Percentage of Vinyl

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hardinjm
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Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2009 7:12 am

Percentage of Vinyl

#1 Post by hardinjm »

In getting quotes, I did not originally know that the US government only requires a window to be made of 10% PVC material (usually mixed with a metal like tin) to be considered a vinyl window. Recently we were quoted by a company that had 100% vinyl windows, yet I hear with heat, these can become deformed.

Question: What percentage of vinyl in a window should I consider buying? Is 10% enough to bring my energy bills down? Is 100% too much to be worth the investment?

Window4U (IL)
Posts: 1548
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2004 8:46 am
Location: Sales and Installation in Chicagoland and Central Illinois

Re: Percentage of Vinyl

#2 Post by Window4U (IL) »

Tin is only used as a heat stabilizer in the manufacture process and is not used in large percentages. Just curious, where did you learn these "facts" about vinyl?

advanced_energy

Re: Percentage of Vinyl

#3 Post by advanced_energy »

i heard titanium has a heat and uv stabelizer.

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Windows on Washington
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Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2006 11:23 am
Location: DC Metropolitan Area-Maryland/Virginia/DC

Re: Percentage of Vinyl

#4 Post by Windows on Washington »

It is titanium dioxide and it is used as a sunscreen for lack of better descriptor. In overall percentage of the window, the component is almost nill.

Will91
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Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2007 2:08 pm

Re: Percentage of Vinyl

#5 Post by Will91 »

When I looked into this, none of the major vinyl window manufacturers use post consumer recycled vinyl. Oftentimes they will use recycled vinyl but be careful in how you interpret that. That usually means they are recycling within their own plant - so it is really still pure vinyl.

This is the reason I like manufactuers that actually extrude their own vinyl like Milgard and Simonton - they have complete control over the vinyl they use and actually know the answers to questions like these if you ask them. However, for me, the Simonton lineals look nicer than Milgards so this was a deciding factor.

advanced_energy

Re: Percentage of Vinyl

#6 Post by advanced_energy »

that is not entirely accurate. when you extrude vinyl from your original resin,the vinyl actually changes. so using the "regrind" with the original resin is actaully mixing two different vinyls at that point. what happens is there could be a problem with the two vinyls blending properly and possibly losing some of its durability.
i know Gorell sells their scrap to a few of the well know builders grade vinyl companies.

Window4U (IL)
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Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2004 8:46 am
Location: Sales and Installation in Chicagoland and Central Illinois

Re: Percentage of Vinyl

#7 Post by Window4U (IL) »

A lot of regrind ends up being made into sash stops and balance covers.

advanced_energy

Re: Percentage of Vinyl

#8 Post by advanced_energy »

yes but it should'nt be used as part of the frame which many vinyl window companies do..thats what separates the good from the not so good.

Will91
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2007 2:08 pm

Re: Percentage of Vinyl

#9 Post by Will91 »

So I know Simonton (or more precisely, Simex) uses internal scraps for regrind and Mikron Vinyl (whose website claims they are the largest US extruder) has a buy-back program for it's customers (like Jeld Wen and others) for vinyl scrap which then apparently goes back into their extrusions.
http://www.mikronvinyl.com/services/faqs.php (scroll down to read about scrap being pulverized and reblended with virgin PVC for window and door frame material)
http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache%3AP ... l=en&gl=us
http://www.jeld-wen.ca/eng/resources/en ... dship.html
The Okna website claims they use 100% virgin vinyl and not a "blend". I'm not sure if that necessarily means they are not using regrind. Does any vinyl window manufacturer use lineals with no re-grind whatsoever? Does it really matter?

Bill
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Location: New Jersey

Re: Percentage of Vinyl

#10 Post by Bill »

The re-grind that Simonton produces is used for non structural components like what W4U wrote balance covers & sash stops . Simonton sells what they can’t use which is the majority of it to a company that manufactures PVC pipes.

Skydawggy.
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Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2007 10:29 pm
Location: Northern Virginia

Re: Percentage of Vinyl

#11 Post by Skydawggy. »

Whenever I hear the claim that some manufacturers use recycled or reground vinyl in their windows, I always ask who those manufacturers are. To date I have never gotten an answer. Usually the claim is made that the window being sold uses 100% virgin vinyl and the implication is that other manuf. use reground. Nobody seems to know who uses it, though.

Will91
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2007 2:08 pm

Re: Percentage of Vinyl

#12 Post by Will91 »

I had posted a reply to Skydawggy's post. He had said something like if vinyl continues to be a mainstay, then a recycled component to the vinyl could be a positive (or something like that). I think Skydawggy must have edited his post. I had asked if there was any reason why recycled vinyl couldn't be used in main window components as well - if engineered and properly tested; but my post seems to have disappeared. ??

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