Buying Windows?

   Most people buy replacement windows only once in their life. Because they require manufacturing lead time and installation, wondows can be a complicated purchase that should involve careful review and consultation before a final decision is made. The two primary ingredients to a successful window purchase are the product itself and the professional installation of that product. Most home-owners simply trust their contractors to install the best window into their home. Sometimes this works - and sometimes it doesn't. With the expanding use of the internet, home owners like you are now able to invest "shopping time" into detereming what the best window is for their needs. Infact, just over the past few years, we have noticed a significant increase at Ronafa in the technical aspect of inquiries we receive from home owners just like you. We welcome every single inquiry. Meanwhile, here are our suggestions for "un-biased" places to start your search for the best windows you can buy. Of course, we hope that your independent search brings you right back to Ronafa Ind LLC! We want to help you. Give us a call or send us a note! 

Top Four Questions
To ask the business your getting your windows from:

1. What does your warranty cover?
     a. Our warrenty covers and confirmed manufactoring defect. A replacement part will be   
         furnished at no cost to you. Our warranty excludes labor and is transferable. See us for
         warranty details.

2. Are your products Gold-Label Certified by AAMA?
     a. Absolutely. Look to the inside head of every one of our Soft-Lite® Windows for the Gold
         Label decal.

3. Are your products tested by the NFRC and Energy Star?
     a. Yes. Built with low-emissivity glass, all of our Soft-Lite® Windows  meet or exceed
         Energy star requirements in all 50 states.

4. What rewards and industy recognition has your company earned?
    

Top Five Questions
To ask about the windows certified performance:

1. Are these windows AAMA Gold-Label Certified?

2. What are the results of the air infiltration test?

3. What are the results of the water infiltration test?

4. What is the design pressure rating of this window?

5. What is the overall U-value of this window as measured by the NFRC?

Top Five Questions
To ask about the design features of the window:

1. Tell me what makes your sill design better than the others.
     a. All of our double-hung models, for example feature an engineered sloped sill that offers more barriers and diversions to air and water infiltration than conventional, lower performance sill. There is a mechanical structural interlock that supplements the interlock at the meeting rail to hold the lower sash lightly in place, even during high-stress wind loads in excess of 190 miles per hour. A sill rail runs the length of the sill that is straddled by a soft rubber gasket under compression when the window is locked
to block aur and water fromentering. Our sill dam is mortised directly into the jamb to assure no butt-joint leaks common to older sills where sealant is the only barrier. Optional Comfort Foam™ can be used to insulate the inside chambers of the sill for the ultimate in energy efficiency.

2. Tell me about your weatherstripping and compression seals. 
     a. Our windows feature Triple-Fin weatherstrips that offer two or three times the barriers of single or double-fin designs. Each fin is compounded with Microban®, a popular anti-microbial treatment that fights the growth of mold and bacteria on the weatherstripping. Our closed-cell neoprene compression seals work under the pressure of the locked window much like the gaskets in refrigerators and freezers, to fight the transfer of energy in and out and to add yet more barriers and diversions to the penetration of air and water into your home.

3. Does your window have mechanical interlocks and where are they?
     a. All of our windows feature the mechanical interlocks at the meeting rail between the lock rail and the kepper rail. There is another mechanical structural interlock built intoour sill design on some models.

4. How toght are the manufacturing tolerances on your window?
     a. With our new Stürtz automated assembly lines, installed in late 2006, our overall manufacturing tolerances are the best in the business at a ± 1/32".

5. How many options do i have available to me to customize your window?
     a. Interal grids, V-groove glass, tempered, laminated, triplepane, differant spacer systems, art glass, interal laminates, external Colors; Call us at Ronafa Ind LLC your local Soft-Lite® Dealer for more information. 

Top Five Questions
To ask about the installer of you windows:

1. What is the name of the installer who will be installing your windows?

2. Is he an employee or a subcontractor?

3. Are you installers Certified AAMA Installation Masters™?

4. How long have you been installing windows?

5. What is your installation warranty that covers labor?

 Here are selected indepentent internet resources that may help you as you learn more about the features and benefits of installing quality replacement windows in your home. At Ronafa Industries LLC we funish these links to you because we want you to make the most informed buying decision you can make. We are here to help you along the way!

http://windows.lbl.gov/pub/selectingwindows/window.pdf

U.S. Deptartment of Energy offers a comprehensive guide to the selection process for windows based upon energy efficiency.

http://www.efficientwindows.org/

The Efficient Window Collaborative offers generic technical comparisons between the different technologies available in window today.

http://www,vinylifo.org/

The Vinyl Institute website shares information about the plastics industry, including windows and doors and other building products.

http://www.aamanet,org/upload/CMB-5-05.pdf

The American Architectural Manufacturer's Association sets the rules for testing the performance of building produsts like windows. For those of you with technical aptitude, this link will reveal one such test that is frequently referenced in the window business as it measures air, water, and structural window performance. Call Ronafa Industries LLC for more details.

http://www.aamanet.org/upload/AAMA_Certification_Labels-3-10-05.pdf

The American Architectural Manufacturer's Association carries several different classifications of members, with Gold Label the highest designation. This link explains the differences. Go to Home and learn more about this influential Industry agency.

http://www.aceee.org/

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy offers specific information relating to windows, but it does afford a glimpse at the importance of making an effort to fight the waste of energy, which is a key buying appeal of high performance replacement windows like you can buy from Ronafa Industries LLC.

http://www.ase.org/

The Alliance to Save Energy is another energy-specific site that offers insight to the benefits of replacement windows and other home improvement decisions that can reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources.

http://installationmastersusa.com/

Learn more about how professinal installers can earn certification from the same independent agaency (AAMA) that certifies our windows.

http://cpd.nfrc.org/pubsearch/psMain.asp

The National Fenestration Rating Council lista all certified results of every manufactured window it tests for Thermal Performance. This includes U-value, Solar Heat Gain Coefficient, and Visiable Transmittance.

http://hes.lbl.gov/

Home Energy Saver is the first web-based do-it-yourself energy audit tool.