The advancements that eventually hatched the modern vinyl windows, storm doors, and just about any other glass product on the market today have been laid bare in this last month on the pages of the Croft blog. We have ventured further into the history of our beloved aluminum windows and storm windows than many have dared (or cared) to go. Along the way we’ve learned about the process of making glass and just about every advancement that has led to where we are today.

We have looked at nature’s glass (volcanic rock called obsidian and lighting melted sand called fulgurate) and gained some insight into how the process of glass making works and the incredible heat and simple recipes necessary to create crude glass. Again, this glass is a distant (very distant) relative of the glass used to create the vinyl windows, aluminum windows, and patio doors we rely on today.

In our exploration we looked at the early forms glass took and the ways it was first incorporated into domestic life. We traced this lineage into more modern times and uncovered early manufacturing methods and realized their successes and failures. Today, armed with an understanding of the past and the history leading to the energy star windows we know today, we turn a new leaf and embark on our next stage of learning about the world of vinyl windows, aluminum windows, patio doors, and storm doors. Where will we head next? The answer to that question is anyone’s guess. Only time will tell. Until next time however, we have plenty to think about. We have thousands of years of history to remember every time we look at a vinyl window or patio door. Every time we see a double pane aluminum replacement window we can know the long road that window has traveled to take shape as the energy efficient window that it is. From crude glass making to refined plate glass production techniques and mass production, the road has been long. Thankfully, we’ve arrived, and Croft is proud to be a part of the story.