even those who don't get it and insist on out-swing or double-hung can still have quality.
Just as a ball park, regarding price, I recently went up against Marvin and Jeld-wen on a 6,000+ sq ft bay front home in Newport Beach, CA. There were 6 sets of 8' French doors, most with side lites and 38 windows, mostly casement. Marvin with they're typical wood-clad, cheap, unfinished everything, came in at 67,000., Jeld-wen with a painted interior and cladding came in at 82,000., Goldbrecht (we had to go with Goldbrecht for Marine grade hardware) with completely finished Asian Mahogany, came in at 113,000. These prices of course will be a fraction on a home that is a fraction of the sq. footage and I imagine on a good portion of what you do we are fine with Northern Scandinavian Pine Heartwood and Castelia rather than Goldbrecht. Send a PDF if you'd like and we can see where it goes. We will pass Passivhaus criteria without triple glazing, although that is available and the lead time is 10 to 12 weeks. Marcia
Hi Tedd,
I wonder of you've given any more thought to curriculum? What you are doing in your Open-Built methodology seems very much a BIM (Building Information Management) or PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) approach. I am currently working with Oakland University (north of Detroit, www.oakland.edu) and a growing number of High Schools within Michigan to teach PLM. I recently gave a talk to some of Michigan's Career Education program directors in which I was asked to describe PLM and a proposed state-wide Academic Infrastructure around it. I cropped together a video from your Open-Built ad on YouTube plus some clips from This Old House to show PLM in action. (Sorry if I'm calling your operations PLM when you don't use that phrase, but man, the video really works! If you are interested (I'd appreciate your feedback) check out http://patrickhillberg.com/TeachingPLM/Lists/Categories/Category.aspx?Name=9%29%20PLM%20in%20Homebuilding Thanks Pat
Pat,
The curriculum is still being developed, but is also being implemented. I'll post again about it before long. The PLM connection with OpenBuilt is brilliant! Thank you for making the connection. I like your thoughts and presentation and am honored to be a part of your curriculum development. I do so wish we were able to tap into the mindset, technology and strategies prevalent in the auto industry. I assume that's what you're trying to get across in Slide #14: Michigan has talent and ideas that the world greatly needs. Championing the deployment PLM is a great way to approach the opportunity. I'd like to learn more. Thank you! |
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