Sustainability is becoming an increasingly important aspect of not only windows but all consumer products. We’ve all seen swirling masses of garbage floating in our oceans or landfills that tower over the surrounding area. Windows are another important product that are following, or in Andersen’s case, exceeding the sustainability trend. Andersen prides itself on producing sustainable windows with recycled components that are environmentally as well as people-friendly.
An important facet of sustainability is the safety of the compounds from which the windows are constructed. All Andersen windows are Indoor Advantage Gold Certified for Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) emissions. That means the windows meet the threshold, which is very low, for the VOCs per m3. The same organization that Gold Certified the windows also certified Andersen windows as Recycled Content certified meaning all windows are constructed in a large part by recycled materials.
LEED certification has become more and more well known in the past several years and many buildings tout their certification level. Andersen windows are an integral part in helping these buildings attain these certifications, specifically in 9 key areas: Integrative Process, Location and Transportation Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality, Innovation and Regional Priority. The Andersen Windows’ website has high-level summaries of each area and how the windows contribute to LEED certifications. The windows can also be leveraged to achieve certification of the National Green Building Standard ICC 700-2008.
Sustainability and health are important and most of the time quantitative, however new windows can assist in more qualitative aspects of health. As we’ve transitioned to a largely work-from-home routine we can many times feel sluggish and tired. This could be due to Seasonal Affective Disorder or “SAD”. A lack of sunlight is a major contributor to this – having excellent sunlight through windows is a great way to boost energy and be more productive. Indoor air quality is in many cases, significantly worse than outdoor air. A simple fix is opening a window and letting a fresh breeze in. Andersen windows are great for airflow and come with many different options for screens so you don’t wake up in the morning covered in bugbites.
However you approach sustainability, we all understand its importance and Andersen is no different. The windows used by Replacement NC here in North Carolina are exceptionally high-quality, sustainable, environmentally and person-friendly. Your health and the environment’s health are greatly enhanced with new, cutting edge window technology that also can improve your home’s overall aesthetic.