The market for windows and doors is strong and it’s expected to remain that way for the next several years. Cleveland-based market-research firm The Freedonia Group suggests demand for windows and doors in the United States will be worth $34.4 billion by 2021, a 25% increase from where the market was three years ago. Demand for window and door products will increase at an annual rate of 4.8%, according to the group, which will primarily be driven by the industry’s new construction and home renovation segments.
Metrostudy’s Residential Remodeling Index tallies the number of exterior door and window projects valued at more than $1,000 in the U.S. The most recent index forecasts there will be 3.1% more exterior door projects and window projects completed in 2019, compared to 2018. Data from the “Window and Door Market Trends & Opportunities” report, from Home Innovation Research Labs, show 58 million windows were installed in residential dwellings and 8 million entry doors were installed as recently as 2017.
With increased demand in the coming years, consumer preferences will shift toward higher quality products and more aesthetically appealing products. Window and door products are expected to meet these desires in several ways: with increased energy efficiency and weather resistance and with larger sizes.
Energy Efficiency and Weather Resistance
Energy efficiency is no longer a trend in window and door design, but an expectation among consumers. According to Ply Gem, energy efficiency is one of the two most important factors in selecting windows. Performance in energy efficiency and impact resistance are particularly important in regions of the country most likely to be affected by hurricanes, storms, and tornadoes. The Freedonia Group projects that disaster-related sales of windows and doors will rise 7.5% annually through 2021, nearly 3% higher than the rest of the window and door market.
Window and door products increasingly are offering superior energy efficiency, noise reduction, protection from harmful UV rays, and security. Materials such as UPVC are in high demand because of their energy efficiency. UPVC also has a lightweight profile that requires lower maintenance. Energy Star–compliant products likely will become more popular with consumers interested in better-insulated windows and products that reduce their utility bills.
Technological innovations have made energy efficiency and impact resistance easier to achieve for manufacturers. Marvin Windows and Doors’ Marvin Modern line includes a Direct Glaze Window made from high-density fiberglass that offers strong structural and thermal performance as well as energy efficiency in all climates. Ply Gem and Sky-Frame released window lines recently, the 4712 HVHZ Aluminum Window series and Sky-Frame Hurricane, respectively, that tout the products’ low maintenance, energy efficiency, and impact resistance. Jeld-Wen’s wood lines of patio doors and windows include optional Neat glass that uses titanium dioxide to give the glass a smooth, water-repellent surface as it reacts with UV rays. Weather Shield’s Bi-Fold Doors in the company’s Contemporary Collection and Premium Series include a low-profile sill option that delivers “optimum performance” against harsh elements.
Jens Weber, www.jensweber.net
Window and Doors Get Larger
A single word to describe the latest trend for windows and doors is “big.” Large floor-to-ceiling windows can open up an entire side of the room to the outside and 10-foot door options are becoming the norm for consumers. “We literally cannot make the glass big enough for people,” Jennifer Matson, Jeld-Wen’s director of product line management for wood windows, said in the whitepaper “2019 Trends in Windows and Doors,” published by Hanley Wood. “People want the clear, open view.”
As for doors, the growing popularity of farmhouse designs also underscores consumers’ interest in larger products. Fourteen percent of homeowners opt for farmhouse style for their kitchen renovations, according to the 2019 Houzz Kitchen Trends Study, a market share that has steadily increased the past three years. Barn doors, a staple of farmhouse style, are increasingly popular with consumers. This style of door offers consumers dual use, either rolling into place to create more privacy or sliding back against the wall to open up more usable space. But even as farmhouse style gains popularity, modern design remains among the most popular residential designs, with pivot doors also becoming popular once again.
Multipanel patio doors are one of the fastest growing segments of the door market, according to The Freedonia Group, with such products offering better access to natural light and outdoor living spaces. Marvin Windows and Doors has a Multi-Slide Door option that is 12 feet tall, with a 60-foot sliding capacity. Boral Windows has a gliding patio door system with customizable two-, three-, and four-panel configurations to promote indoor-outdoor arrangements and increased ventilation.
In addition to being made bigger, doors are featuring more glass, particularly on exterior doors. In some instances, consumers are willing to sacrifice security for improved viewing space and increasingly want products that enable natural light to enter. Weather Shield’s Contemporary Collection Sliding Patio Door offers both narrow profiles for increased viewing space and large sizing options.
In the window scope, large windows with narrow frames and an absence of grilles and muntins are popular among consumers. Such products allow views to be unobstructed and satisfy a desire for natural light. The narrow frames for windows also satisfy the desire for modern, sleek-looking windows with clean aesthetics. Home Innovation Research Labs reports that single-hung and double-hung venting styles are the most popular window styles in new home construction, with double-hung taking some of single-hung window’s market share over time. Low-E glazing in windows is also a popular element in window installation, with 75% of new-home construction projects and 65% of renovation projects involving the glazing style as recently as 2017, according to Home Innovation Research Labs.
Marvin Windows and Doors offers a Multi-Slide Door in its Marvin Modern line, available in sizes up to 60 feet wide with less than 3-inch sight lines to “minimize visual distractions.” The Weather Shield Oversized Direct Set Windows feature floor-to-ceiling glass up to 70 square feet with slim-line direct glaze rectangular frames to provide “larger, unobstructed views.” Weather Shield’s Push Out Casement and Awning Windows also offer narrow profiles to maximize exposed glass and create a modern appearance. Ply Gem recently launched the redesigned Mira Aluminum-Clad Wood Casement Window, a durable wood option with the aesthetic appeal of a thinner screen, 7/8-inch insulated glass, and a wide variety of color options.
The Freedonia Group reports that the style and aesthetic of windows and doors remain the key drivers of purchasing decisions for consumers, even more important than energy efficiency or other performance features. Consumers increasingly desire windows in particular that allow them to achieve unique, custom looks without sacrificing durability. Windows and doors with irregular shapes, modern styles, larger glazing areas, and artistic detailing are among the most popular options with consumers, according to the Freedonia Group.
Advancements in technology will likely yield improved window and door designs, enabling enhanced color, and better features. The Freedonia Group reports that smart products will provide benefits for automation in windows and doors and enable enhanced security in products while also maintaining optimal style and aesthetics. Additionally, builders increasingly favor foolproof windows and doors as the labor shortage becomes more acute. Home Innovation Research Labs finds that the high costs of installation may increase consumers’ likelihood to attempt installation projects themselves.
Material Preferences
The Freedonia Group projects that, among materials for windows and doors, the plastic market, which includes vinyl and fiberglass, will see the largest yearly advances in sales and demand. Vinyl windows in particular can offer consumers low-cost, energy-efficient, and low-maintenance products that now are aesthetically comparable to wood windows. Vinyl, traditionally most popular in starter homes due to its low price point, is expected to increase its market share in the mid-tier and high-end markets. Vinyl will benefit from technological advances that allow some customization to products using the material.
Wood windows, while requiring more maintenance than their plastic counterparts, remain most popular in new luxury homes, according to Home Innovation Research Labs. Wood, likely because of its higher price point, is less popular in starter and move-up homes. Aluminum windows, which can offer similar durability and prices as vinyl windows, are most popular in starter homes, according to Home Innovation Research Labs.
Among doors, fiberglass entry doors are expected to experience
a strong boost in demand in the short-term future, as fiberglass offers durability and other performance benefits over other materials. According to Home Innovation Research Labs, fiberglass entry doors have been the most popular new home installation for the past decade, surpassing steel-raised panel doors. Wood doors remain most popular in luxury homes, again, likely a reflection of the materials’ price relative to fiberglass and steel. ps
