HAS ANYONE HEARD OF DAKOTA WINDOWS
HAS ANYONE HEARD OF DAKOTA WINDOWS
I am having a problem with my Ellison vinyl windows and Lowes is wanting to replace them with Dakota windows. I cant find information on Dakota windows anywhere. HELP
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Did you try Dakota windows on a search engine? I got www.Dakotawindows.com. I wasn't even moderately attracted to their offerings and they don't even offer contact information.
HipKat,
I understand your feeling about Swiggle and DuarSeal. But a 1" IG unit that is made up of 2 pieces of glass is less efficient than 7/8" or even 3/4" thick units. When an IG unit has a space between the glass over 1/2" convection currents can occur between the glass which causes the cold air to be transferred from the outside surface onto the inside surface.
However, I can see a 1" IG unit being efficient if it is a triple glass unit.
A window that has a u-value of .35 meets Energy Star Requirements for the Northern region. A u-value of .40 is all it takes for most of the rest of the United States.
I understand your feeling about Swiggle and DuarSeal. But a 1" IG unit that is made up of 2 pieces of glass is less efficient than 7/8" or even 3/4" thick units. When an IG unit has a space between the glass over 1/2" convection currents can occur between the glass which causes the cold air to be transferred from the outside surface onto the inside surface.
However, I can see a 1" IG unit being efficient if it is a triple glass unit.
A window that has a u-value of .35 meets Energy Star Requirements for the Northern region. A u-value of .40 is all it takes for most of the rest of the United States.
Actually, according to tests, maximum efficiency ocurs in a 3/4" airspace, which is what you have after you take out the 2 1/8" panes of glass. If the glass is 1/16" then a 7/8" glass pack is more efficient. Then, oddly enough, the graph peaks again at 6", which means that storms could be somewhat efficient, if you could make the airspace completely sealed.
I spoke with one of the foremost experts in the insulated glass business about the ideal space between the glass in an IG unit. He said that above 5/8" space the glass becomes less effective.
Just to verify some of this information, I went to the Cardinal Glass web site and they have a report that shows that the air space in an IG unit should be around 1/2". The graph that they use shows that a wider air space become less effecient than a 1/2" gap.
http://www.cardinalcorp.com/Tech/pdf/RED-BOOK.pdf
Would you like some more proof?
ps. There is no such thing as 1/16" glass in a window. Double strength (1/8") is not double the thickness of single strength glass. Single strength glass is 3/32" thick.
Just to verify some of this information, I went to the Cardinal Glass web site and they have a report that shows that the air space in an IG unit should be around 1/2". The graph that they use shows that a wider air space become less effecient than a 1/2" gap.
http://www.cardinalcorp.com/Tech/pdf/RED-BOOK.pdf
Would you like some more proof?
ps. There is no such thing as 1/16" glass in a window. Double strength (1/8") is not double the thickness of single strength glass. Single strength glass is 3/32" thick.
So is it ineffeicient over 5/8" or 1/2", 'cause you just claimed both, and I know what I was taught at a home heating seminar this year, and I know what the results i saw were, and I also know that arguing over 1/8 or 1/4 or 1/32 of an inch is dumb.
I also know that, as per the topic, that dakota windows are far, FAR from being the best thing available.
I also know that, as per the topic, that dakota windows are far, FAR from being the best thing available.
hip, it is very well documented on the internet and in publications that argon gas is most efficient at between 12 and 14 mm. aka a little over half an inch. go to argon gas websites not window websites.you have been saying 1 inch is more efficient then 7/8 or 3/4 for a while now and it simply is not true. in this case bigger is not better.
Thanks for your reply windowrep. I've re-read the older posts from HipKat and he seems to have an interest in 1" IG units. I guess your data comes from the home heating seminar - my data at least comes from one of the largest glass/IG manufacturers in the nation. Did you even bother to look at the website or are you just being a closed minded and uninformed?
First of all, calling me closed minded is like calling the sky purple. If I'm wrong about something, then I'll readily admit to it, and go back to the source of my misinformation and find out what the real deal is. I think I've pretty much proved that over and over just on this site alone. Perhaps the 3/4" space was more relevant to krypton, or maybe I was taught by someone else that was totally misinformed, I don't know.
hip, check out www.glassonweb.com go to articles then to chemicals and eventually to argon filled ig units. there you will have the straight scoop with no b.s. i have foung this site very informative and unobjectionable. good reading in the down time. you will see alot of companies are not telling the whole story. big surprise huh.?
windows
The Dakota line now uses the Dura seal spacer system. It retains argon gas longer then any other seal and keeps moisture out. It is welded to each pain of glass so it can expand and contract with the window. The thermabreak seal most windows use, have about 6 inches of raw aluminum, and the rest is wrapped in caulking. Aluminum attracts moisture, condensation, thus when the window expands moisture can leak in. The Dakota windows also use 100%virgin vinyl, from Dayton, so the windows will not faid. They are also the only ones making a brown window that will not faid. Their warranty speaks for the window as well. It is a Lifetime non-prorated warranty. They may not be the very best, but for the price and quality you get, they are hard to beat.
Vista has a brown window that doesn't fade...
And I STILL want to see something that backs up the guy who once posted that only Schuco, Amerimax and Polybau have 100% virgin vinyl lineals, cause I never bought into that. It seems anyone who uses Royal lineals, or in Vista's case, Veka, is going to have the same material in them, no?
And what is the dura seal, and how is it compared to superspacer?
And I STILL want to see something that backs up the guy who once posted that only Schuco, Amerimax and Polybau have 100% virgin vinyl lineals, cause I never bought into that. It seems anyone who uses Royal lineals, or in Vista's case, Veka, is going to have the same material in them, no?
And what is the dura seal, and how is it compared to superspacer?
Last edited by HipKat on Sat Dec 10, 2005 12:22 am, edited 1 time in total.
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HipKat, I found this....http://www.truseal.com/products/flexible/duraseal/
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