Coming soon
The full comparison
Every frame material, side by side, facing the same fire.
From the book · Fire videos
Don't takeour wordfor it
Some things a paragraph can't tell you nearly as well as sixty seconds of fire. So we're putting vinyl, wood, aluminum, fiberglass and conventional steel window systems in front of the same fire. Watch the glass. Watch the frame. Watch what fails first.
The videos
Same fireDifferent frames
Coming soon
Vinyl
Watch the frame, not just the glass.
Coming soon
Wood
Watch what happens to everything holding the glass in place.
Coming soon
Aluminum
Watch the thermal break, and the frame around it.
Coming soon
Fiberglass
Watch the seals and gaskets as the heat builds.
Coming soon
Conventional steel
Watch what fails first.
The videos are in production. Subscribe to The Steel Report and we'll email you the day they go live.
What to watch for
Don't justwatch the glass
01
The glass
We've been conditioned to watch the glass, because its failure is the most dramatic. It isn't the only way a window fails.
02
Whatever holds the glass
Imagine the glass stays intact while the material retaining it fails. That can happen.
03
What fails first
The moment one part gives way, the window stops being a window and becomes an opening for flame, embers and hot gases.
Once a month
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Steel windows and doors are changing fast. The Steel Report keeps architects and contractors ahead of the game with industry news, engineering breakthroughs, architectural innovations and the performance standards worth building to. From energy efficiency and wildfire resilience to the life-safety issues that demand action, we report what changed and how to use it in your next project.