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Dry Glazed System
Common Problems
When sealed insulated glass units (IGUs) are installed into window frames with tapes and sealants to prevent water intrusion, expansion and contraction of non-reinforced, low quality vinyl products can cause these to breakdown. In addition, UV rays and other environmental conditions will also cause these tapes and sealants to further breakdown.
Over time, tapes and sealants deteriorate, lose their ability to seal, and result in unnecessary hassles and expenses related to replacing the sealed units to repair the windows and other part of the exterior and interior building structure and finishes.
Innotech Solutions
Our Hybrid Framing System is engineered to keep movement due to thermal expansion to a minimum without risk of damaging the weatherseals. All Innotech products use a pressure fit dry glazed system. The dry glazed system (no tapes or sealants) manages all potential water ingress through pressure equalization and ensures that any moisture that may enter has a way to exit.
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Reinforced with Galvanized Steel
Common Problems
Few products are capable of providing structural performance without compromising any or all of the other important performance categories such as thermal efficiency, air tightness, water intrusion, noise reduction, ease of operation and security against break and enter.
The quantity and quality of the steel reinforcement is an important factor; insufficient amounts and/or poor quality steel can result in the deformation of the mullions, sashes and frames and may lead to product deficiencies. Windows may be difficult to open and close because of sagging or bowing, which can also cause unwanted air and water to enter the building and cause significant damage.
Innotech Solutions
Our Hybrid Framing System is made with performance grade galvanized steel that is inserted into the mullions, sashes and frames. This contributes to structural strength, allowing you to design extra large windows without compromising the structural integrity of your home.
Innotech’s system is reinforced with high quality steel that helps to control thermal expansion, ensuring the window will not warp due to temperature changes. See the Defender 76TS System’s wind load resistance and other Key Performance Data.
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Pressure Equalized Rainscreen System (PERS)
Common Problems
Many windows are sealed using the face seal method. The face seal method provides ineffective, long term protection against water intrusion. Face seals are not durable because they are exposed to heat and cold, expansion and contraction of windows, and degradation caused by UV rays. Face seal failures are difficult to detect and maintain; as a result, water penetrates through the window to the interior causing water damage to the finishes and structure of the building. Simply drilling intermittent holes into the frame or sash does not ensure water will exit.
Innotech Solutions
The pressure equalized ventilation and draining system provides effective moisture control. Innotech’s pressure equalized system relies on our continuous seal technology to effectively redirect water flow through a scientifically engineered and performance tested drainage system.
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Multiple Chamber Design
Common Problems
Many other windows use a shallower profile with fewer chambers. Both a shallow profile and/or fewer chambers will significantly reduce energy efficiency due to heat loss from increased thermal bridging and convection flow.
Innotech Solutions
Our deep profiles (3” / 76 mm) feature a six chamber design that creates multiple insulating air chambers for exceptional thermal performance: it reduces the negative effects of thermal bridging, while the multiple chambers eliminate convection currents. The multiple chambers also provide excellent torsion control.
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Heavy Walled Extrusions
Common Problems
While cheaper to manufacturer, thin walls are less durable and reduce structural and welded corner strength.
Innotech Solutions
One of the key differences between common products and Innotech window frames is the wall thickness of the profiles. Our Hybrid Framing System is designed with heavy (thick) walled extrusions and manufactured with environmentally friendly, lead free unplasticized PVC (uPVC).
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Welded Frame and Sash Corners
Common Problems
The durability of a window is often compromised by weak corner joints that can break or separate. These sometimes start as undetected hairline fractures which happen during shipping, handling or installation. Over time, weak corner joints may cause air leaks, water leaks and/or cause the window to break.
Innotech Solutions
Innotech window frame and sash joints are mitred and heat welded to guarantee a highly durable product. The combination of the welded frames and the heavy walled extrusions allows Innotech windows to successfully withstand rigorous strength testing.
The strength tested welded frames greatly minimize the risk for the windows to break during shipping, handling and installation. They also offer maximum protection against water intrusion and drafts for decades of optimal performance.
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Stainless Steel Warm Edge Spacer
Common Problems
The function of a spacer is to seal, insulate and provide structural support for the sealed glass unit. Aluminum spacers provide structural support but inefficient insulation. Non metal spacers offer good insulation but limited structural support.
Innotech Solutions
The stainless steel warm edge spacer offers the best structural support and excellent thermal performance. Innotech windows are made with the Cardinal Endur IG® spacers which provide the best combination of sealing, insulating and structural support. In addition, our deep glazing cavity provides additional insulating properties for the sealed glass unit.
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All Season Climate Control Glazing
Common Problems
Often the width of the glazing cavity (pocket) is not wide enough to fit the three panes of glass with the ideal spacing between the panes. This results in thinner (lower quality) panes of glass and/or too little spacing between the panes of glass, both of which significantly decrease the energy and thermal performance of the window.
High quality triple pane sealed units are also very heavy; a low quality window will not be able to support the weight of a triple pane unit. The heavy unit will cause too much stress on the window, which will eventual break.
Innotech Solutions
Innotech’s advanced glazing system allows for ideal triple glazing that will provide the best performance. For the best thermal performance, the space between each pane of glass should be between 3/8” – 5/8”; our glazing system allows for a 1/2″ between each pane of glass – the perfect space for maximum thermal performance.
Our system is also structurally engineered to support the weight of a high quality triple pane sealed unit. The steel reinforced window sashes, durable hinges, multi-chamber design and heavy wall extrusions all contribute to the structural strength of our windows.
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Adjustable Heavy Duty Hinges
Common Problems
Standard windows are not built with durable and adjustable hinges. The hinges are often fastened only into the vinyl or fibreglass walls, causing the hinge fasteners to sometimes pull out of the frame. Operable windows will sag over time and will become difficult to open and close, thus significantly reduce the windows performance due to increased air leakage.
Innotech Solutions
Innotech hinges are engineered to withstand decades of opening and closing. The hinges are three way adjustable (in/out, up/down, left/right) to accommodate for the settling of walls and heavy use over time.
The hinges are bolted into the galvanized steel reinforcement within the frame to make it impossible to pry the hinges away from the frame. The hinges do not pull out of the frame with increased sash weight or heavy use. Innotech hinges are designed perform under the most stringent conditions allowing large operable sashes with double or triple glazing and offering life long performance.
Learn more about our Defender Hardware System.
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Durable Colour Options
Common Problems
Poor quality finishes will peel, crack, scratch or bubble. This results in high maintenance or replacement costs.
Innotech Solutions
Innotech offers the following low maintenance, scratch resistant and durable finishing options that are engineered not to peel, crack or bubble: Laminated Deco Style and coated colour surfaces for interior and exterior applications.