Although much has changed in the world of windows over the past century, quite a lot has remained the same. While homeowners can now choose from a variety of different window materials. These include but are not limited to: vinyl, fiberglass, aluminum. wood, and wood-clad, classic metals such as Stainless and Powder Coated Steel, as well as Bronze and Brass. These continue to be the most popular choices for homeowners who want beautifully slim windows. One of the most popular and enduring choices are slimline steel windows.
Although steel windows are not new, they are enjoying a resurgence as more and more want slimline steel windows for their modern homes.
A Brief History of Metal Windows
Favored by designers for their strength, and sought after by homeowners for their beauty, metal windows have always been the windows of choice for those wishing to make a statement. Iron, which had been the metal of choice for centuries, was replaced by steel during the Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth century. Blacksmiths soon realized how much more beautiful and durable steel windows could be. With increased strength and workability, steel offered window-makers the opportunity to do more with less, to design windows with slimmer profiles, narrower sight-lines, and with more glass on display, paving the way for the window styles we all have in our homes today.
The Enduring Beauty of Steel and Bronze
Furthermore, because of its timeless appeal, steel has never gone out of fashion. Steel windows, alongside Bronze windows, remain the most visually appealing windows. Unlike with some of the other materials, time is much kinder to steel and bronze. As these metals age gracefully over time, your home does, too. This is particularly true of bronze, whose much-admired bluish-green patina develops over time in response to the elements. As a result, this makes bronze an ideal choice for those with coastal or seafront properties.
Similarly, advances in technology have meant that it is now possible to have ultra-slim metal windows without sacrificing any of the thermal efficiency and customizability of more modern materials. In addition to this, metal windows are safer, more secure, more fire resistant, and will last significantly longer than other window types. Here at Open AWD, we are happy to provide you with Galvanized Steel, Stainless Steel, Corten Steel, Bronze, Brass, and Copper-Clad windows.
Beloved for its versatility and strength, steel is one of the of the most sustainable, widely recycled and reused material available. Its strength is one of its most appealing characteristics for a number of reasons. Because of its strength, steel windows can have incredibly thin sight-lines. This in turn creates slimmer profiles that would not be possible with other materials. These slimmer, less clunky joints can easily be concealed within existing structures.
Furthermore, steel windows provide a degree of flexibility that other window types simply do not offer. For example, steel can be used in renovation projects where it is important to match or recreate the historic look of a building, but also to ensure that the windows are as efficient as possible. With steel, you also have a significantly higher degree of customizability. You can choose from different frame thicknesses, new muntin designs, high-performance glass, improved weather-stripping, as well as a range of factory-applied finishes.
Interior Steel Doors from a recent OPEN AWD project in Tribeca.
Glazing Beads and Simulated Divided Lites
Materials
An increasingly popular choice, steel is the perfect choice for homeowners for whom thermal efficiency is as important as durability, security, and aesthetics. Our steel and bronze windows are every bit as thermally efficient as other contemporary window types. Thermally broken steel windows retain heat excellently.
Because of their strength, steel windows can be made with much thinner frames. Slimmer profiles mean more glass surface area. Today’s high-performance, thermally optimized glass means that there can now be increased amounts of glass on display within a frame, which can help heat your home.
Steel, like most other metals, has a very high thermal transmittance rate. In order to achieve great thermal insulation results in windows, thermally broken profiles are used. This creates a thermal break between the outer and inner part of the windows. This, combined with double or triple-glazed glass, energy efficient coatings, and gas-filled spaces results in a window unit with an optimal U-Value and Solar Heat Gain Coefficient. This will help cut down on heating and cooling costs and also maintain a more comfort and consistent temperature in your home.
Safety and Security
When it comes to safety and security, metal windows simply cannot be beaten. Other materials do not come close to providing similar levels. To get a sense of what this means, steel windows are three-times stronger than aluminum windows. Steel can bear a load capacity of up to 330lb. Steel’s natural strength means that it is an ideal choice for a homeowner where security is a concern. Our robust frames will help protect you and your home from unwanted intruders.
The Resistance Class (RC) rating is the ranking system for measuring a window’s security. Even with the most secure wooden windows you could possibly find, the RC rating will not go beyond 4. However, with steel, you can it is possible to achieve an RC rating of up to 5 or 6. Likewise, we can very easily fit steel windows with anti-burglary fittings and highly breakthrough resistant glass.
Customizability
Now, thanks to advances in technology, steel can be finished with a variety of treatments and paints. These will ensure that it your windows are both long-lasting and incredibly easy to maintain. These include corrosion inhibiting finishes such as galvanizing, electro-coat (e-coat) primer, powder coatings, urethane enamels and more. All of these will ensure that your windows will not need to re-painted or treated annually. A simple wipe is enough to ensure that your windows look clean and polished.
Finally, we can finish powder-coated steel in any color. This means that we can create these windows to suit any style of home. Moreover, we can even finish our steel windows to give off the appearance of wooden windows.
Improved Fire Rating
Lastly, fire safety is another area in which steel windows, unsurprisingly, come out on top. Of the different materials used in standard home windows, steel is more fire resistant that wood, vinyl, or even aluminum. As a result of this, steel windows can be designed to be fire resistant for up to 2 hours, ensuring that your home and family are as safe as possible.
We are also happy to provide any sort of operable steel windows or doors depending your needs.
Contact Us Today
To discuss your options with one of our project managers, give us a call or drop us an email at info@openawd.com. Whatever your needs, OPEN AWD has the right windows and doors for you.
