Thursday, May 19, 2011

Made in USA Matters

While we all purchase products made around the world, and that brings flavor and diversity to life, we must also keep in mind the benefits of buying products that are made here in the United States, and in many cases, very close to home. Our economy depends on it and so does the environment.

The cost of transportation is not just money. Long range shipping uses expensive fossil fuel and takes time. Fuel costs are rising and much of the supply is on foreign soil. The time spent in transit can delay a project. Moreover, if more product or replacement is needed during the project or after, the lead time is often prohibitive.

Woodstone manufacturers wood windows and doors here in New England. Our work force is local people who then spend their money in the local communities, bolstering the local economy. We can use native species of lumber such as cherry and white oak, both very suitable for doors and windows, with good resistance to decay and durability.
Is LEED certification a part of your project? Locality is important. Oak and cherry are grown in the Appalachian forests of the northeast. These sustainable forests not only can provide a nearby raw material but also provide jobs for local workers.

Finally, local service is important.

Salespeople in the region may represent imported products, but then it comes to maintenance and repair, this work may be referred back to the manufacturer. Woodstone’s 20-25-20 year warranty is backed by nearly 35 years of service and our ability to respond to needs on the job site promptly. Our reputation is built on that kind of service.

So when comparing prices, consider a product that is “Made in USA.”
 
For more information about Woodstone, please take a look at our video, or examples from our gallery.
 
 

How is Woodstone different from other window and door companies?

  • Price control, predictable scheduling and upgraded performance are assured with historic replication vs. the unknowns of restoration. We understand these are important issues on any job, but for some jobs, these considerations are essential. Woodstone strives to provide consistent prices and concise specifications to eliminate surprises. Our Timelines schedule tasks so everyone, including our vendors, and you, our customer, know what is required to meet a deadline. 
     
  • Woodstone provides performance, even when matching historic details.
  • Woodstone customers don’t pick from a catalog. We manufacture exactly what is required. Whether we are producing the detailed designs of an architect or reproducing elements of the past, Woodstone does not impose typical manufacturing limitations.
  • Woodstone provides one of the longest limited warranties in the industry; our products are that good… 20 years on the joinery, 25 years on the finish, and 20 years on the insulating glass.

Technology = Service and Value

Nearly three decades ago, Woodstone pioneered the application of CAD-CAM design and fabrication, previously used only in mass-production, to its custom products and virtually created an industry. Our use of proprietary software programs controls every aspect of the design for the hundreds of elements in each window and door. This allows Woodstone to respond quickly to our customers’ needs for fast quotes, no-hassle change orders, and precise production and delivery management. Our business systems were designed around the needs of our customers, to create an emerging business of 21st century products - truly custom window and door manufacturing for historic replications and properties of distinction.


The True Divided Light Advantage

When most manufactures settle for the illusion of individual panes of glass by installing a grill over one large piece of glass (Simulated Divided Lights), Woodstone’s quality standards require True Divided Light construction. A True Divided Light is an individual piece of insulated glass installed and sealed between precisely joined wooden muntins. The advantage of false-grills is ease of manufacturing. True Divided Light fabrication allows the use of specialty glass with less weight, lower maintenance costs and lower cost of ownership. Remember, if a window is ‘maintenance free’, it can’t be maintained.

Woodstone does not compromise on quality or meeting your customization needs. We are the kind of custom manufacturer you should entrust your building project to.


But Where to Find This Insulating Glass?

Folks ask us where do we get the small pieces of insulating glass that we use in our True Divided Light (TDL) wood windows and doors? The answer is that we make them in our own shop. Our skilled fabricators know how to use high quality components to fabricate small, precise units that will last many years. As you can see, we make them in many shapes and sizes. We also make rectangles to fit sash with narrow bars and muntins, some of the thinnest in the business. Every piece in this sash is an individual unit (including the tiny half inch triangles in the upper corners!). That is why Woodstone is known for detail.
We also make our insulating glass for resale to contractors and homeowners who need to repair or replace hard to find pieces for windows in their homes. Our insulating units may be fabricated with a variety of glass types as well. We use clear, tempered, laminated, obscure, antique, tinted, Low-E, and more… virtually any type of glass. Of course there are considerations when it comes to unusual combinations of glass types, but our experienced staff will help you, our customer, determine what is the right glass for your project, taking into consideration the cost, warranty, and use.

See how we make our True Divided Light insulating glass by hand in our special clean room by watching the video on our web site: www.woodstone.com

So before you accept that it just can’t be done, ask Woodstone…



Hope springs eternal. There is life on earth!

Westminster, Vermont February 25, 2011
While the weather has turned back to winter for a while, you must be hibernating if you haven’t noticed signs of spring and economic recovery. After all, everyone has been cautious about new projects and this has been a difficult time for everyone in the construction business.

However, Woodstone continues to serve a special niche of the wooden window, door and millwork business. True Divided Light, Pegged Mortise and Tenon sash and doors. We are members of the New Hampshire Green Building Council and can provide LEED evaluations for your projects, ranging from individual units for landmark projects to new homes and large projects for churches, universities, municipal buildings and other institutions. From CAD engineering, material management and scheduling through production, tailored delivery and follow up, we leave nothing to chance. Our team will continue to work with your team providing personal attention to detail.

True or Simulated … that is the question?

Woodstone provides only True Divided Lite windows & doors. The others don’t.

True or Simulated …   that is the question?

Consider this:
  • If any glass breaks or cracks, only the glass need be replaced with True Divided Lite windows.
  • If the Insulating Glass seal fails, only the damaged piece of glass need be replaced with True Divided Lite window.
  • Restoration and artistic glass is available only with True Divided Lite windows.
  • There is a 20 year limited warranty against seal failure on almost all Woodstone Insulating Glass.

Woodstone fabricates windows and doors that are designed to last longer than the historic windows they typically replace – and some of those windows are more than 100 years old. When our clients invest in architecturally correct, historically accurate, period reproductions, the last thing they want to hear when confronted with a broken piece of glass is that they have to buy an entirely new sash replacement………
glass, wood, finish and all!

Woodstone's commitment to environmental responsibility is made possible by the uniquely flexible nature of our product. Our manufacturing process is virtually waste free. Our lumber is used in energy efficient windows and doors that are designed to last longer than the trees from which the wood is harvested. Program optimization techniques insure that wood waste is reduced to the lowest volumes possible.
Furthermore, all remaining wood waste is processed into fuel that powers our shop more cleanly and efficiently than oil or natural gas. The trees that are harvested and used in our windows and doors have converted more carbon dioxide into oxygen through photosynthesis than is released into the atmosphere through Woodstone's biomass gasification process actually reducing the effect on global warming.
If you are concerned with the depletion of tropical rain forests or our old growth western forests, Woodstone offers a variety of indigenous species including Northeast White Pine, Cherry and White Oak. The flexible use of wood species offers a wide range of beauty, hardness, strength, resistance to decay, economy and sustained availability.
If you have environmental concerns, do not hesitate to request alternatives
 

A New Year

Westminster Vermont       January 12, 2011
A new year is upon us and, in many ways, it seems better than last year already! In spite of the gloomy news, there seems to be a buzz (do I hear skill saws) of new work out there and many are suited to the work Woodstone does. Woodstone is all about custom woodwork. We specialize in made to order doors and windows, but it isn’t all about historic work. Woodstone also makes contemporary windows, even tilt and turn, and in fact, we will build pretty much whatever you need.

Doors and windows, customized to your needs, which allow your designs to stand out from those of your competitors.

Woodstone can match existing elements, such as: wood species; custom glass; finishes; and molding profiles. We can accommodate your dimension requirements, and execute your fenestration plan when a project is just too important for the “off the shelf” look.

We don’t just make awesome wooden windows and doors, we provide products and service backed up by our 20/25/20 Guaranty, the longest and most complete warranty in the industry.

Contact us for any type of associated millwork as well! Custom paneling to match your doors; moldings and trim; pretty much any piece of woodwork you might need. Our estimating department will provide you with a clear, prompt quote.

For more information about Woodstone, please take a look at our
video, or examples from our gallery.
Best wishes for a prosperous New Year!