How Fiberglass Windows Became the Leader for Commercial Buildings in Cleveland

If you live in or around the city of Cleveland, you are surrounded by commercial buildings at all times — but when was the last time you truly looked at any of them rather than just allowing them to blur into the background of your everyday life?

If you take the time to look, you’ll see that each building was designed to support a unique business, with its own style and functional needs. You may take for granted the level of effort that went into its design and construction; each one is crafted so that it is just right for its occupants.

An even more easily overlooked aspect of building design is the windows. Windows significantly affect the overall look and feel of a building while also having major implications on the cost to build and maintain. Choosing the right window is critical for a commercial building’s success.

Let's explore the efforts Pella has made to design the ideal window in terms of function and design, to create a product unlike any other on the market for commercial spaces.

What led Pella to start this mission in the first place?

When building a commercial space, there is no doubt the costs to construct the building are at the top of everyone’s mind. You also have to consider the long-term costs that the owner and tenants will have to bear over time. Any savvy investor will not only consider whether they can afford to build on a property, but whether they can operate profitably for years to come.

Perhaps one of the most substantial long-term costs is energy. It doesn’t matter where you live in the country, energy costs are going to play a role in any business's bottom line. If you have the heat on, you want the heat to stay inside. If you have the air conditioning on, you want the cool air to stay inside. Any treated air that escapes is wasteful and can make energy costs rise.  

There is also the human factor to consider. Commercial spaces will be filled with people, and comfortable working and living conditions are necessary for any place that wants its tenants to stick around. An energy-efficient building will require fewer resources to maintain ideal temperatures, which reduces the emission of greenhouse gases and minimizes our environmental impact.

For a long time, the only options available to commercial buildings were vinyl or aluminum frames — both of which had different benefits for commercial buildings of high altitudes. Vinyl windows are a great option for energy efficiency, and aluminum windows were great for handling the stronger winds due to high altitudes. Pella set out to create a window solution that featured both benefits. 

The solution: Pella’s fiberglass windows. Our proprietary fiberglass materials, created with a one-of-a-kind manufacturing process, have displayed superior strength over aluminum, wood, vinyl, wood/plastic composites and other fiberglass materials used by leading national brands in tensile and 3-point bend tests performed in accordance with ASTM D638 and D790 testing standards. On top of that, our heavy-duty, long-lasting powder-coat finish meets AAMA 624 levels, which means that Pella’s fiberglass windows are resistant to chipping, fading and chalking, so you won't have to worry as much about painting or refinishing them.

In addition, our fiberglass products are extremely durable against the elements and the wear and tear they can cause. Our fiberglass material has also been engineered to withstand the subzero cold and extreme heat, with the fiberglass tested from negative forty degrees to one hundred eighty degrees Fahrenheit. With all of these qualities, our fiberglass windows pass the rigorous performance requirements for use in commercial buildings. 

When it comes to energy efficiency concerns, our fiberglass windows have that covered too. Our fiberglass windows are available in dual- and triple-pane options, which both use argon gas to prevent the transfer of heat through convection. Since argon is denser than regular air, it moves slowly, and is not conducive to the natural transfer of heat. The argon gas also keeps the glass warmer and prevents condensation from forming on your windows.

Our fiberglass windows continue to be the top choice among our commercial customers due to the number of benefits they provide. Below are some projects we are really proud of in the Cleveland area. 

Grosvenor Place in Tremont was designed and built by Beegan Architectural Design and Today’s Lifestyle Construction. Our Cleveland commercial team stepped in to install black fiberglass casement and awning windows, along with sliding glass doors on this newly constructed luxury, modern apartment building. These fiberglass products provided the building with several benefits: great ventilation, low maintenance requirements, durability and a large glass area for maximum natural light.          

Another newly constructed apartment building was 121 Larchmere in the Shaker Heights area of Cleveland. We worked with The Albert M. Higley Company and City Architecture to install fiberglass direct set and awning windows as well as sliding glass doors finished in brown. The large windows maximize natural light and create a modern look. The fiberglass material also created a thin profile for enhanced style and long-lasting durability.         

Lastly, we helped ThenDesign Architecture (TDA) transform an old Cleveland school into an office building, which was the first image in this blog. The windows feature grilles between-the-glass and applied bars on the direct set units. With the modern technology of fiberglass, the windows were also able to maintain this building's historical attributes while providing long-lasting durability, exceptional performance and low maintenance. 

Pella products are built custom to fit each customer’s specific needs. Our dedicated commercial representatives are here to help you build your project just as you envisioned it. With nearly 100 years of experience in the Cleveland market, there is no product or team better suited to help you reach your goals.

Contact a Pella commercial representative to learn more about our fiberglass products and get started on your commercial project today.