Windows with a better view

From what I’ve seen at the International Builders’ show, much of the innovation in windows has to do with screens. Two major players, Andersen and Pella, are offering screens that, they claim, improve your view of the outdoors. Andersen’s TruScene screens, made of microfine steel mesh, and Pella’s Vivid View screens, composed of an ultrafine material, are designed to let in more light and fresh air and keep pests out.

Andersen has also unveiled the high-performance Low-E4 glass (shown). A titanium-dioxide coating on the exterior glass is activated by sunlight and is supposed to spot 99 percent less than regular glass. We’ll report on how well the glass works in our October 2007 report on windows.

Finally, low-e glass and gas fills have become the industry standard for energy efficiency, according to several major window manufacturers.—Celia Kuperszmid Lehrman