Throw out your old ideas about windows, because new products expand design possibilities and they are durable, thermally efficient, low-maintenance, and most importantly, beautiful.
This dazzling transitional classic home with refreshing clean lines shows how new window products make any design possible. From traditional to ultra modern and all the interesting variations in between, there are window products to capture the most original visions of architects, designers, and homeowners.
Matt Barrow, local owner of View Point Windows and Doors, observes what is not so obvious to the rest of us. “What is interesting about this project is that the windows are completely congruent throughout the design, while at the same time they serve as a good example of blending steel windows with aluminum-clad wood windows. By mixing and matching, you can achieve a great look, but at the same time watch the budget. The results are consistently high-end. There is no sacrifice with this practical approach because of the quality products used. You are hard pressed to tell the difference between the steel and aluminum-clad wood windows as long as your window supplier and building team pay attention to details. The color matches, and the trim details can look the same.”
Molecularly Altered Wood
For those familiar with how wood can absorb and release moisture to swell and shrink, suggesting that wood windows compare to steel or aluminum raises red flags about mold, sun, and insect damage that add up to frequent maintenance and replacements. Matt Barrow says, “With ordinary wood, I would have to agree. But, this is not the case with Loewen’s Vero Core line with Accoya®. Accoya® is a time-tested wood on the market being used for bridges, decks, and now windows. It completely changes how we use and recommend wood windows.”
Get rid of all preconceptions; you don’t have to be afraid to use wood exterior windows any longer. That is the message of the published independent research for Accoya® wood products. Accoya® is a natural wood product that has been classified as carbon negative over its full life cycle. It doesn’t need preservative coatings. Its origins are farm-raised domestic pine, and it far outperforms teak and other exotic wood species. So what is it?
The process to create Accoya® is a chemical modification that maintains wood’s natural beauty by inserting acetic anhydride into the wood. The result is an irreversible chemical-physical variation throughout the wood mass that neutralizes the water-absorbing powers of its cellulose. It is more stable and doesn’t shrink and expand, it’s resistant to fungus and insects, there are no problems with cracking and splitting, and its insulating ability is greater than other wood.
An independent research and testing lab, BRE, estimates a service life of 60 years in exterior applications. A freshwater canal test in the Netherlands found that Accoya® lasts 25 years in the water, and another Dutch study estimates that over the life of the home, Accoya® has a lower cost than PVC, aluminum, pine, or hardwood windows. An independent testing institute certifies Accoya® more durable than teak, merbau, cypress, and cedar, and still another found that coatings last three times longer with Accoya® than with other woods because Accoya® delivers stability over other wood species, allowing for unique cutting-edge coatings to be applied.
“The metal coatings in the loewen vero core line are liquid metal made from fine metal shavings applied over aCCoya® wood or steel frames. it looks like metal because it is metal.”
The “True Metal” coatings in Loewen’s Vero Core collection have especially impressed Matt Barrow. “The metal coatings in the Loewen Vero Core line are liquid metal made from fine metal shavings applied over Accoya® wood or steel frames. It looks like metal because it is metal.” Coatings come in brass, bronze, copper, iron, stainless steel, zinc, nickel, and corten. He adds that for those who like the look of natural wood, stain-grade Accoya® is the perfect solution since it performs better than teak at a lower cost while not cutting down rainforest.
Partnerships and Relationships with Professionals
“This is just one product that we have researched and found valuable for our clients. We have a long-standing relationship with Loewen Windows,” comments Barrow about View Point, Inc. “We realize that one line or brand does not work for all the diverse budgets and architectural designs that are out there in today’s market. With that in mind, over the years we have carefully selected other manufacturing partners to fill all those needs.”
“That’s what View Point brings to the table. We bring our local, diverse experience,
as well as our relationships throughout the world to connect people to the right products.”
Barrow continues, “That’s what View Point brings to the table. We bring our local, diverse experience, as well as our relationships throughout the world to connect people to the right products. Because we connect building professionals to products that we know and trust and stand behind, they feel confident. We keep on top of the market to discover the newest and best products. We are also budget-conscious, and we know how to find savings without diminishing the results.”
Find View Point in Ketchum and other locations in Idaho and Wyoming. Products include windows, doors, hardware, shower enclosures, and custom glass work, and they have relationships with a wide range of manufacturers. Their relationships and connections result in options and choices for finding just the right product for you.
