This blog has been dedicated to all things pertaining to windows. Last week we looked at some interesting concepts that helped us understand the concept of energy efficiency and the benefits of a sealed home. We took the biological cell as a model and saw it showcase incredible energy efficiency. Being a sealed environment, it has windows and doors which selectively allow certain things access while keeping other things out. This is the essence of energy efficiency in a home. A good vinyl window or aluminum window should keep the heat or cold on the proper side of the home, whether that means in the winter keeping the heat in and the cold out, or in the summer keeping the heat out and the cold in. A good vinyl window or aluminum window should also allow certain things in, like light and color. What good would a window be if you couldn’t see out of it? I believe we call those walls.

Now, all this stuff might seem very basic and a little too simplistic, but if we are going to understand the core of window manufacturing, then there is no detail too small or insignificant that should be overlooked. With that little disclaimer out of the way, the quality that makes an aluminum window an aluminum window and a vinyl window a vinyl window is the window’s ability to help seal the home while allowing visibility and sight to the outside world. This is the work of… any guesses? Glass! It is the incredible work of glass that allows such a valuable dynamic to occur. Storm doors, patio doors, storm windows, aluminum windows, vinyl windows, windows on boats, windows in cars, all types of fenestration (remember that word from last time?) contain that common denominator, glass. Sure, there is the occasional plastic window, but that isn’t fooling anyone. When it comes to clarity, strength, and energy efficiency, glass is king. Croft has been in the business of making quality windows and doors from the highest quality glass and moldings for years. For next week we’re scheduled to look at how the glass that makes the world go round is made, so brace yourselves.