Manufacturing History
We certainly learned what not to do and, from an installation standpoint, we knew exactly how to make products “installer-friendly” A true test of the quality of your products is that your installers have to believe in it.
You cannot make a window installer-friendly without adding something substantial to the construction. Wardco accomplished that with the help of Royal Building Products. Royal supplies Wardco with all the extrusion for our windows and have been doing so since 2005. Royal is, and has been, the industry leader for decades and continue to grow as part of a multi-billion dollar company.
The quality of the extrusion we receive allows us to make one of the best vinyl windows available in the industry. While some manufacturers reduce the cost to produce their windows by using thinner vinyl and offshore hardware, we endeavour to make our window better, not cheaper. You will never see metal reinforcement inside our extrusions – they transfer cold – and since we have one of the thickest extrusions around, we do not need reinforcement.
2013 – Year of Change
In 2013, we recertified all of our vinyl windows with CSA and Energy Star. We had great ratings for years and they were in line with competitors, but that is not good enough for us. We also certified our door systems to meet new building code requirements. When we tried to certify to the new standards with (industry common) self-draining sills and they would not make the grade. That involved changing sills to a more expensive, adjustable, fully composite substrate sill system that is the best system we have ever seen.
We use Ashland for all our window hardware. Their products have always provided us with outstanding results and, best of all, are made in North America.
With Royal’s help, we launched a brand new casement profile. This profile allow us to utilize sealed glass units from 3/4” to 1-3/8” covering a wide variety of double and triple glazed scenarios and making the product suitable for almost any climate.
A3 & B7
We have also redesigned our single hung and double hung windows. After CSA/NAFS testing/certification, we proudly announce our single hung window has the highest grade possible. Not only for a single hung window, but for any style of operating window: A3 & B7 (air & water tightness respectively). This window achieved these numbers straight from production, first try. No modifications were required which is completely unheard of in this industry! What this means to the customer: there is not a better single hung window available, alternatives would be very difficult to find.
Learning from other industries
We redesigned and improved the entire line-up of windows and doors. Sure, we were pleased with the quality of our products, but we cannot sit back on our hands and say: look what we have done in the past. That is what happened in the North American auto industry and gave the off-shore competitors a chance to overtake them. It was a great wake-up call. Look at the outstanding product that comes from our neighbours at Ford now. They did not sit on their hands and they now produce some of the finest vehicles available. You can also bet they are not done making improvements. Neither are we! If you are going to take a page from someone’s book, who better than Henry Ford’s?
Quality Control
With the information superhighway at everyone’s fingertips, the consumer has become much more aware and informed. But that does not eliminate the confusion. If it were that easy, you would not see windows with a life-span of 5 years or less – with 1-year warranties – in million-dollar-plus homes. But that is often the case in order to save a few dollars. It seems funny that one of the most important aspects of a home is the first place people look to save money.
At Wardco, we never offer the bare minimum. You cannot buy windows from us that without high performance glass or an energy star rating. You also cannot buy a “builder grade window” from Wardco. We only have one line of windows with accessories available to suit almost any application. Builders, who use our products, do so for the quality and the longevity of the product. They care about the quality of the homes they build or renovate and they want quality windows and doors. The Wardco family cares about the quality of our product and we care about customer satisfaction
If you are a homeowner looking for windows or doors, ask your local builder, contractor or dealer for Wardco Window & Door Manufacturing or contact us and we will put you in touch with an authorized Wardco distributor in your area.
If you are an architect, builder, contractor or dealer, looking for the right window and door products to meet your discerning quality standards, contact us to find out how to become and authorized distributor today.