We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn More ›
Bob continues his tour of the PGT window factory in Venice, Florida. Dave Olmstead shows Bob a standard aluminum window with a thin, non-structural bead on the edge. He compares it to the heavy gauge frame of the two-pane, laminated impact-resistant window. They follow the assembly process from the cutting of the aluminum window parts, which is timed precisely to match the timing of the glass delivery, to the assembly table where the frame is prepared for the laminated glass. At the silicone station a thick bead of silicone adhesive is applied to the frame. The laminated glass must be pressed into the frame without delay to prevent a skin from forming on the silicone, which would reduce its adhesion abilities and prevent it from passing the violent impact test. Finally trim is added, the windows are cleaned and fitted with strucural bead, screens are installed, and the windows are packaged for transport. Olmstead explains that each of these impact-resistant windows is produced to order. They run three to four times the cost of standard windows, but in the year since Hurricane Charley sales of these windows have increased 300 percent.
