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Vinyl siding is the most popular form of siding in America and is frequently used in home renovation to replace traditional materials. When compared to stucco, wood or brick, it is a good economical alternative. There are many things to consider when choosing vinyl siding: style, performance, gauge, grain, color and profiles. You can use vinyl to accomplish an exterior design that looks like a traditional clapboard style, a beveled style like Dutch lap panel, or an old-fashioned beaded panel. You can buy and install vinyl siding for part of your home’s exterior design or as a complete siding system. Read the rest of this entry »

Windoor sells, installs, and services high quality aluminum storm and screen doors made by Gerkin Window and Door and Midwest Window and Door . These products can be used for both residential or commercial applications.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a hidden screen door that would offer the same protection as those ugly screen doors without all of these problems - a screen that would actually enhance the appearance of your home? You can, the Pliss?PLEE’-say) from Screen Solutions Inc will do just that. Using a pleated screen fabric that allows it to fold up into a housing next to your door, the Pliss?s an attractive addition to any door and can almost effortlessly be pulled into place when a screen is needed. Hidden when not in use, the Pliss?ill be less susceptible to dirt and damage. In the unlikely event that someone walks into it when in use the fabric will not tear out of the frame because of the unique pleated design.

Screen Solutions Inc has found an alternative to both the traditional screen door and the coiling retractable screen. The Pliss’PLEE’ is a retractable screen that applies another old idea to the problem of screening a door opening. Plissimply means pleated, which refers to the unique pleated fabric which is used to fold out of the way rather than coil. This simple design makes the Pliss?etractable screen less expensive to purchase, install and maintain. Most important the Pliss?ill never pop open unexpectedly and the fabric will not blow out of the track even in a very strong wind. To view a test report titled Wind and Retractable Screens click here. To find out more about the Pliss?nd how you can use it to replace those other screen doors follow this link click here.

Sliding screen doors are generally constructed by two methods. They can be rollformed from thin aluminium sheets into a rectangular shaped door frame which incorporates a screen channel to hold the window screen material. Sliding screen doors can also be made from extruded aluminum shapes. In both cases the rectangular rollformed or extruded shapes are joined together into a door frame using metal corners or screws.

Bug Blocker Overhead Doors provide security, ventilation, prevents entrance by unauthorized people, insects, birds, rodents, etc. Chain-Link Security Doors are overhead doors providing ventilation, preventing unauthorized entry using 2″ fencing material. Service Door Screen Inserts are framed screen windows for hollow metal doors. Air Inlet Screen Panels add-in screens for air inlets and louvers.

If your aluminum screen doors aren’t soiled, they just have an accumulation of dust, and maybe cobwebs, on the screens, you can simply use a vacuum cleaner to clean them. Place the brush attachment onto the accessory hose, turn the vacuum on, and gently sweep the screens until they are clean.

Roll formed aluminum screen doors can easily be purchased ready-made in case you need a replacement for your broken patio doors. They are made out of thin aluminum that is rolled out on a frame, and of course, with a screen mesh part. These are available in hardware stores and they can fit most sizes of door openings because they can be purchased in different sizes and their shoes are adjustable. They are much more affordable than extruded aluminum screen doors, but they are low on durability compared to the other type.

Extruded aluminum screen doors are generally longer lasting than rollformed screen doors. They are also more easily repaired since, if the corners break, new corners can be inserted without losing the friction fit necessary to hold the door together.

Extruded aluminum doors are usually custom-made from aluminum and glass makers. The door opening of the patio must be measured before ordering this kind of screen door. The frames of extruded aluminum screen doors are made from thick aluminum, and they often come with ball bearing to assist in moving the doors on their track. They are much more durable than roll formed doors and they can last long when properly taken care of. This type, however, is more expensive than roll formed doors.

Bug Blocker Overhead Doors provide security, ventilation, prevents entrance by unauthorized people, insects, birds, rodents, etc. Chain-Link Security Doors are overhead doors providing ventilation, preventing unauthorized entry using 2″ fencing material. Service Door Screen Inserts are framed screen windows for hollow metal doors. Air Inlet Screen Panels add-in screens for air inlets and louvers.

Company Profile: Manufacturer aluminum overhead bi-fold, stacked sectional, floataway doors, interior panels, & security panels. Available in manual or motorized versions accepting most types of cladding including, glazed panels, bar grilles, wood or mesh panels.

Many screens can be repaired in place in this manner, and it saves a trip to the glass shop and all the fuss of trying to get the screen in and out. You wont have to put up with that unsightly hole in the screen in the front door of your house any longer!

Company Profile: Custom manufacturer of aluminum flush doors for building applications including wastewater treatment plants, food-processing plants, military housing, government buildings, research laboratories & hospitals. Aluminum flush doors are resistant to corrosion, rust, rot, tear & warp.

Once your screen doors are clean, you can use a metal polish on them. The metal polish will not only make them look shiny and new, but it will also help protect the aluminum from additional dirt and stains.

Any and all retracatable screen doors need to be kept clean. If they are not maintained they will malfunction. Clean and oil you door monthly and it will last with out trouble for a long time.

While aluminum siding in Detroit, and in other places around the country, used to be one of the more popular siding materials, steadily it has been replaced by more popular and more durable forms of siding. One telling sign is that while you can still certainly find aluminum siding for your home, some home improvement stores have stopped stocking aluminum siding altogether. The rise of vinyl and cement siding have been two forces that have been pushing aluminum out of the siding industry, but the reemergence of steel siding has also been filling the niche for homeowners who like the general qualities of metal siding.

Using a top quality acrylic latex house paint can make aluminum siding look new again — for a fraction of the price of residing. A new color scheme can also be chosen, and with proper surface preparation and application, the job can last 10 years or longer.

Detroit isn’t as beset with high moisture levels as many outsiders imagine, but the Motor City still sees enough snow and rain each year to rust ordinary steel siding, a huge negative that made steel siding a poor choice for a number of years, particularly given the availability of rust-proof aluminum siding. Baked-on coatings, however, have revolutionized metal siding in that they’ve transformed steel siding into an equally rustproof metal. Even better, vinyl coatings had extra protection with realistic wood finishes. These innovations have made steel siding a better metal siding choice in nearly every home and application.

If you’re still set on aluminum siding in Detroit, at the very least put up the extra money for the good stuff. With aluminum siding, this means thickness. Thin aluminum siding is bound to be dented with the first hail storm, errant lawn mower, or neighborhood kid with a ball and bat. Thicker aluminum will be at least as tough, if not tougher, than several siding materials and will even be competitive with unmatched strength of steel. It’s going to cost more, undoubtedly, although not anymore than premium steel siding with a vinyl coating to protect it from rust.

One thing to be aware of with aluminum siding is something called “surface oxidation.” This occurs when bare metal is exposed due to extreme erosion of the original factory-applied coating. If your siding shows this unsightly, white oxidation, remove it by carefully rubbing with steel wool. Rinse to remove any residue and spot-prime bare areas with a quality acrylic latex primer.

Aluminum is a painted metal, and the paint can fade with time. Vinyl’s color goes all the way through the plastic, so there is no fading. Scratches would be barely noticeable. Aluminum siding can be dented; vinyl resists denting. If a piece of aluminum siding is damaged, it is difficult to replace. A section of vinyl siding can be replaced in minutes using a tool that looks something like a bottle opener.

Vinyl is the preferred siding material and can be installed over almost any smooth exposed surface, including stucco, brick, block and wood. You cannot install vinyl over aluminum siding or over any uneven surface material without major remodeling or demolition.

Scratches in siding can be repaired by repainting. Sand the area down to bare metal first, then apply primer formulated for aluminum surfaces. After the primer dries, apply latex house paint in a color that matches the surrounding siding.

It is a rare homeowner who does not care what the exterior of their house looks like. Fortunately, aluminum siding looks great on the outside of your home. Since the panels are pre-fabricated to the same sizes and specifications, your house will have a smooth, uniform appearance with aluminum siding. As mentioned before, an aluminum siding benefit is the availability of a wide range of colors and textures, including brighter and bolder colors than you can find with vinyl siding.

Additionally, vinyl siding cannot be painted. Perhaps the best aluminum siding benefit is that you do not have to be stuck with the same color for the life of your house. Unfinished aluminum siding can be painted with any acrylic house paint, and even factory baked aluminum siding can be painted over with different colors to give your home an entirely new appearance, however often you would like.

Metal siding is a good choice if you live in a climate with harsh winters, or an area that is prone to tornados. Both aluminum and steel siding are very durable - steel being the most durable of all. However, exposed edges of steel siding tend to rust, so be sure to have trim pieces protecting edges (seamless steel siding is fit to the exact length of your house, eliminating seams that can rust and collect dirt and moisture).

Present frame homes have either shingle or cedar shake exteriors. The shingle exteriors require expensive painting every few years and the cedar shake material requires special lacquering every few years. Due to the expensive maintenance of these exterior materials, the exteriors of many homes are now being remodeled so as to have aluminum siding placed over the shingle and cedar shake. Aluminum siding is rust-proof and weather-resistant, and therefore does not require the maintenance that the above exterior materials require, so that in the long run the installation of aluminum siding is more economical than the cost of the continuous maintenance of the above exterior materials.

However, present aluminum siding has a tendency to dent rather easily upon impact. Thus, if a car is parked adjacent the building and the car door is swung open so as to contact the side of the aluminum siding, that part of the siding will be damaged. Likewise, if an object such as a stepladder is placed alongside the house, the siding may tend to be damaged. Also, if doors to the home are swung open too far, further damage may result to the siding. Still further, if the windows of the home have shutters which move due to the wind, the shutters will tend to dent the siding. Even further, if a light branch of a tree should fall alongside the house, the siding may be further dented.

A great benefit to metal siding, especially in colder climates, is its energy efficiency. You will pay more for metal siding than for many other types of siding, but it will save you money on heating and cooling costs year after year. As a rough estimate, you can expect to pay around $2.50-$3.00+ per square foot for aluminum siding, compared to $1.25+ for wood, and around $1.75+ for vinyl siding. Use the Cost Estimator tool to estimate the cost of your siding project.

Cost is always an important factor in choosing an exterior for your home. Among the most common home exteriors are vinyl and aluminum siding, wood siding, cedar shakes, brick, stone, and cement stucco. You may be surprised to learn that aluminum siding is generally the least expensive option among these choices for your home exterior. In fact, many high-end home exteriors cost from 5 to 20 times more per square foot than aluminum siding.

tained glass windows are windows made from colored glass which has been arranged to create an abstract design or pictorial image. They appear widely in much of the Northern Hemisphere, especially in religious architecture. Many people enjoy the aesthetic of stained glass windows, which flood an interior space with multicolored light and serve an ornamental function, and formal buildings sometimes include stained glass accents. The intent behind stained glass windows is not concentrated on the admission of light; it is to enhance a space, tell a story, or awe the observer.

The Gothic age produced the great cathedrals of Europe and brought a full flowering of stained glass windows. Churches became taller and lighter, walls thinned and stained glass was used to fill the increasingly larger openings in them. Stained glass became the sun filled world outside. Abbot Suger of the Abbey of St. Denis rebuilt his church in what is one of the first examples of the Gothic style. He brought in craftsmen to make the glass and kept a journal of what was done. He truly believed that the presence of beautiful objects would lift men’s’ souls closer to God.

All 13 windows come from Tiffany’s studio in New York City, and he specifically designed most of the stained glass. Tiffany first began experimenting with glass art in 1873. He opened the Tiffany Glass Company in 1885; it then became the Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company and later Tiffany Studios. After designing hundreds of beautiful windows for churches, public buildings and homes of his wealthy clients, Tiffany became one of the most well-known glass designers in the United States, and his reputation for experimentation in stained glass techniques and originality in design is unsurpassed. ¹

Stained glass windows are often viewed as translucent pictures. Gothic stained glass windows are a complex mosaic of bits of colored glass joined with lead into an intricate pattern illustrating biblical stories and saints lives. Viewed from the ground, they appear not as a picture but as a network of black lines and colored light. Medieval man experienced a window more than he read it. It made the church that special, sacred dwelling place of an all powerful God.

Thin film windows and sheets are design to provide laser safe viewing and maximum visibility. They are a composite or pure filter glass and thin film. Thin film windows are available in a standard size of 6.5 in x 6.5 in. Custom sizes are available upon request. Thicknesses may vary by window type.

Studies on the effects of protective glazing systems in the U.S. show that improperly designed protective glazing has caused more damage to stained glass in church windows and their frames than all damage from storms, fires, and vandalism combined. On a single-glazed stained-glass window, condensation forms on the interior of the window. In an unvented, sealed protective glazing system, the moisture from condensation is trapped between the stained glass and protective glazing. The dust in this airspace can stay moist, and continuously damp dust nourishes growth of microorganisms that secrete organic acids, which attack the stained glass, oxidize the lead and metal frames, and rot wooden frames.

In the 15th century, the apex of high Gothic, the way stained glass was viewed changed. It became more a picture and less an atmosphere. Paler colors admitted more light and figures were larger, often filling the entire window. Paint work became more sophisticated, more like easel painting. The rediscovery of silver stain allowed the artist to realistically depict yellow hair and golden garments. ⁴

The Richard H. Driehaus Gallery of Stained Glass is representative of Driehaus’ collection of both religious and secular windows, which he has accumulated over the past 25 years. This is the first public exhibition focused on his private collection.

Rose Windows are the apex of stained glass development. These circular mandalas radiate with sacred medieval imagery. The primary subject of the great roses is the Virgin and Child. Many other themes are featured, such as the life of Christ, the apostles and tales from the Bible. Less common features are medieval heraldry and symbols of the seasons or the astrological zodiac.

In the meantime, however, the manufacture of stained glass began to be recognized industry in this country. Strong protests were sent to Congress against these rulings of the department, and demands were made for the imposition of a duty upon stained glass windows as such, to save the nascent industry from being crushed out by foreign competition. By paragraph 122, a duty of 45 percent is imposed upon “all stained or painted window glass and stained or painted glass windows, and hand, pocket, or table mirrors, not exceeding” a certain size, while, by paragraph 465, “paintings, in oil or water colors,” are subject to a duty of only 15 percent.

Free public tours of the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows are available most Thursdays at 2 p.m., with Museum curator, Rolf Achilles. Tours meet at the entrance to the Stained Glass Museum. For more information or to receive times and dates of upcoming public tours, please call (312) 595-5024. ¹

Two new stained glass windows are on order for the Cathedral’s nave. These will be the first windows in the clerestory (top) level of the nave in several generations. Those in place went in shortly after the completion of the nave in 1929. The new were provided for in the estate of the late Robert Hyssop who grew up here in the 1940’s and 50’s and was a Cathedral server. His estate has fully funded the design, fabrication, and installation of both of these new windows.

So now you’ve filled every window with stained glass but have found another to die for piece that you can’t live without. Buy it and make it the focal point of any room by building a frame around it, electrifying it, and hanging it on a wall. Paint the frame the color of your walls so that the glass stands out. This makes for a unique and dramatically beautiful lighting fixture.

Wide open spaces are more appealing with the visibility provided by glass top tables. These specially crafted pieces will add style to your outdoor space. You�ll find wonderful designs that are perfect for gazebos or even indoor dining as well as for patios and poolside. Bars, end tables, and bistro groupings are all featured in rounds, squares, and rectangles and in wickers and wrought iron. Click to see more Glass Patio Furniture products.

Made of tubular high quality aluminum. All screws and washers are made of stainless steel with snap on plastic caps for the screws. The top is made out of tempered glass 3/8in. It accommodates 8 chairs. Plastic foot levelers included.

Capitol Aluminum & Glass offers a complete line of architectural aluminum products for today’s complex designs. Heavy-duty aluminum windows, doors, storefronts, and curtain walls are all included in Capitol’s product portfolio.

Made of tubular high quality aluminum. All screws and washers are made of stainless steel with snap on plastic caps for the screws. The top is made out of tempered glass 3/8in. It accommodates 4 chairs. Plastic foot levelers included. ³¹

Silica is widely used in glass-making because the quenching rates are much lower, but researchers would like to make glass from alumina as well because of its superior mechanical and optical properties. Alumina can form glass if it is alloyed with calcium or rare-earth oxides, but the required quenching rate can be as high as 1000 degrees per second, which makes it difficult to produce bulk quantities.

Made of tubular high quality aluminum. All screws and washers are made of stainless steel with snap on plastic caps for the screws. The top is made out of tempered glass 3/8in. It accommodates 6 chairs. Plastic foot levelers included.

Industrial and commercial safety glasses in a variety of frame, lens, and color combinations. Select safety glasses with UV blocking ability, ANSI compliance, comfort, and durabiilty in mind.

Increased use of glass sheet as a substrate for printed circuitry and gas discharge displays has impelled commercial development of compatible conductor metallizations. Traditional metallizations employing noble metals such as silver, gold, platinum, or palladium have been found to be poorly suited for use on glass substrates. For example, the firing temperature of these compositions is generally too high to be withstood by substrates constructed of soda lime glass. In addition, noble metal compositions are prone to sputtering and glow discharge and are among the costliest metals in common use. Other materials utilizing a base metal conducting phase such as nickel, as disclosed by Patterson in U.S. Pat. overcome some of these deficiencies, but still suffer from certain drawbacks.

Another shortcoming of nickel based compositions is evident where they are used to make gas discharge display devices. As is generally known, the operating characteristics of gas discharge displays are significantly improved when cathode surfaces are formed of high density nickel. Commercially available metallizing compositions contain frit glasses which have been incorporated to provide acceptable cohesive properties and to provide good adhesion to a substrate. However, this glass content at the same time makes it impossible for a film to possess the aforesaid desirable dense nickel surface. It is, therefore, a usual practice to plate cathode surfaces of gas discharge displays with nickel metal in order to obtain optimum operation. Unfortunately, the plating process frequently degrades the film’s adhesion to the substrate.

Aluminum is another base metal which is much more inexpensive than nickel. Aluminum costs approximately 4.7� per cubic inch versus nickel which costs approximately 65� per cubic inch.) However, aluminum yields relatively poor thick film patterns having relatively high resistivities because of, among other things, the extensive formation during firing of aluminum oxide. If one adds glass to finely divided aluminum, as taught in Dates et al. one can lower the resistivity somewhat but one still obtains a thick film pattern having a relatively high resistivity.

Borosilicate glass is inert to almost all materials with the exception of hydrofluoric acid, hot phosphoric acid and hot alkalies. Of these, hydrofluoric acid has the most serious effect and, even when a solution contains a few parts per million, attack will occur.

This invention provides aluminum-silicon-glass compositions used for producing conductor patterns on dielectric substrates. The compositions can, but need not be, fired in air. Moreover, they can be fired even at a temperature compatible with the use of inexpensive soda lime glass substrates. The compositions nevertheless can produce conductor patterns having useful resistivities and adhesion.