New Construction 2014 – NAFS and your new house

by | Sep 30, 2019 | Other

As of January 1, 2014, the new NAFS regulations are being enforced for the windows, doors, and skylites in new construction building. NAFS or North American Fenestration Standard is basically the joining of the American and Canadian standards to provide a new easy reference to the quality of the windows and doors you have to put in your new home.

Previously customers would ask questions like, “Are these windows energy star rated?” or  ” What is the R-value of your doors”. While these questions did apply to our windows and doors they did not really properly identify the quality of them. Enery Star rating has to do with the upper performers in any industry but usually applies only to a certain tier of windows, not all windows offered by that company. As an example Armor qualified as a top energy star manufacturer for 2014 – which is a great honour, but that only applies to its triple glazed windows with Low E 366 and krypton combinations (a great window, but at a higher price than their best selling windows).  R-value is a great way to measure insulation in walls and your ceiling but not a very accurate measure of window performance.

An example of the questions you should ask in the showroom is, “What is the DP or design pressure rating of this door?” or “What DP do I need for my house that I am planning on building?” or “What options should I consider on my window to increase its overall rating?”

Please book your appointment today to come into our showroom and be educated on the proper windows and doors to fit your design and the new code.

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