Elements Window... Has the Bar Has Been Raised?

[Window4U (IL)]

The Elements Window. It's a new window from soft-lite for only a handful of select dealers around the country.
Elements has some numbers and features I thought I'd share since I've not heard it mentioned here before.

Instead of looking at picture window numbers which are always any company's best numbers for u-value, let's look at this window's Double-Hung numbers instead.

Double-Hung U-Value of .16 ....no, that's not a typo. That's 2 times the insulation value of double pane Low-E / Argon gas filled windows!
DP Rating of DP70 (203 mph winds)
Air Infiltration rating of .01
These are the best numbers I have ever seen. I would think that this is now the most energy efficient double-hung made unless someone knows of something else with better numbers.

It has some nice features as well:
*Tilt-in for cleaning mechanism is built into the locks. No ugly tilt-in latches on the ends of the middle sash rail.
*Locking Screens
*Colonial glass bead on the interior around the glass for a nice appearance.
*Exterior glazing stops
*SuperSpacer glass spacer with edge deletion process
*Triple glazing with krypton gas
*Gold series tri-fin antimicrobial weatherstripping
*Triple weatherstripping
*3/4" wide constant force balances for quiet and smooth operation
*Non-metallic Composite reinforcement in sashes
*Jamb and sashes filled with foam
*Sloped sill with no interior of extrusion drainage
*2 solid colors and 4 woodgrains for the interior
*DOZENS of exterior colors. Windows can be white, tan, or woodgrain inside, and pretty much any color you want outside. 6 of these color choices are co-extruded.
*Simulated Divided Lites available as option
*MINI-BLINDS between the glass available as option
*Beveled leaded stained glass available as option

Anyone seen this window. Comments?

[Delaware Mike]

We decided not to go with the Elements line as Soft-Lites requirements would have had us drop a few of other products. However, we have had the new "Imperial LS" which is basically the same window except for the tilting mechanism. The Elements did score a little better in the testing, but the difference so nominal that we didn't see how is could benefit our customers as opposed to dropping all our of other great products.

The LS has a u-factor of .17 and the air is .02. The DP is the same. If you look at the tilt system I can only warn you about your experience with the PAL locks and the serivce calls that can potentially come with them. I've also been out to the plant and have looked at how this window is assembled. It's everything that Soft-Lite touts it to be. It installs very nice. I would still give Schuco the nod on their shadow groove welds and general appearance. The Schuco screen is also better. I do like that Soft-Lite has an accessory groove around the window.

[fhi windows]

I googled the brand and only found links to this site, who makes the window?

[JimInMa]

That would be Soft-Lite who makes the window, they're based in Ohio.

They have a page at www.soft-lite.com

I did not and still do not have an Elements dealer in my area. But I doubt I would have spent the additional cash over the Imperial LS, I'm guessing there is an upward price difference.
BTW I went with the cam locks instead of the PAL type / Auto-Majik lock. I think the weatherstripping gets messed up with the Auto-majik, or at least it did on the sample window.

[Gman]

The Element is the top of the line.....how about the numbers for the Barrington, which I think is two steps down. I have been told the numbers are exactly the same. The only difference is it is not foam filled and have Krypton gas, just Argon.

What do you think?