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Renewal by Andersen of Long Island replacement windows are built with the latest technology and innovative energy management solutions. Today, windows are a given in contemporary architecture, but it hasn’t been that long since those glass panes were a luxury, only affordable by the wealthiest tiers of society. Today, we’re used to towering skyscrapers encased in walls of surprisingly strong, versatile glass windows, but the engineering that built those structures took shape long after most of our grandparents were born.
The windows of the 21st century are quite a jump from the glass-pebbled windows of the Roman era and the blown crown glass windows that the French pioneered in the 1300s (for more information on the early history of windows, you might find this Apartment Therapy article interesting). Our windows today are worlds different from the ones our grandparents installed in their first homes.
Here’s a quick look at the history of Renewal by Andersen and its impact on the modern-day window industry. You might be surprised at how much windows have evolved in the last century, and at how impressive your modern-day options are.
The Beginning of the Story
Andersen has been a driving force in the window business since 1903, when Danish immigrant Hans Andersen started looking for more efficient ways to craft and deliver windows to customers. Hans began his career in the lumber industry; he managed a sawmill and later a lumberyard. Then, in 1903, opened Andersen Frame Company in Hudson, Wisconsin. Andersen Windows has been a family business from the beginning.
Standardized Window Sizes
Once the Andersen Frame Company was up and running, Hans started looking for more efficient ways to frame windows and deliver them to customers. Prior to 1903, windows were not built to any standardized sizes. Instead, they were constructed as needed for each house. The Andersen Frame Company standardized window frame sizes, which made it possible to manufacture interchangeable parts and window frames on a much larger scale. This made windows less expensive, more easily accessible for homeowners and contractors, and it simplified the framing process. Innovation
While standardization made windows more affordable, more energy-efficient and simpler to install in the 20th century, new technology and innovation expanded on earlier developments to make it possible for every homeowner to access window styles perfectly matched to their lifestyle, decorating goals and architecture. Today, 21st century Renewal by Andersen of Long Island replacement windows are precision crafted to fit the footprint left after your existing home windows are removed.
Frame Sets
Two years after the Andersen Frame Company began, Hans introduced frame sets. By pairing 11 sets of horizontal frame pieces and 11 sets of vertical ones, contractors using Andersen windows could quickly and efficiently construct any of the standard window frame sizes from the same structural parts. Suddenly customers had more options, with any Andersen window available to be delivered and installed quickly. But innovation didn’t stop there. Renewal by Andersen has continued to perfect the manufacturing and installation processes to the point where homeowners today enjoy reduced construction expense and virtually no preparation other than designing the best-fit windows for their homes. Our Renewal by Andersen of Long Island team removes the existing old windows and installs high-performance ENERGY STAR certified windows and patio doors into thousands of openings in Nassau, Suffolk, Brooklyn and Queens every year. We even clean up and remove the old windows and any other debris, leaving your home at least as clean as it was before we started.
Pre-Manufactured Windows
Windows were still delivered and framed in pieces until 1935, when Andersen began pre-manufacturing entire windows, which could be installed as a single unit. Window installation became faster than ever, and quality could be more easily controlled because the integrity of each window was guaranteed from the factory, not by a builder dealing with the vagaries of building on site.
Higher-Efficiency & Lower-Maintenance Windows & Frames
Even more changed in the 1960s, when Andersen introduced double-pane windows and the Perma-Shield system to their line of home improvement products. Double-pane windows replaced storm windows and shutters in most homes. According to HomeAdvisor.com, double-pane windows lower a home’s energy use by up to 24 percent during cold winters. You could even save 30-50 percent on your heating bill, thanks to that step up in window technology. Today, most industry experts advise consumers they will save between 15 – 25 percent on their utility bills when they replace their Long Island home’s windows, depending on other factors such as the type of insulation in your home, the structural condition of your home and your behavior patterns.
Andersen’s PermaShield system, which was added to the Andersen line in 1966, introduced a hard-wearing low-maintenance exterior to protect wooden windows from the ravages of weather and time. The exterior fit the wooden window frames like a glove, protecting frames and adding years to the life of each Andersen window. PermaShield also eliminated the need for regular painting and easily washes clean.
Fibrex® Material
Fibrex® was Andersen’s next addition to revolutionize window framing and give customers even more environmentally-friendly, sustainable options for both new construction and window replacements. Fibrex is a material engineered from vinyl and wood by-products, combining the best characteristics of each, that would have been discarded after the manufacturing process.
It’s completely sustainable, so you can feel good about using Fibrex-framed windows in your home, and it’s efficient as well. Fibrex is twice as strong as vinyl and it’s completely rigid and weatherproof, blocking heat transfer better than aluminum or other framing materials.
Now, when you choose Renewal by Andersen of Long Island replacement windows, you know you’re getting the best of over a century of experience and developments to create the most efficient, durable and beautiful windows possible. Whether you live in a newer contemporary home, a cape cod or neo-colonial, Renewal by Andersen of Long Island can help you find the perfect replacement windows to fit your style, save on heating and cooling costs, and invest in your home’s future.
Ready to update your home’s windows and patio doors? We can help. Just fill in the short form on this page or give us a call at 1-877–313-9052.