The TM Window Difference
There are some basic window and door components that any potential buyer should be
aware of when evaluating products. These include the window frame, glass, seals and
weather stripping.
What determines impact window and door performance?
Frame Rigidity
All windows bow and flex in high winds storms. The frame plays the main role in
providing rigidity. The structural strength is directly related to the design and materials
used in manufacturing the window and door. With windows and doors, thicker is
always better.
- Lowest Protection
- Wood
- Mid Range Protection
- Vinyl with steel reinforcements
- Best Available Protection
- Aluminum
Frame Thickness
TM Window brand uses 1/4 inch aluminum reinforcement in all load bearing areas.
Our competitors use .062 or 1/16 inch aluminum.
Frame Depth
All TM Window frame sills are at least 3 inches high. This extra height (most competitors are 2”
to 2.5”) is very important when there are high winds. Water collects at the base of all
windows and travels up the window sill when winds are high and steady. The extra sill
height means water is less likely to reach the top of the sill, reducing the chance of
penetrating your residence.
Glass
Annealed: A basic clear glass commonly used in window and door manufacturing
Heat Strengthened / Tempered Glass: This is a process when
annealed glass is heated to improve its strength properties. Heat
treated glass is 2 times stronger than annealed glass and tempered
glass is 4 times as strong.
Laminated Glass: Used in all impact TM Window brand windows and
doors. Laminated glass is made by taking two pieces of annealed
glass and structurally bonding a special plastic resin between them.
The strength properties obtained are dramatic.
Lamination: TM Window uses two different lamination materials
that offer different performance characteristics. The type of
laminated glass you may need is determined by the design pressure
requirements for your home (you can contact any TM Window dealer to help
you determine your design pressure requirements). In general, design
pressure is determined by your location, building configuration and opening sizes.
The two lamination materials TM Window uses are:
PVB (Polyvinyl Butyral resin) which is
recommended for homes with up to 90 pound pressure ratings.
SGP (Sentry Glass Plus – inoplast). This lamination resin
provides a stronger barrier and is recommended when design
pressure ratings exceed 90 pounds.
Optical Quality
It’s not the same for annealed, heat strengthened and tempered glass. Optical quality refers
to the clarity of the glass. Annealed glass provides the best optical quality followed by heat
strengthened and then tempered glass.
Weather Stripping
Weather stripping is used to create a seal between the moveable parts of the window and
door. Many companies cut corners, but TM Window only uses top quality materials and
manufacturers windows with double sided weather stripping. Having weather stripping on
both sides provides an extra barrier of protection. Utilizing top quality weather stripping also
helps with proper opening and closing.
Window Hardware
Hardware are the pieces used to lock, open and close the window and door.
The materials used will have a dramatic impact on the customers satisfaction with the product.
This is why TM Window uses only top quality materials. Most people will
readily agree stainless steel will hold up better in Florida’s climate so that is all TM Windows
uses for their hardware items for slide
door rollers. With our windows, we use a contained spring system for opening windows which
is superior to string and pulley systems found in most of our competitor’s products.