Press Room

“Customization” in and of itself is not new.  It has been a buzz word in trend-focused conversations for the past few years.  However, what is new about “customization” is what consumers are choosing to tailor to their specific desires.  From the news they receive and share on blogs, to interior stylings and decals on their cars, down to the color and custom letters on their M&Ms, consumers are accustomed to having choices that help them express their personality and lifestyle.

 

That’s why Marvin turned to its customers to uncover relevant trends and innovations for 2007. It’s a big reason why Marvin Windows and Doors is heading into 2007 with a new tagline – Built Around You™ – which truly speaks to Marvin’s dedication to developing innovative products with a myriad of options to help homeowners realize their vision.

 

Following is our “Top 7 for ‘07” list of what consumers are saying is important to them and how Marvin is responding with its hallmark quality, craftsmanship and service – a tradition that transcends trends and extends back more than 60 years.

1 - New Standards
In response to growing consumer demand for more customizable options that come standard, Marvin is making it cost-effective and timely to personalize the details of a window or door by offering more colors, sizes and options standard.

 

For instance, in 2007 Marvin is introducing seven new casing styles and four new subsill options to its standard offerings, allowing consumers to add a dramatic, personalized effect to the aesthetic of their windows and doors, and ultimately their home.  With a factory-applied Kynar® finish available in 19 standard colors on extruded aluminum, Marvin is bringing beauty and durability with virtually no maintenance to consumers in a variety of ways.

2 - Materials Matter
Homeowners not only are concerned with aesthetics, but performance tops consumers’ consideration set when it comes to their home’s windows and doors.  With rising heating and cooling costs, finding a product that is energy efficient, durable and stable is increasingly important.  Additionally, minimal maintenance requirements are increasingly important when it comes to purchasing windows and doors.

 

The Marvin family of brands understands that design preferences and lifestyles are different, so we offer consumers a number of frame material options to meet their unique needs.  For those looking for the classic hand-crafted quality and aesthetics of wood windows, the Marvin brand is a perfect fit.  For on-the-go households with little or no time for maintenance, Marvin offers extruded aluminum cladding on the window exterior, as well as Integrity Windows and Doors and Infinity Replacement Windows made with Ultrex, a super-strong pultruded fiberglass material that requires virtually no maintenance and outlasts and outperforms vinyl.

3 - Growing Green Concerns
While green building practice continues to spread many consumers are thinking green and demanding environmentally friendly products.  And, as the green topic becomes more central in everyday living, the scrutiny with which consumers evaluate products increases.  In the case of windows and doors, this means that consumers are not only concerned about the energy efficiency of a product, but also the manufacturing process behind a product and how it can be recycled when it is no longer needed.
 
At Marvin, respecting and protecting the environment is more than a good business practice — it’s the right thing to do. We are committed to forestry management and recycling and reuse programs.

Marvin offers the most energy-efficient glass available — double-pane, Low E II glazing with Argon gas, which can reduce heating costs by 34 percent in cold climates and 38 percent in warm climates*, and exceeds National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) requirements and meets ENERGY STAR® guidelines in all four U.S. climate zones.

 

Marvin products are designed to perform for years to come and could easily be reused.  When disassembled, the major components (wood, glass or aluminum) are easily recycled.

 

In terms of alternate materials, Ultrex, the material used to make Integrity Windows and Doors and Infinity Replacement Windows, is primarily made from silica sand, an unlimited natural resource and an inert material that does not contribute to environmental degradation.  In fact, Integrity and Infinity products have 80 percent less embodied energy than aluminum and 39 percent less than vinyl windows.

 

The Marvin family of brands will continue to strive to meet and exceed environmental standards in 2007 and beyond.

4 - Refining Replacement
With new housing starts down more than 30 percent from the pervious year, homeowners are opting to update and remodel existing homes (1). New windows and doors can make a big difference in not only a home’s appearance, but its overall energy efficiency.
 
Whether the goal is to historically match the architectural era of a home or to increase its energy efficiency, Marvin and Infinity Replacement Windows offer a wealth of perfect solutions, all delivered with superior service that is refining the replacement process. With each Infinity replacement project, an authorized installing retailer will measure a home’s windows, provide a complete quote, install the windows when it’s convenient for the homeowner and clean-up after the project.  All Marvin and Infinity products are backed by a 10/20 warranty.

5 - Work/Life Balance
With more and more people working from home, the amount of time spent at home is on the rise, making it all the more important that the home’s environment is flexible, inspiring and a true reflection of the owner (2).  Whether it’s helping a homeowner create a more traditional office space with historic designs resulting in an appropriate space for meeting with clients or customers, or converting a standard home into a thought-provoking space with expansive views framed by unique windows to spark creativity, Marvin Windows and Doors Signature Products and Services division can help bring a homeowners’ vision to life. This unique division of Marvin specializes in architectural and structural challenges that defy an off-the-shelf solution.  From true custom profiles to match a historic design, incorporating contemporary performance features in original classics or creating a connection between a home’s interior and exterior in an uncharted way, Marvin Signature Products and Services works alongside the homeowner and architect to deliver a flawlessly performing design.

 

6 - Curb Appeal
While new construction starts have significantly slowed, existing-home sales are expected to rise steadily from the current cyclical low and reach an annual total of 6.4 million in 2007 (3).  This buyer’s market spurs both sellers and buyers to examine a home’s details, including the brand and warranty of its windows and doors.

 

With more than 60 years of experience in fine craftsmanship and pioneering innovation, the Marvin name is synonymous with lasting quality.  When a home comes with Marvin windows and doors, it comes with a guarantee that they will look beautiful and perform flawlessly for years to come; giving the seller another advantage and the potential buyer another incentive to purchase the home.

 

Further reinforcing Marvin’s commitment to excellence is its highest ranking in a 2006 J.D. Power and Associates study, which measured architects’ satisfaction among residential window and patio door manufacturers.(4)

7 – Open Spaces
With the aging demographic of the U.S. population that requires ease of mobility in their home, single-floor dwellings with an open floor plan are gaining popularity.  This desire for open spaces also applies to the newest generation of homeowners as they are bucking the rigid floor plans in their childhood homes and are choosing a design that is not only open, but blurs the divide between the inside and the great outdoors, making the patio an “outdoor room.”(5)

 

Marvin has a number of design solutions to enhance an open space with more natural light and help bring the outdoors in and vice versa, including expansive bi-fold doors that can be custom ordered to run the length of a wall, or elegant patio doors, such as Marvin’s new Ultimate Swinging Screen Doors and 2 ¼” Swinging French Doors, along with Integrity’s new Wood-Ultrex Outswing French Door, allowing a homeowner to enjoy nature all year.  In terms of windows, Marvin also makes it easy to maximize a view while bringing in the fresh air with its patent-pending Venting Picture Window