An increasing number of homeowners are painstakingly researching the latest trends in everything from lighting and hardware to cabinets and windows to accentuate their own personal styles.
As a result, window manufacturers are investing in technologies to add color to their products that were historically available in white or other neutral colors. In 2015, less than 1% of the products MI Windows and Doors produced featured an exterior color. By the end of 2017, windows and doors with exterior colors accounted for 4% of MI’s sales – not bad for a company that manufactures millions of windows every year. More importantly, that number is expected to continue to climb, proof that customization is in demand for both renovation and new construction projects. With these factors and the interest in color varieties for vinyl windows, color technologies are expected to advance and grow exponentially for years to come with more customization and economic pricing. In fact, industry analysts predict that more than 16% of all window sales will feature an alternate exterior color by the end of 2019.
In fact, windows are on the verge of transforming standard housing applications with visually compelling shades ranging from dark browns to deep reds and greens. But the most growing popular painted color in vinyl windows is black, which is the red-hot color choice among many American consumers. More than half of the painted windows MI sold last year were dark colored. This is indicative of homeowners’ current preference for dark-colored windows, which are being used to provide start contrast to lighter-colored siding materials – most apparent in the “Modern Farmhouse” trend, where white siding is being paired with black or bronze windows.
Exterior colors are a growing trend in the window industry, but only recently have vinyl windows been a relevant part of the conversation. For years the problem wasn’t the color, but the ability to produce durable, reliable finishes for vinyl windows that withstand the rigors of time and weather without fading or cracking. This takes a great deal of expertise in two distinct and rapidly evolving processes: lamination and paint.
Lamination has a longer history in the vinyl window industry than paint. It provides improvements in aesthetics and offers exterior reflective technology for top performance in high-temperature areas. Laminates are available for both interior and exterior applications and can offer homeowners a satisfying solution when looking for a more traditional bronze aluminum exterior or wood-grain interior look.
The latest advancement in the world of colored windows comes in the form of paint. This state-of-the-art technology combines heat reflective coatings with adhesion-promoting additives and oven-baked application to ensure the paint will maintain color and flexibility while preventing peeling, blistering, and flaking.
MI Windows and Doors is one of the nation's largest suppliers of precision-built, energy-efficient vinyl and aluminum windows and sliding glass doors. To learn more about their products and services, please visit www.miwindows.com.
