Laminated glass is being promoted as alleviating security concerns. “Impactresistant products are growing in popularity in some regions,” especially along the coast, Fielding says. “There’s a lot of training and education that’s needed. Fortunately, many insurance companies are helping with that, and they’re driving changes more than the code.” Discounts make homeowners ask about the products to lower their rates. “That’s as important as code changes, because it increases awareness.”
Expanding the Sale
These products offer upgrades that dealers should inform customers about. They also should suggest replacing all the openings at once. “Customers are looking for architectural correctness for their homes, so their doors and windows throw the right shadow lines and have the right sizing for the type of home design
they have,” Royal’s Wilhelm says. “That’s becoming a big thing.”
Simonton’s Stark agrees. “Some homeowners will replace their patio door at the same time they do their windows,” he says. “It’s an opportunity to replace an older patio door with a higher-grade product that matches the windows.”
These changes to product lines give dealers more opportunities to find the right combination of features to meet any need. And new products that impact energy efficiency, aesthetics, security and other key factors will continue to develop as customers’ desires change. “We’re always looking for the next big thing,” Therma-Tru’s Fielding says. “But we haven’t found it yet.”