Planning ahead for perfect door and window transitions

Planning ahead for perfect door and window transitions to your finishes takes extraordinary attention to detail and expert understanding of the products being used, how they are installed AND your shell and finish construction. Most window dealers can sell you windows and doors and (hopefully!) put them in competently, but they are rarely going to take an active part in your construction planning and detailing.

In modern architecture where everything is built around the glazing systems with minimal seamless transitions and hurricane code sizing and anchoring restrictions, it takes collaborative coordination and often the shell construction will need to be adjusted 6 months to a year before finishes go in.

Your structural beam heights and column placement may need to shift by a few inches for everything to come together. A 121" sliding door may be 20% more expensive than a 120" sliding door due to the hurricane testing requiring an SGP interlayer instead of PVB, or additional structural reinforcing. 144" may be your absolute maximum frame height and with a 3" sill riser that puts top of the frame 141" from your finished floor...

Thicker stone cladding may require double or triple bucks. Product testing limitations may limit your overall opening size by several inches less than the architect drew it which affects alignment of the entire structure. I have had them as much as 10" short of the architects planned size.

I help architects, builders, and owners select, specify, and detail luxury residential hurricane glazing systems without manufacturer or dealer biases.

From just one hour to as many hours as you need a glazing expert for your project.

I also give classes in all aspects of hurricane windows and doors on glass aesthetics and energy performance, manufacturer product overviews, detailed installation planning and best practices, and understanding hurricane product approvals.