As energy efficiency standards rise across the country, and coastal areas adopt increasingly stringent impact requirements, builders are turning to high-performance windows and doors with triple-pane and impact-rated glass to meet code. In traditional configurations, both add serious weight. That added weight can slow installation, strain crews, drive up labor costs, and can even limit the sizes and styles of windows available.
But there’s a new generation of lightweight, high-performance window and door glass that is seeking to change that equation, and builders should be paying attention.
A New Era of Lightweight, High-Performance Glass
The answer to many of these issues is a glass system that retains the high performance that builders and homeowners expect from laminated and triple-pane windows—energy efficiency, noise reduction, storm protection, and security—all while keeping these windows nearly the same weight as standard double-panes.
MITER Brands is one company leading the way to this lighter weight future. Their innovative approach to product design and strategic collaborations with some of the leading innovators in the glass category including Corning Incorporated, the world’s leading innovator in glass and materials science, and H.B. Fuller, a global leader in adhesives and sealants, have led to a new path forward: thinner, stronger, and remarkably lightweight glass systems that don’t sacrifice performance.
The result is their Triton Advanced Glass Systems, an exclusive line of glass innovations. Today the line includes both high-efficiency triple-pane and impact-rated glass systems that are up to 40% lighter than conventional offerings, providing faster, easier installation while retaining or exceeding the performance standards builders need to meet code across the U.S.
Two Products Built for Real-World Jobs
Triton Advanced Triple Pane pairs micro-thin Corning Enlighten Glass with the H.B. Fuller 4SG Fusion Bonded Spacer to deliver a lightweight triple-pane unit that seals out drafts, keeps outside noise at bay, and provides year-round comfort. Builders get windows that are lighter and easier to install, all while delivering the energy performance their customers need to live comfortably, save money on utility bills, and qualify for available energy incentives in select markets.
For Florida and other coastal regions, Triton Advanced Impact delivers the storm protection and quiet comfort of traditional laminated insulated glass in dramatically lighter units. Windows and doors made with Triton Advanced Impact Glass are nearly half the weight of conventional impact-rated products without sacrificing storm protection and security. Because the lightweight layer of Corning Enlighten Glass is located on the interior of the home, they also provide up to three times greater scratch protection than conventional glass, and they’re code-approved for use in all severe weather code zones including Miami-Dade county.
Why Builders Should Care
Lighter glass can help reduce labor hours and speed up installs—savings that provide builders the flexibility to meet strict timelines or offer incentives in a tough housing market. High-performance windows can require specialized heavy equipment to install and teams of experienced installers to operate them. But these glass systems help reduce the skill gap, opening a wider labor pool and reducing costs that can cut into margins.
It can also unlock upgrade opportunities by allowing you to spec larger window and door openings without reducing the performance of the home or making significant changes to the structural design of the wall. These lightweight windows offer superior performance, providing a natural sales path for upgrades on your homes without the drawbacks of added weight.
Builders who adopt these innovative products in their homes will be better poised to capture important margin share, especially in the areas where modern design and rising code standards continue to dominate the conversation. Discover the benefits of Triton Advanced Glass Systems for your business at MITERBrands.com/Triton.