Q: I love the indoor/outdoor feel but am unsure about the strength of sliding and stacking doors. How can I be sure they will stand up to strong winds?
A: Ask the manufacturer. Make sure the doors are reinforced and well sealed for hurricane-strength winds. The stacking doors at left, from Coastal Windows, are internally reinforced with steel door panels and tested to withstand hurricane-force winds above 155 miles per hour. 

Q:  I know that using windows and doors can be green because they save on my cooling bill, but what about their manufacturing? Are there sustainably manufactured windows and doors?
 A:  Hope’s Windows & Doors, available at Aloha Marketing, are crafted with 100-percent recycled steel. They are then coated with a lead-free paint application that contains zero hazardous air pollutants and has ultra-low volatile organic content (VOC). Bonus: They are hurricane and impact resistant.

 

Photo: Courtesy of Glass Rainbows

Q:  What can I do about my round bathroom window? It lets in an ample amount of light, so I don’t want to put window treatments over it, but we aren’t getting the privacy we need.
 A:  A circular-framed, stained-glass window from Glass Rainbows (shown above) should do the trick. “We can design a window to let in as much or as little light and visibility as desired, while also creating a piece of art,” says company owner and artist Annalee Jones.




Q:  I need new windows and doors, but I want to make sure they will last. Are there any products that carry long-term warranties?
A:  Vinyltek windows and doors, available at Green Builder’s Depot, give customers lifetime warranties on installation, parts and labor. The product is exceptionally strong because of its frame, which contains both PVC and vinyl.


 Q:   I love the smell of fresh rain, but when I open my windows, the rain gets inside. How can I enjoy the air without getting my floors wet?
 A:  Try awning windows, from Custom Contractors Inc. Because of their angle, they actually boost ventilation while also providing a cover to protect from the rain. Bonus: The large surface area of awnings make them extremely easy to clean.




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