Kolbe windows & doors

Kolbe uses double-pane insulating glass and Thermo-Edge spacers in most of our windows as standard. This insulating glass carries a 20-year limited warranty which is transferrable to subsequent homeowners.

Thermo-Edge spacers seal the edges of most of our insulating glass units.* They are made of hollow, stainless steel bars filled with desiccants to help absorb moisture. The corners are bent to be air-tight and the edges are sealed with compressed polyisobutylene and silicone. This prevents heat loss, reduces the potential for interior condensation, and improves the overall U-factor of the window.

*Thermo-Edge spacers are not available on very small radius units, units with 1/2" insulating glass with champagne spacer bars, units with brass "pencil" bar Grilles-in-the Airspace, or units with true divided lites.

In addition to Thermo-Edge spacers, most Kolbe windows feature low emissivity (LoE) coatings. LoE coatings are created by applying transparent layers of silver between anti-reflective metal oxide coatings using an environmentally-friendly process that creates no emissions or residues. The coatings allow glass to transmit light while minimizing heat transfer into or out of a room. It also helps protect UV rays from fading furniture, fabrics and carpeting.

LoE²-270 is standard on most Kolbe wood and vinyl products. LoE²-270 glass features a unique coating that has been specially formulated to reject the sun’s heat, its damaging rays, and keep your home cool and comfortable. It blocks 83% of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays and 96% of the sun’s infrared heat.

Other LoE coatings are available to meet specific energy needs. In southern areas, tinted glass is often used. We recommend LoE²-240 because it is lightly tinted to control glare, yet offers more visibility than gray- or bronze-tinted glass. It achieves solar control over a wider range of the spectrum, protects against solar heat gain, and is more affordable than tinted glass.

LoĒ³-366 delivers the ideal balance of solar control and high visibility. It provides maximum protection against heat loss in areas with severe winters, blocks more solar heat gain than other clear glass coatings, and reflects heat back into the room for comfort and energy savings.

Argon gas further reduces energy transfer through insulating glass units, and can be used in insulating glass units with or without LoE coatings. This natural, existing gas is colorless, odorless, non-toxic, non-corrosive and non-flammable. Its thermal conductivity is 30% lower than that of air. Together, LoE²-270 coating and argon gas result in a 51% improvement in U-factors and a 104% improvement in R-values, as compared to air-filled insulating glass without LoE. Argon gas is standard in Kolbe wood products and optional in vinyl products.**

**Products that will be shipped to or through high altitude areas may not include argon gas, and may include breather tubes to relieve pressure associated with high altitudes. Also, units with small true divided lites may not include argon gas.

STRICTER ENERGY REQUIREMENTS FOR TAX CREDITS

Energy requirements are becoming more stringent, with lower U-factors and solar heat gain coefficients necessary to be eligible for federal tax credits. That's why we've added the options of ThermaPlus with LoE²-270 and ThermaPlus with LoE³-366, which include a ThermaPlus LoE coating on the unit's interior surface. This option is available on most products.

TEMPERED & LAMINATED GLASS OPTIONS

Glass normally breaks into large, irregular fragments which can be dangerous. Kolbe doors have tempered glass as standard, which breaks into tiny fragments. It may be requested on windows as well.

When laminated glass breaks, the fragments adhere to a vinyl interlayer that is sandwiched together with the glass. This provides safety from injury, a barrier against forced entry, and helps to diminish outside noise, as well as provide the ultimate in UV blockage. Laminated glass may be requested on Kolbe windows and doors, and will be used if impact products are specified.

Note that Windquest Series vinyl products are designed for very specific performance needs. Please see the Windquest Series page for information about the glass in those products.
Compare the statistics for the different coatings and glass types, and select those items of most importance to your project. Statistics for products with ThermaPlus are available on our Tax Credits page.

	LoĒ²-240*	LoĒ²-270*	LoĒ³-366*	Laminated, LoĒ²-270 IG with argon**
Visible Light Transmission	40%	70%	66%	70%
Outdoor Visible Light Reflectance	14%	12%	11%	12%
U-Factor	0.26	0.26	0.25	0.25
Solar Heat Gain Coefficient	0.25	0.37	0.27	0.36
Winter Center of Glass Temp	55°F	55°F	55.7°F	56°F
Summer Center of Glass Temp	85°F	82.8°F	81.9°F	85°F
Ultraviolet Light Transmission	16%	14%	5%	1%
Tdw-K	0.244	0.315	0.208	0.225
Tdw-ISO	0.350	0.526	0.425	0.467

*Calculations based on 7/8" insulating glass using two panes of 1/8" glass. Calculated using WINDOW 5.2.
**Calculations based on 7/8" insulating glass using one pane of 1/8" glass and one pane of 1/4" lami 20 glass.

LoĒ², LoĒ²-270, LoĒ²-240 Glare Control, and LoĒ³-366 are trademarks of Cardinal IG.