Santoprene
If you are seriously considering replacing windows you should read this…
What is the most critical design factor in windows for our weather conditions?
With the extreme cold we experience in central Saskatchewan, the two most important areas in windows is warm glass and how well the window seals to keep the cold out and the heat in. After more than 30 years experience in the window replacement industry, we recommend homeowners shop for a triple pane window with 2 sheets of LowE (preferably the higher performing soft coat LowE) and 2 airspaces filled with Argon Gas. Also critical is that the window has Santoprene weather strip that is manually inserted, not co-extruded flexible plastic weather stripping..
What is the difference between co-extruded versus manually inserted weather strip?
Co-extruded means that the weather strip is a flexible plastic material and is secured at one small point to the vinyl material as it passes from an extruding machine. The problem with a co-extruded weather stripping design in our extreme cold temperature is the plastic weather seals will become stiffer and not seal as well. There is also the possibility of the co-extrusion coming away from the frame, and the homeowner would have difficulty finding the proper profile of weather stripping to replace it if it cracks or breaks down. If co-extruded conventional flex plastic weather-stripping is replaced, for whatever reason, the window will no longer be the same window as was originally tested and approved. Where as with an inserted Santoprene seal if there was ever a reason to replace the weather-stripping it would be with the same as what the original window was tested and would maintain its certification. We feel so strong against using plastic co-extruded weather strip material that we left a previous supplier who we had worked with for 15 years, because they were going to go to a co-extruded system. We went to our original extruder for our vinyl components and started to fabricate our own windows. We could have all the quality control on what we built and installed. We insist on Santoprene weather strip that is manually inserted. Santoprene strip stays soft and supple year in and year out without getting rigid or fear of breaking down.
Why do many window factories use “coextruded” or “post-extruded” materials?
Unfortunately, there are a huge number of vinyl window factories out there that are constantly looking for ways to cut cost. They are building windows for where the masses of the North American population live which is in climates that are milder than here, both in temperature and wind velocity. Even some of the better quality window factories are using the co-extruded method because it is faster and therefore cheaper. It can be done automatically by a machine rather than manually inserted by a person on the assembly line. The problem is that when the plastic weather-seal breaks down or cracks, which will happen in our cold weather climate, it cannot be replaced easily in the home because it is attached to the vinyl. Consumers need to beware that some factories refer to this process as “post-extruded” which is the same process as “co-extruded”. We believe it will cause problems in the future. The homeowner will be required to try to find a replacement weather strip and to try to attach it to their vinyl window and still make contact at all points at the same time. We strongly discourage the use of co-extruded flexible plastic weather stripping especially for the main seals of windows. The materials physical characteristics indicate that flexible plastic weather seals will stiffen, will be more affected by UV and will eventually break down. The flexible plastic is less forgiving under the constant extreme weather shifts we go through and will not give proper performance for the life of the window. During the fabrication process the extrusion is cut ¼” (6mm) longer than what the finished size is supposed to be to allow for shrinkage due to the melting and squeezing together of the corners. The problem this can create is that the tubular design of the co-extruded seal when melted and joined can create a large lump of melted plastic in the corners, thus defeating the idea of a full perimeter flexible seal. With our cold temperatures we should not cut corners when it comes to sealing windows.
Why is Santoprene superior to plastic weather strip?”
Santoprene was developed specifically for use in severe temperatures to maintain flexibility. With Santoprene weather strip, when the window is closed and locked, it seals tight in cold temperatures, year after year. It is only one small part of a window, but it can have huge implications if it doesn’t seal well and stay soft and supple. As much as Santoprene is guaranteed by a lifetime warranty, it is totally replaceable with exact original replacement weather stripping should there be the unlikely need to replace it. Santoprene weather stripping is much more forgiving and works well with a window system, that can be changing due to movements in building, frames and sashes.
Who uses Santoprene and how important is it to you?
We feel so strongly about non co-extruded weather strip and about the benefits of Santoprene that we have only worked with window fabricators who have used it. We now manufacture the windows ourselves in order to ensure that our quality control standards are being met. Since January 1990, the vinyl extrusions used in Northome windows has been made exclusively by Acrylon Plastics Inc. (Western Profiles Ltd.). Our company is the exclusive manufacturer, distributor, and installer of this window in east-central Saskatchewan. With the years of experience and up-to-date state of the art equipment, we continue to provide a high-end window product and installation. Marketing a quality window at a fair price is of paramount importance. Many years after our windows are installed, we follow-up with our clients with a 20-year questionnaire, we still expect them to tell us their windows look and operate as well as when they were installed. It just makes more sense to use a warm, tough window product that will perform year after year in the minus 30 to 40 temperatures that exist here.”
What words of caution can you give homeowners who are looking to replace windows?
Not all windows are created equal. Most are designed and engineered for dual panes to satisfy the mass market and then adapted to fit a triple pane when being used in a harsher climate. You can achieve a very high energy efficiency rating with a very poorly designed window that structurally will not last. They may look alike but there are critical differences. Be aware of the downfalls that exist such as co-extrusion, too light of construction or design to handle the weights of the glass units and wind loads. We encourage homeowners to talk to previous clients to see what their experiences have been so they only have to replace windows once in their lifetime. We welcome calls to our office so we can mail out a free information package including a complete list of clients in the area. With our regular bulk discounts we offer a fairly priced product, and our team of qualified installers can usually install all the windows in an average home in one day.
