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When it comes to windows selection, we have a wide choice of manufacturers. OKNA Precision-Weld Series is the product of OKNA Windows And Doors Company.
This type of the window is one of the most popular products offered by the company. The other name that these replacement windows go is OKNA 400 Series. So let’s see why some people say it is the “future today” windows. Beauty of The Window The Interior of the window makes it look like the part of the room. The frame of the Precision-Weld replacement window has rounded edges and gives richer look to the interior of the room. The frame has balance covers, that gives to the window a finished look and prevents dust and spider web build up in balance channels. Night latches are standard as well, so you can vent several inches of the top or the bottom of the window. The OKNA 400 Series have a slim profile sash lock, but you have an option to add Auto-Lock feature. The thickness of the frame and sash combined is 3’’, which is a bit on the bigger side, especially if you have small windows. If your windows are bigger, then you are not gonna notice the loss of some of the glass area. The Exterior of The OKNA 400 Window has a modern look. The screen channel of the window has curved edges, which gives to the window pretty much a unique look. Most of the window industry uses square strict edges, which makes the window look a bit colder and boring. Performance of the Window Precision-Weld Series double hung replacement window boasts with very impressive energy efficiency ratings. The U-Factor of the window with the basic package is 0.28, the SHGC is 0.30. You can see on the pictures the thick double layer of weather stripping on both sashes and air bulb on the bottom sash. The air infiltration rating is 0.05, which means the window closes tight as the door of a fridge. The special bulb between the top and bottom sashes adds to that great air infiltration rating. Most of the air comes from that spot. Other manufacturers neglect to insulate well that important part of the window. The engine of the window is block and tackle balance system and can achieve about 28,000 cycles, so you can open and close your window about so many times, before the engine is gonna blow up so to say. OKNA Precision-Weld windows come with standard half screen or can be upgraded to full screen option. The screen is made from extruded aluminum, which adds to durability of the screen. The screen does not not have locking mechanism, but there is an option to add that feature. Quality of the Window The window frame is made from the virgin vinyl. It means that the vinyl used in the window was not remelted from other vinyl products. Block and Tackle balance system is maintenance free and does not need lubrication. Both the frame and sashes are fusion welded for extra durability. High performance HeatSeal Spacer is used in glass pane system and prevents any moisture to accumulate between the two glass panes. Precious-Weld Series Window Key Points: Advantages:
Disadvantages:
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 OKNA Windows and Doors Company is a relatively small manufacturer located in Bristol Pennsylvania. The company was started in 1994 by two friends who worked together as installers and business partners. They had to start a window manufacturing business, because a local supplier was not able to meet their window demand. So these two owners are still together running the business. It is a plus that they come from the installer’s world. They can understand the needs of an installer and what does the customer wants and combine them together into a product that performs well.
OKNA Windows and Doors Company manufactures a wide range of windows and doors for the residential and commercial markets. We are gonna post reviews of their windows here, just click on the link when it is blue color:
The base model Precision Weld Series replacement windows has many good features, that many other larger manufacturers do not have in their base window offerings. These windows can be customized with different type of lock, screen and color options, which are usually unavailable with other window manufacturers. Next two levels in their model row is Insul-Tec and Eco-Pro Series replacement windows. These windows have wider selection of different options. Better frame and glass options. The top of the line OKNA offering is Enviro-Star Series replacement windows. These windows have unsurpassed energy efficiency and come in different colors and frame variations. The OKNA company is about 23 years in business. They had some ups and downs. In 2011 they settled a lawsuit brought against them and their dealer by some NJ angry customers. At this time the company is growing and expanding into midwest of the United States. The last time we checked OKNA windows boast strong support and good customer reviews online. We offer OKNA windows to our customers as well. We like working with smaller manufacturer. Sometimes it is easier to get things done with them, than with a bigger manufacturer of replacement windows. Some people say that a bigger company is better, because there is a higher chance that the warranty is gonna be honored. It is true to some extent, but we never know what can happen to a big well known company as well. Smaller window companies very often trying harder to please the customer and offer acceptable price, than bigger manufacturers. We think it is worth to give them a chance.  You have decided to install new vinyl windows into your house. You make several window estimate appointments. Many sales representatives are gonna come to your house and show you different types of vinyl windows. But what about glass? You should know that the window is as good as it’s glass. About 70% of the window is glass area. Definitely you would want to know types of Low-E coating on the glass in your new vinyl windows. So what is Low-E? It is special low emissivity coat, that goes on top of the window glass. In other words, when there is some kind of heat source inside your house or outside, the Low-E glass bounces back that heat inside the house or leaves it outside. In winter time, when hot air touches the glass inside the house, the Low-E coat prevents cooling it off. In summer time all the hot air stays outside the house. So at the end of the day you are saving money both in winter and summer times. When we talk about Low-E we should know that it is not only adds energy efficiency to the vinyl window, but beauty as well. There are two types of Low-E glass coat: hard coat and soft coat. And you might imagine they have different properties. These two coats even look different. The hard coated glass has slightly bluish tint, while soft coated glass has greenish tint to it.  Hard coat Low-E glass is made by pouring a very thin layer of hot tin on to slightly molten glass surface. The glass with hard coating becomes very durable and it is hard to scratch it or remove the coat from the glass.
Soft coat Low-E glass is applied by adding zink, silver or tin. The glass of the window is placed into a vacuum chamber filled with gas and then it is electrically charged. The coating is pretty much delicate, that's why it is called soft. These two types of Low-E coating have different energy efficiency ratings. As you can see from the table, soft coat is more energy efficient, than hard coat. The hard coat adds more durability for the window glass and more beauty. While soft coat adds more insulating qualities. So now you familiar with these two types of Low-E glass coats and you can choose the one you like for your new vinyl windows.  When you have old windows in your house and tired of wearing thick sweater, then you should listen to the simple truth about vinyl windows. In Hamilton or Willingboro New Jersey, there are many houses with old wood windows. When we get to these houses to make estimates, many people complain that they have ten windows in the house and can open only one or two. Especially with the fall around the corner, right now might be the best time to make your windows working again. On the picture below, from one of our window projects in Willingboro NJ, you can see the look of the old wood windows with aluminum screen windows. The paint is peeling off, these wood windows no longer can be opened, draining energy of the house and your wallet.  We replaced them with new Harvey Slimline double hung replacement windows. Right away you can tell what a big difference. This house in Willingboro NJ changed the whole look. When we pulled out the old wood windows, the exterior old wood frame we capped with luxurious aluminum casing. The glass of these vinyl windows has Low-E coating and argon gas between the two glass panes. It adds to the energy efficiency of a window, as well as makes it more shiny and beautiful.
The bottom line you should know, that the windows of the house is like the eyes of person. They have the greatest impact on the appearance of the house. Sometimes replacing the windows is the cheapest way to make your house shiny again. The homeowner in Willingboro NJ is going to enjoy these windows for many years and then if he sells the house, the value is gonna be there.  You live in your house for many years. You like your place and do not even think about moving. But in life never say never. You may get better job offer, your family gets bigger or the price of the house skyrocketed so much, that you decided to cash in and retire. Whatever your situation is, before putting your nest for sale, you should make it shining again and be ready for a home inspection.
The most important step to make it ready for sale is to do the preliminary inspection. You should do the inspection of the windows, roofing, siding. What the home inspector is looking at? He is gonna check the roof of the house and see if any roofing shingles are missing. If this is so, then you are gonna have to repair it. He looks at the siding and makes sure that all the siding panels are attached to the house and there are no damaged panels. Both roofing and siding usually is easy to repair, because all that material is available in store. The biggest problem is with the wood, vinyl or aluminum windows of the house. Now is the question how the home inspector is gonna check the vinyl or wood windows of the house? Well first of all he is going to get to each window in a house and open it. He opens the window to make sure that both sashes of the window stay open and do not fall down. If the sash of the window does not stay open, it means that the balance system of the vinyl or wood window is broken. Many people call us and ask to repair their balance systems. The problem is, most of the time the windows of the house are very old and nobody knows who is the manufacturer of the window. It is not always possible to find the proper balance system for the vinyl window. Then the only option is to replace the whole window. All the windows are custom made and usually it takes about 2 weeks to get them in from the date of order. Sometimes people have the closing sale in five days and cannot do it, because of the problems with the windows. If you have old wood windows in the house and the inspector can’t open some of them, make sure that you cleaned the dry paint where the two window sashes meet each other. We always recommend to our customers to inspect each window personally before the inspection. The inspector is gonna go outside as well and check the wood frame of your windows. If there are any rotten spots, you are gonna have to take care about it. All the rotten frame must be replaced and repainted or capped with aluminum casing. So when you are thinking about selling your house, make sure that your roof, siding and windows are in good condition. Do not procrastinate in replacing your old wood, vinyl, or aluminum windows. When you do that right now, you are gonna be able to enjoy them for several years and when you sell the house, still you can get the value back. We get a lot of questions about the these two windows. Harvey Slimline and Classic replacement windows are the most affordable high quality windows on the market. So we would like to show what is the difference between these two windows Let’s have these windows side by side and have a closer look at them.
You can see from that comparison chart, that Harvey Classic replacement window is slightly more energy efficient than Slimline window.
The main difference is the style of cam lock and the locking half screen in Classic window, while it is not in Slimline. The frame of the Classic replacement window is thicker by 1/4 than Slimline. When you get Harvey vinyl replacement windows, you get Limited Lifetime Warranty. We all love that word Lifetime warranty, but some people are worried about the other word “Limited”. So what does it mean to have Limited Lifetime Warranty? It means that warranty covers some specified parts of the window for the original purchaser of the windows. As long as you own the house, you have the windows covered. If you sell the house, the warranty is transferable for the next homeowner for 20 years from the date of manufacture.
When the windows were installed for the commercial application the warranty is 10 years only from the date of manufacture. Bay and Bow windows are covered under the same warranty, but any wood components are covered for 10 years only. If you purchased Garden window, then this warranty does not apply to them. There is a separate warranty for Garden windows. How to locate the window warranty sticker? With Harvey vinyl windows it is easy to find the warranty sticker. It is located inside the channel of the frame of the top window sash. You can see on the picture where to look for it. Under the Harvey Lifetime window warranty is covered : —Balance systems — Tilt Latches — Sash Locks If anything happens all these parts are gonna be repaired or replaced with new ones for free The glass of the Harvey Replacement window is covered for 20 years only. If the glass fades or moisture accumulates inside the two glass panes, the glass is gonna be replaced for free as well. If you have further questions, you can always post comments below or read the Harvey Vinyl Warranty on their website. Classic Double Hung Replacement Window
People say all windows are the same. We can tell this is not so. We would like to chit-chat about Classic Double Hung window. The manufacturer of the window is Harvey Building Products. The company is in business from 1961, it is one of the top 100 window and door manufacturers in the United Sates. Harvey Building Products has in-house vinyl recycling facilities and design lab. The company is involved into charitable home building for injured veterans. So we can see that the manufacturer is well established business and will honor window warranties. Now let’s have a look at the Classic Double Hung replacement window Specifications of Harvey Classic Double Hung Window The U-Factor is 0.27, SHGC rating is 0.25. It means the window is Energy Star qualified in North Eastern States of U.S. The window comes with Low-E and Argon Gas filled glass. The design pressure rating is 50, which means the window withstands the wind blows of up to 85-90 mph. Interior of the Classic Double Hung Window The frame and the sashes of the window are fusion welded. No screws are used to hold them together. The thickness of the frame and sash combined is 3’’. If you have smaller windows in your house you may loose some of the glass area. This Harvey Classic DH window has block and tackle balance system. It is one of the best balance systems, does not need any lubrication or maintenance. It is one of the most important part of the window. So you want to have it the best. The window comes with balance covers. It adds beauty to the window and prevents any dust to get into the window channel. Night latches are standard as well. You can vent a room with the window opened just a couple of inches at the bottom or the top. The window has low profile cam lock, which enhances the interior look of the window. Exterior of the Harvey Classic DH window The exterior of this replacement window has pretty much slick look. The screen channel looks like part of the window and blends in well with overall window design. Classic DH window comes with standard half screen or can be upgraded to full screen. The frame of the screen is made from extruded aluminum, which makes it more durable. The fiber glass screen has a locking mechanism. That feature adds to the safety of the window, if you have small children in the house. Energy Efficiency of the Window Harvey Classic Double Hung Window is an Energy Star qualified window. Both sashes of the window have double weather stripping and heavy duty bulb at the bottom sash of the window. Air infiltration is about 0.07, one of the best in the window industry. Harvey Classic Double Hung window key points Pluses: — Energy Star qualified — the frame and sashes are fusion welded — Well built extruded aluminum fiber glass locking screen —balance covers are standard — maintenance free block and tackle balance system — lifetime warranty on all hardware and 20 years glass warranty — the window has beveled sill, no weep holes — the window is available in 28 exterior colors and 4 interior colors Minuses: — the thickness of the frame and sash combined is 3’’ a bit too much for the smaller windows.  There are different types of Windows on the market with different price levels. The price of a vinyl replacement window depends a lot on a color of the window.
If you pick white color then the price is the most reasonable, but by changing the color to brown or bronze, the replacement window price zooms up by $100-$150. So let us see why brown windows are more expensive. Brown color absorbs heat The sun's radiation contributes to the majority of heat build up, which can increase the chance of window frame failure. Dark colors absorb sun's radiant energy at a higher rate and vinyl begins to deform or warp, if the temperature goes above 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Reflective Pigment Technology Until fairly recently, most of the vinyl replacement windows came in two colors white or tan. However, when the reflective pigment technology was invented, it changed the vinyl window industry. RPT uses colors that reflect the infrared spectrum of the sun. This technology prevents the dark color frame of the window to reach high temperatures. So to make the vinyl replacement window in brown color the manufacturer has to use more pigments in a frame of the window. The reflective pigment technology is more labour and capital intensive. All the manufacturers guarantee the dark colors for the life of the vinyl window. That's why when buying brown colors you have to pay extra just for the color. At the same time you can be sure that brown windows will stay brown for many years to come. Most of the vinyl windows come in white color. That's the most popular color and the cheapest one to get. Today replacement windows are available in many other different colors. Let us see what is the most durable color of vinyl replacement window.
Solid vinyl Color is achieved by added pigments to the window profiles. Vinyl windows made this way are not painted, but they have the true color of vinyl. Most of white, tan and bronze windows are made this way. The replacement windows with solid vinyl colors are not subject to peeling, chirping or warping. That's the most durable colors of the windows. Painted vinyl When the window has to have double color, let's say bronze outside and white inside, then the outside part of the window has to be painted. The downside of this color is that it is more labor extensive and more expensive. If the paint applied improperly, it can peel off after twenty years or so. Laminated color These colors are hot glued to the profiles of the vinyl window after extrusion. In other words the color is added by gluing the special film to the frame of the window. This technic is mostly used to the interior of the window frame. If done properly it adds shiny and durable look to the window. Aluminum cladding color Usually the color is added to finished windows to achieve superior coating performance. This technic is usually used when the window has wood exterior. So the exterior of the window is made from aluminum for extra durability and beauty. Usually windows with aluminum cladding can be painted into more than 28 colors. Aluminum cladding colors are durable and stay unchanged for the life of the window. |
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