What’s in a Name?

By Bill Wilson, CEO, Peoples Products, Inc.

When you need new windows to replace your older ones, what goes into the price? If the quest is to update your house, giving it a feeling of renewal, you would be well-directed to make sure the price you pay went into the quality of the product and not just in the promotion of the brand name. No different than choosing a charity where the majority of your charitable giving goes mostly to the charity and not to a bloated administration team, the investment you make in new windows is better for you when it goes directly into the quality of the product, not just the advertising to keep its name on TV, print media or radio..

Differentiation is the very thing that makes one product different than another. Advertisers and marketing teams know that all too well. But there are two kinds of differentiation. Legitimate and invented. I’ve seen television commercials by some really well known window brands where the wedge issue used to differentiate isn’t a real issue, yet it can be invented to create the illusion of differentiation. If potential window-buyers aren’t thoroughly confused as to what matters most, they should be.

What makes a better window? After all, your home is your castle, so I suppose the best answer lies in the reason you are considering getting new windows to begin with. If it’s a special color, a certain material, those considerations may sway you to one brand over another. If your overall satisfaction is simply going to be decided by cosmetic choices, you won’t need a lot of hardcore product data to decide.

Today, it is estimated that over 85% of new window buyers are primarily trying to lower out of control energy costs. Energy reduction considerations are very different. While we may not enjoy sitting through a window presentation per se, if you see a company with great, provable product knowledge, you can get the information you need.

Some of the energy-related considerations may include: glass packs (double pane, triple pane, double pane heat mirror), treatments (the kind of Low E coating used can make difference), Inert Gasses (argon vs. krypton), frames (metal-filled, insulated with Styrofoam, closed-cell insulation), colors (those that match decor better and others that don’t, some match outside frame capping colors, some do not – and it definitely looks off when it doesn’t), balance systems (spiral, block and tackle; strings, constant force, geared to pressure), capping material (flat or PVC textured)… and that’s just for starters.

If it sounds like our product knowledge is solid, it is. Peoples Products / HR40 Windows come with a pedigree. Utilizing the same manufacturing team that produced the amazing 6,514 replacement windows used in the Empire State Building, they also make the quality HR40 replacement window too.

My advice when shopping is to ask a lot of questions. If the answers you get sound salesy or contrived – call them out. Make replacement window companies prove each and every claim they make. Especially warranty questions. Many sound good until you read them. Ask, ask again, and keep asking. Perhaps this blog provide a start to knowing more about what to ask when interviewing companies who you are considering for new replacement windows.