Market trends favor wood windows & doors

A LTHOUGH manmade materilLals such as vinvl and fiberglass continue to make inroads into the door and window business, wood will remain the market leader for the foreseeable future, thanks to several emerging trends.

According to a new Freedonia Group study, overall U.S. demand for windows and doors is forecast to rise just 2.8% annuallY to $40 billion in 2012, with advances driven by the increasing popularity of plastic products.

Primary reasons for the switch to plastics are their low cost compared to wood and metal windows and doors, as well as the increasing recognition of their excellent per- formance properties. They are also highly durable, resist rotting and corrosion, and offer enhanced Protection against heat loss and other factors that reduce the energy efficiency of a home.

Yet Freedonia expects demand for wood, which totaled 427o of the overall window and door market in 2001 , to remain on top through 2012, despite below-average growth attributable to their higher cost.

Among the trends in wood's favor:

Green is in vogue and to many buyers. natural wood is greener than manmade materials.

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The custom and luxury markets appear better insulated from the construction downturn, and wood products are increasingly viewed as highend products. Wood windows and doors are predominantly used in residential construction applications, especially among middle-income and more affluent homeowners.

. Wood is often considered more aesthetically pleasing, and looks matter more in residential applications, which accounted for l4%o of total tJ .5. window and door demand in 20O7

. Wood doors are more customizable than their plastic and metal counterparts. "Homeowners want doors that truly represent 'home,"' said a rep for Simpson Door Co. "So many door styles over the years have been either cookie-cutter designs or reflect trends that come and go quickly. We are developing new designs from architectural styles that have remained popular over many generations. These styles, combined with the natural beauty of wood, have made all of our new doors very popular."

Advances in security and energy efficiency have helped to level the playing field between wood and its competitors, in terms of price and performance. Increasingly popular products now feature interior reinforcements, cladding, internal insulation, and other features.

In fact. escalating energy prices and homeowners' subsequent quest for improved energy efficiency is driving the entire wood and door market. The average home loses up to 3OVa of its energy through inefficient windows and doors. According to the U.S. Department of Energy. iistalling energy efficient windows and doors can save homeowners an average of $125 to $450 a year on utility bitii.

Real wood enlries increase a home's curb appeal-a necessity in trying to find a buyer in an overcrowded resale market.

. Metal windows and doors' too market- non-residential construction-suffered less severe decreases this year than residential, but is expected to suffer larger drops next year. Aluminum is well suited to nonresesidential due to its cost, durability and minimal maintenance requirements.

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