summer 2013 - Fenestration Association of BC

SUMMER 2013
• Triple play
Vancouver bylaw pushes
triple-pane glazing
• Inside the test lab
Prehangers scramble to
meet NAFS-08
• Re-glazing a high-rise
IGUs replaced after epic fail
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VOLUME 1
NUMBER 2
SUMMER 2013
in this issue...
Features
New windows for old MURBs
Glazing study seeks retrofit solution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Vancouver’s magic number: 1.4
Low U-value challenges window industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Side-hinged doors meet NAFS-08
Options open as prehangers face first test pressure . . . . . . 18
Project profile
Harmony House: glazing boosts performance . . . . . . . . . . 20
Inside the test lab
How doors are tested against the Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Reglazing 18 storeys
IGUs replaced aer epic fail in Vancouver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
On the cover
Natural Balance Home Builders house, Vancouver,
designed by Frits de Vries Architect Ltd. See p. 20
Fenestration West is published quarterly on behalf of the
Fenestration Association of BC (Fen-BC) by Market Assist
Communications Inc.
Association News
Messages from the Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Fenestration West 2013 Conference set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Guidance offered on NAFS labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Fen-BC educational seminars coming up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Fen-BC forms energy issues task groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J. Michael Siddall
604.740.8369 . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frank O’Brien
778.996.2411 . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Art Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paddy Tennant
604.507.2162. . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Assistant to the Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peg Neilon
604.989.3452 . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Industry News
Falling glass spooks safety group
WorkSafeBC urges nets, coordination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Great curtainwall of China
128-storey double-walled atrium a world first . . . . . . . . . . . 6
New glass-sheathed Howe tower
Developer extends curtainwall concept . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Vancouver School Board’s low-cost low-E
Window “paint” touted as cheap route to
energy savings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
‘Glass circles’ explained. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
NAFS enforcement delayed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Island construction sees upli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Window and door sales to increase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Win-Door trade show expects 2,800. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
ASHRAE drops bid to cut glass-to-wall ratio;
GANA, industry force a rethink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Fen-BC Executive Director. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Zana Gordon
604.855.0245. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Editorial Consultants
Terry Adamson . . . . . . . . . . . . Westeck Windows Mfg Inc.
604.792.6700. . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Debra Dotschkat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GC Glass Canada Inc.
250.454.9923 . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Al Jaugelis . . . . . . . . . . . . . RDH Building Engineering Ltd.
604.873.1181 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Leonard Pianalto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RJC
604.738.0048 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Katie Wilkinson . . . . . . . Stella Custom Glass Hardware Inc
604.231.5892 . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Contributing Writers
Debra Dotschkat • Al Jaugelis • Robert Smithson
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Columns
Legal View
Robert Smithson: When is a contractor an employee? . . . 28
Tech Corner
Al Jaugelis: NAFS updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
While information contained in this publication has been compiled
from sources deemed to be reliable, neither the publisher nor the
Fenestration Association of BC (Fen-BC) will be held liable for errors
or omissions. The opinions expressed in the editorial and
advertisements are not necessarily those of the publisher or Fen-BC.
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FENESTRATION WEST / Summer 2013
3
WorkSafe
warns of
falling
glass
workers don’t endanger
another contractor’s
workers.”
On high-rises, for
example, ironworkers
erecting steel shouldn’t be
working above a window
glazier working on a
swing stage.
Under Section 20.9 of
the Occupational Health
and Safety Regulation,
warning signs should be
prominently posted to
indicate the risk of
overhead work. And areas
below need to be properly
barricaded or guarded to
prevent workers from
entering the danger area.
By Gord Woodward
Over the last five years,
WorkSafeBC processed
nearly 11,000 time-loss
claims under the
Work crews swing glazed
unitized curtain wall
classification ‘struck by
panels into place for
falling object’; more than
new condominium
tower on Main Street
200 of these incidents were
in Vancouver East.
related to construction
Photo: Larry O’Brien
materials or other objects
and are likely associated
with falling objects or
Canopies
debris.
In addition, protective
e consequences can
canopies
must be
be tragic, as the close calls
installed over that danger
so clearly demonstrate.
area, or adequate catch
Last October, several
platforms or nets must be
workers narrowly escaped
provided to stop materials
death when a 90-kg pane
from falling into areas
of glass fell from a
accessible by workers.
downtown Vancouver
And temporary
condo tower under
washrooms, offices, and
construction. e
similar structures must be
windowpane landed onto
located in areas where no
the cab of an occupied
one has the potential for
parked truck, and bounced
being hit by falling
onto another vehicle, nearly
materials.
striking two other workers.
If protective canopies
they are less likely
Miraculously, no one was hurt. But the
are used, they must be
to fall or get blown over.
circumstances were far too close for
designed to safely support all reasonable
Second, ensure tools and equipment are
comfort.
loads, in no case less than 2.4 kPa (50
secured by using tethered lanyards or
“Objects and materials fall from
pounds per square foot.)
rope – even, if possible, while these items
buildings all the time,” says Ron
Grant McMillan, president of the
are in use.
Morehouse, a WorkSafeBC occupational
Council of Construction Associations, says
And third, pay
safety officer who deals
falling debris is a significant concern for his
attention to debris. Keep
full-time with high-rise
Workers narrowly
association’s 2,200 members, about 70
the jobsite clean
and other large
escaped death when a
percent of whom are trades firms. When
throughout the workday.
commercial construction
90-kg
pane
of
glass
fell
incidents happen, they not only have the
Housekeeping should be
sites in downtown
from a downtown
potential to hurt people, but oen draw
well maintained, so
Vancouver. “It’s a major
media coverage, “and that paints all
Vancouver condo tower.
nothing can be
safety issue, and a big
contractors with a pretty negative brush.”
inadvertently kicked off
concern.”
BCCSA executive director Mike
the building.
To protect workers, employers should
McKenna cautions employers about the
“Always plan for the worst-case
practice what WorkSafeBC construction
high cost of failing to plan ahead and use all
scenario,” Schouten says.
industry manager Don Schouten calls a
necessary means to protect workers against
Coordination
“three-pronged safety approach.”
the dangers of falling debris.
Jeff Lyth, a safety advisor with the BC
First and foremost, develop and
ey could face lawsuits, repair bills, an
Construction Safety Association (BCCSA),
coordinate work procedures among all
increase in WorkSafeBC premiums, and
encourages contractors and employees to
contractors involved for securing tools,
worst of all, a devastating worker injury.
carefully plan and coordinate the work to
materials, and equipment. e key is to
“How much is it going to cost you — and
prevent objects from falling, and to issue
prevent these items from falling off the
ultimately your workers — if something
daily reminders about potential hazards.
building when workers are working at the
goes wrong?” n
“e prime contractor needs to
perimeter edge. Plan where materials will
Article courtesy WorkSafeBC and Worksafe magazine.
coordinate work duties, so one contractor’s
be placed, stacked, and stored on site, so
“
”
4
FENESTRATION WEST / Summer 2013
Enjoy the
summer,
prepare for
busy fall
Fen-BC has posted great photos through
Flickr that can be viewed at
www.fen-bc.org.
Many of us have been fielding calls on
the new code requirements, so educating
the industry is still a top priority for us. In
early September we will be hosting a
training/information session for
prehangers to help guide them through the
testing/labeling process.
Hoping your summer is full of fun, sun
and profit!
– Debra Dotschkat,
GC Glass Canada;
Chair, Fenestration Association of BC n
I hope I am
speaking for the
entire board when
I say that while we
love serving our
industry we are all
Debra Dotschkat, Chair,
happy
to arrive at
Fenestration Association of BC
the summer break.
Although we will not be meeting over the
summer there is always lots of work to do
to prepare for the fall and our
new year starting in October.
New skills, workers
Mark your calendars for
needed in changing
October 22, 2013 Fen-BC’s
industry
AGM, then the next day
I “celebrated” 28 years in the
October 23, for our one-day
window business a couple of
industry conference at the Delta
days ago. is week is always a
Hotel in Burnaby.
time of reflection on my time in
e conference topics and
this industry. As a young guy
speakers have been selected and
looking for his path in life I
it promises to be a very
certainly did not consider a life
informative day.
Terry Adamson
in
fenestration as my ultimate
Not sure how our executive
Vice-Chair, Residential
goal. I thought for sure a race
director Zana Gordon does it
car driver, astronaut, and tornado chaser.
every year but once again we had a
Perhaps, an action movie star. Twenty-eight
beautiful warm, sunny day for our Annual
years later I have accepted that none of
Golf Tournament on May 16th. e golf
these are likely to come to fruition, or pay
committee came up with some great ideas
the bills.
for games and prizes such as “Beat the Pro”
We all hope to do something we enjoy,
and the wine give-away. We thank them for
and hopefully it will also provide food and
all their hard work! New signage was done
a roof, and maybe some extras. In the 70s
for all our sponsors and it was very
and 80s many of us still carried the belief
impressive to see their names on the tall
feather signs. I for one look forward to next that you get into an industry and stick with
it; that was the road to success. Westeck has
year’s event – I will be Beating the Pro!
FENESTRATION WEST / Summer 2013
many employees that have been with us for
a long time, so I guess this philosophy
holds true.
But there is a new breed of worker
entering the industry, and we need to find
ways to capture and motivate them.
Fenestration is going through significant
changes. Design and complexity are
becoming the new normal.
e new fenestration worker will require
skills far beyond anything we could have
imagined back when I started. e Fen-BC
Glazier Training School in Langley is
already doing great work training Red Seal
Glaziers, with classes in session right now.
e Fen-BC Education Committee is
working on enhancing the programming
available with renovation installation
programs, as well as improved new
construction residential install programs.
We are also developing a speakers’ program
to bring industry experts in to do one-day
seminars to help develop skills crucial for
today’s new workers.
Fenestration has been an enjoyable
career for me, and I would expect when
you think about it, yours has been a pretty
good ride too. In the next decade, as many
of us old guys (and gals) ride off into the
sunset, we need to encourage and train the
new fenestration workers so they too can
make our industry great. Share your
knowledge as well as the good times you’ve
had with the young people entering our
industry. Let them know fenestration can
be a good career path.
– Terry Adamson,
Westeck Windows & Doors;
Vice-Chair, Residential,
Fenestration Association of BC n
5
China dual curtain wall
reveals folly, deep pockets
An innovative double curtain
wall that will wrap the entire
exterior of a 121-storey
high-rise in Shanghai, China,
reveals both the deep pockets
and, some say, the folly of
China’s building boom.
the inner one is circular. e
space between them forms
soaring atriums that will house
landscaped public gardens at
regular intervals throughout the
building.
“It doesn’t make any sense,
energy wise,” said
Wayne Smithies,
former president
of the Building
Owners and
Managers
Association of BC,
following a tour of
Shanghai earlier
this year. Smithies
noted that the
space between the
inner and outer
layers provides no
insulation. “is is
not dead air,” he
said.
However,
Smithies added
that the daring
design is typical in
urban China,
where the
emphasis is
building fast and
leasing or selling
commercial space,
not on long-term
building
Left: 121-storey Shanghai Tower – second tallest building in the
performance.
world – will be wrapped by dual curtain walls. Inset: tower rendered
into the Lujiazui zone, Shanghai’s financial district.
e Shanghai
Photos: Shanghai Tower Construction & Development Company
Tower group
Shanghai Tower is now being defends the dual curtain wall
design, noting that both the
built as the tallest building in
inner and outer wall have a
the roaring Lujiazui zone in
“spectrally selective” low-E
Shanghai – and the second
coating. As well, the outer wall
highest in the world – by a
has fritted glass to provide
consortium made up of a
sunshading. “e continuous
government-based developer, a
glass skin admits the maximum
public landowner and a
amount of daylight into the
construction group. At 632
atriums, reducing the need for
metres, it is twice the height of
artificial light,” the developer
Vancouver’s Shangri La Hotel,
adds.
the tallest in the city.
e LEED-gold tower will be
According to Shanghai
the signature super high-rise in
Tower Construction &
the Lujiazui zone, where rapid
Development Company, the
construction has turned former
design incorporates two
farmland into an international
independent curtain walls. e
financial centre in 20 years. n
outer skin is cam-shaped while
6
FENESTRATION WEST / Summer 2013
New Howe tower
sheathed in glass
CEI Architecture designed the 14-storey glass-sheathed tower
being built at 980 Howe Street. Photo: CEI Architecture
Manulife Financial has begun
construction of a $70 million office and
retail tower at 980 Howe Street that will
feature extensive glass sheathing.
e project, designed by CEI
Architecture with Endall Elliot
Associates, will include 14 storeys of
office space over street level retail.
Building amenities include
floor-to-ceiling glazing on the exterior
walls of all office floors. Inside,
floor-to-floor glass will incorporate
high performance glazing in
conjunction with high efficiency
mechanical heating and cooling and
electrical systems. ere is also a
glass-walled penthouse that opens onto
a rooop terrace. e tower is to
complete in 2015.
is 270,000 square-foot building
increases the amount of new office
space under construction in downtown
Vancouver, in a total of five buildings,
to 1.4 million square feet, excluding the
conversion of the former Sears store on
Granville Street. n
FENESTRATION WEST / Summer 2013
7
The Vancouver School Board is “painting” windows at eight
schools with a clear coating meant to reduce energy loss.
Photo: Cascadia Ecohomes Ltd.
onto both residential and commercial
windows, a practice widespread
in parts of Asia.
“is product doubles the energy
efficiency of regular glass by keeping the
heat inside in winter and preventing heat
from entering in summer,” according to
Yoshitake.
AAMA looking at it
Vancouver School Board
tests “paint-on” window film
he Vancouver School Board (VSB) is
painting windows and skylights with a
special “nano-technology” solution in an
effort to reduce energy use, but industry
experts say evidence is inconclusive on
whether the coatings actually work.
Under a $268,000 budget, part of the
VSB’s Carbon Neutral Capital Program, the
window coating has been applied at three
elementary schools, and five more schools
will have their windows painted this
summer, said Bryan Miller, construction
supervisor for the Vancouver School Board.
e “Hot Guard’ transparent coating,
developed in Japan, is being sourced
through Richmond-based Cascadia
Ecohomes Ltd.
Matthew Yoshitake, president of
Cascadia, says the coating could reduce
heat loss through single-pane windows at a
fraction of the cost of installing
double-pane windows. He said a VSB pilot
program, completed in 2011, showed a 15
percent reduction in energy loss at schools
where the coating was applied.
“is retrofit solution is ideal for older
schools that have significant glazing and
can benefit from a simple solution to
improve occupant comfort, while reducing
their carbon footprint,” according to
Yoshitake. He explained the solution, which
dries clear, is “an advancement in
nano-technology.”
Millar said “the plan is to monitor our
natural gas consumption at the eight
schools over the next two years in order to
T
8
determine the effectiveness of the coating.”
e coating can only be applied during
non-school days.
“It stinks,” Miller, said. “You couldn’t
have students around when it is being
applied.” e smell ends when the coating
dries and, according to Cascadia, there is
no VOC offgassing.
Cascadia has also painted the coating
“I am a bit skeptical at this point,” said
Al Jaugelis, fenestration specialist at RDH
Building Engineering Ltd., and technical
director of the Fenestration Association of
BC. Still, he noted the concept has perked
the interest of the American Architectural
Manufacturers Association (AAMA.)
“AAMA has a task group studying the
claims and properties of these paint-on
coatings which may lead to a standards
document if they are found to be effective
to reduce heat buildup or heat transmission
through window frames,” Jaugelis said. “I
Paint-on window coatings are widely used in Japan, shown here being used to coat skylights in a large commercial building.
FENESTRATION WEST / Summer 2013
recently attended a meeting of this task group. So far the research
has been inconclusive.”
It appears to be a legitimate technology in principle, in that it is
possible to add coating particles that have some degree of heat
reflectivity, Jaugelis said. Such coatings are used in opaque paint to
reduce solar heat gain for example, he added.
“But that alone is not enough to measurably improve the
thermal performance of a window that was never thermally
efficient to begin with. On single pane glass the improvements of
such coatings are less dramatic than they would be within a dual
pane glass unit, and in older windows much of the heat loss is
through the frame. A minor improvement in winter glass
performance is typically insignificant when compared to the large
amount of heat lost through aluminum window frames.”
It appears that the Vancouver School Board could prove a
revealing pilot study into whether window performance can be
improved with a paintbrush. n
Fenestration West 2013
Conference set
e Fenestration Association of BC (Fen-BC) is gearing up for the
second annual Fenestration West conference, which will be held
October 23, 2013 at the Delta Hotel, Burnaby.
Fenestration West is tightly focused as an educational and
networking event for window and door manufacturers, commercial
glaziers, installers, architects, engineers and designers, spec writers,
commercial and residential construction contractors and building
owners.
With all the changes taking place in the industry today,
including new building regulations, new fenestration technologies
and a robust construction environment, a packed house is
expected.
e conference will include sessions on:
• Glass innovations you used to dream about are now a reality: an
update on the latest materials and systems;
• Specifying the energy performance of glazing products in BC;
• Acoustic performance of windows;
• e key to predicting the effects and practical considerations of
thermal bridging for building assemblies; and
• Building the water-tight side hinge door, hardware performance
lessons learned.
All of these sessions are recognized by the Architectural Institute
of BC and qualify for AIBC credits.
ere are also opportunities for table top displays and for
individual sponsorships. To register, or for more information,
contact Fen-BC’s Executive Director, Zana Gordon at
[email protected] or 604.855.0245. n
FENESTRATION WEST / Summer 2013
9
Solar radiation passing through glazing was measured with pyranometers installed behind the fixed
glazed portion of the windows.
Outdoor solar radiation was measured with an identical pyranometer outside windows refitted with
high solar gain (HSG) low-E glazing.
New windows for older MURBs
Aging apartments and condos
benefit from reglazing
A glazing replacement project in Canada’s
capital may provide guidance as the City of
Vancouver and backers attempt to upgrade
the energy efficiency of that city’s aging
inventory of apartment buildings.
e majority of multiple-unit residential
buildings (MURBs) in Vancouver are more
than 50 years old. Many condominium
buildings are pushing a quarter century and
both types of housing face a dilemma: how
to assure they remain energy-efficient and
comfortable.
A pilot program is being launched this
year to get some answers. Under the
RetrofitBC banner, the project is
sponsored by the BC
Sustainable Energy
Association, with
backing from BC
Hydro, the
City of
10
Vancouver, Vancity Credit Union and other
sponsors. e pilot will initially cover 15
MURBs with a goal of helping building and
condo owners through the retrofit process,
securing financing and incentives and
establishing contracts with companies that
will undertake the retrofit work.
Capital glazing research study
In Ottawa, researchers were attempting
to see how changing the solar
gain of windows in older
apartment buildings
could affect energy
savings and
FENESTRATION WEST / Summer 2013
resident comfort.
e study was carried out in three
apartments in an occupied building.
Canada Mortgage and Housing
Corporation (CMHC) through its External
Research Program (ERP) and Natural
Resources Canada (NRCan) provided
funding.
Morrison Hershfield Ltd. completed the
research work, under the guidance of
building science specialist George Torok.
ree identical southeast-facing
apartments in the same building were fitted
with equipment to monitor indoor air
temperature and relative humidity and
solar radiation at the exterior of the
building and through window glazing.
One Control apartment was le
as-is with the existing,
uncoated glazing;
one was
Graphs show outdoor solar radiation and two measurements of
solar radiation received indoors through the Control, HSG (high
solar gain) and LSG ( low solar gain) low-E glazing, measuring
hourly and daily solar radiation. Hourly maximum solar radiation
changed little from winter to spring but fell by about half from
spring to summer. Research photos and graphics courtesy of
Morrison Hershfield Ltd.
refitted with high solar gain (HSG) low-E
glazing; and one was refitted with low solar
gain (LSG) low-E glazing.
At the end of the one-year monitoring
period, data and observations in the HSG
and LSG apartments were compared to the
Control apartment to determine what
effects, if any, the HSG and LSG low-E
glazing had on resident thermal comfort
and energy use.
Each apartment was outfitted with data
loggers to measure indoor air temperature
and relative humidity. Solar radiation
passing through the Control, HSG and LSG
low-E glazings was measured with
pyranometers installed behind the fixed
glazed portion of the bedroom windows.
Outdoor solar radiation was measured with
an identical pyranometer outside the HSG
apartment.
Indoor and outdoor pyranometers were
wired to data loggers that were monitored
monthly and the data downloaded.
[Editor’s note: for the purpose of this
report, we concentrated only on the spring,
summer and fall findings, due to the
divergent winter climates in Ottawa and
Vancouver.)
e apartments are heated with hot
water baseboard radiators, controlled by
the residents. e HSG apartment also had
a through-window air conditioner.
Seasonal variations in comfort
During the spring period the residents of
the Control apartment sometimes found it
“stuffy” indoors while the resident of the
LSG apartment reported comfortable
conditions, better than the previous year.
e resident of the HSG apartment
reported conditions were cool to
comfortable. ermostat settings were
reduced from maximum to minimum in
the LSG and HSG apartments (the building
space heating system was shut down in the
middle of May). In the Control apartment,
thermostats were set to minimum
throughout this period. In all apartments,
doors and/or windows were oen found
open when the heating system was
operating, and later during hot, humid
summer weather.
In the summer, residents of the Control
FENESTRATION WEST / Summer 2013
and LSG apartments reported
uncomfortably warm indoor conditions
until weather became cooler into
September. e resident of the HSG
apartment was usually comfortable,
although occasionally, the air conditioner
was used.
All residents advised there was no
appreciable change compared to the
previous summer, before the study began.
Solar radiation effects
In the spring, solar radiation penetration
into the apartments was highest. Space
heating usage was also higher in the LSG
and HSG apartments. “Stuffy” conditions
were reported in the Control apartment
with improved conditions noted in the LSG
apartment. is suggests that too much
solar energy can contribute to discomfort,
but that some solar energy is beneficial for
reducing building space heating
requirements.
11
radiation in the test apartments peaking
before noon. e orientation of the
building meant that in the early morning
and late aernoon and evening there are
periods of low, indirect solar radiation.
ese periods of indirect radiation add to
the total heat load in the apartment but are
little affected by HSG or LSG low-E
coatings.
Conclusion
Decreased solar radiation received
through HSG and LSG low-E glazing
corresponds to increased use of space
heating, indicating that solar radiation can
contribute to heating of the space. However,
higher levels of solar radiation can cause
discomfort, such as experienced in the
Control and HSG apartments in the fall
and spring.
In apartments with sunny exposures the
use of LSG low-E glazing can be beneficial
for resident comfort. In spring and summer
however, loss of solar gain results in
increased space heating consumption.
The apartments are heated with hot water baseboard radiators, controlled by the residents. The HSG apartment, shown here, also had a
When replacing windows it is advisable to
through-window air conditioner.
consider including heat-loss reducing
features such as triple glazing, argon gas fill
horizon) and azimuth (horizontal angle
All residents reported discomfort in the
and warm-edge spacers in sealed,
measured from south) of the sun changes
summer when solar radiation penetration
insulating glass units. is would offset loss
from sunrise to sunset. In addition, as the
into the apartments is much lower. is
of solar gain in winter when using LSG
suggests that in the summer, solar heat gain number of daylight hours increases from
low-E coated glass.
spring to summer, so too does azimuth.
contributes much less to resident comfort
ermally-efficient
or discomfort.
frame materials and
Seasonal variations in solar radiation
fewer intermediate
received in the test apartments can be
frame members would
traced to differences in solar radiation
further help reduce
transmission, reflection and absorption
heat loss.
characteristics of the window glass, HSG
Although SHGC and
and LSG low-E coatings.
solar heat gain in the
test apartments is
lowest in the summer,
It is advisable to consider
residents reported
heat-loss reducing features
discomfort, especially
such as triple glazing,
in
the Control and LSG
argon gas fill and
apartments in which
warm-edge spacers in
there was no air
sealed, insulating glass units
conditioning. Direct
Many of Vancouver’s multi-unit residential buildings are 40 to 50 years old and the
solar radiation likely
focus of energy retrofits, including window replacement. Photo: City of Vancouver
contributed to some of
e combined effect of these
that discomfort, but in the context of
ese daily and seasonal changes
characteristics is known as the Solar Heat
MURBs, adding LSG low-E glazing appears
combine in a rock-paper-scissors game:
Gain Coefficient (SHGC) which ranges
to have little effect in improving summer
from spring to summer, altitude and
from 1, when all solar energy striking a
thermal comfort. Other measures that
azimuth increase reducing angle of
window is transmitted, to 0 when no direct
more aggressively reduce SHGC solar heat
solar energy is transmitted (that is, the sun’s incidence and SHGC (and therefore solar
rays are parallel to the glass surface, with an penetration into apartments) but increasing gain may be more effective such as tinted
glass or dynamic glass in the outboard pane
daylight hours offsets the loss until about
angle of incidence of 90˚). e relationship
and/or outdoor shading devices.
60˚ angle of incidence, aer which SHGC
between angle of incidence and SHGC is
For information on Vancouver’s MURB
not linear, with little decrease in SHGC
decreases rapidly.
Retrofit pilot program, visit www.bcsea.org.
from 0˚ to about 50˚ then a rapid decrease
Solar radiation gain is also affected by
For further information on the CMHC
to zero at 90˚ angle of incidence.
building shape and orientation. e study
research study, contact
building faces about 31˚ east of south,
Angle of incidence and SHGC varies as
[email protected]. n
which translates to maximum solar
the altitude (vertical angle above the
“
”
12
FENESTRATION WEST / Summer 2013
Fen-BC educational seminars coming up
FENESTRATIONINNOVATIONEXPERTS
g.c
om
6
04
-5 3
0 -6
61
1
Engineeringforcommercialand
residen-alglazing
LicensedinbothCanadaandUSA
NFRCcer-fiedthermalmodeling
Innova-vesolu-onsfor
glazingapplica-ons
l-n
In late April the BC Codes Centre issued revisions 4 and 5 to the
2012 BC Building Code. Revision 4 delayed the effective date for
Part 9 compliance to the new NAFS standard for windows, doors
and skylights to December 19,
2013. Products installed prior
to that date may comply with
either the 2006 code or the
2012 code which introduced
NAFS. is delay does not
affect NAFS enforcement for
other buildings.
Revision 5 introduced new
energy performance
requirements that affect
windows, doors and skylights for Part 3 buildings that will affect
building permits issued aer December 19, 2014. “While this
seems like a long way off, it is not too soon for the industry to take
notice,” notes Al Jaugelis, technical consultant to Fen-BC.
e Revision 5 amendment also adopts the 2011 National
Energy Code for Buildings and will affect Part 3 buildings,
providing commercial and high rise building designers with
another energy compliance path in addition to the ASHRAE 90.1
standard. For small buildings, a new section 9.36 introduces new
energy requirements for Part 9 buildings, including windows and
doors. n
Manufacturers testing their products to the new NAFS-08 standard
should be aware that temporary label guidelines are coming, notes
Al Jaugelis, technical consultant to the Fenestration Association of
BC (Fen-BC).
While the NAFS Canadian Supplement spells out the
performance information that needs to appear on the
non-permanent (“temporary”) labels, there is additional
information that needs to appear on these labels for them to be
useful for code compliance. Labels need to be easily identifiable to
building officials, identify the standards by which the performance
ratings are obtained, and should contain additional information
such as the name of the manufacturer as well as a description of
the product line or series and the model number.
A Fen-BC task group is working with Fenestration Canada to
prepare a label reference document for code officials and hopes to
provide guidance by this fall. n
nsu
NAFS enforcement delayed
Guidance offered on NAFS labels
tonc
o
Garibaldi Glass of
Burnaby has solved the mystery of
phantom circles that sometimes appear on
glass and are an industry-wide phenomenon.
As Garibaldi explains in a report, “like
crop circles, they mysteriously appear and
disappear and many people are unsure of where
they come from or how they are made.”
e 2-3-inch circles oen become visible in specific angles of
sunlight or aer a rain, or on fogged shower glass or mirrors. ey
are caused, Garibaldi confirms, by the use of suction cups that are
used to move glass during the manufacturing process. Although
the suction cups are made of a very so rubber-like material, they
can abrade the glass surface on a microscopic level.
Applying a very mild abrasive such as cerium oxide onto a wet,
clean rag and rubbing the effected area vigorously can usually
remove the circles. n
e Fenestration Association of BC is offering a series of full-day
educational sessions and members are urged to register. All
sessions will be presented at the Fen-BC
training facility at Unit #101,
20351 Duncan Way in Langley.
• How to be a Better Foreman
December 10, 8:00am - 4:00pm
• Negotiating Skills
December 17, 8:00am - 4:00pm
• Hazard Recognition and Control
December 19, 8:00am - 4:00pm n
www.lay
“Glass
circles”
mystery
solved
FENESTRATION WEST / Summer 2013
GLAZING,CLADDING
ANDSPECIALTY
STRUCTURALENGINEERING
13
Reaching for 1.4
Vancouver’s new
Building Bylaw could
make triple-pane
glazing the norm
the 2012 British Columbia
Building Code (BCBC) as the
base document.
e bylaw is still in dra
form and is not likely to be
By Dermot Mack
approved by city council until
late this year, and wouldn’t
e City of Vancouver
come into effect until early in
Building Bylaw is separate
2014, said Will Johnston, the
from the BC Building Code in
city’s chief building official and
recognition that the city hosts
director of the licensing and
about 25 percent of total
inspections department.
provincial construction. In
ere have
May of this year,
already been four
for example, the
The city’s goal rounds of pubic
city accounted for
and industry
$208 million of
is to improve
consultation
on
BC’s $827 million
the energy
the
bylaw
and
in building
performance of all
permit values.
existing buildings Johnston expects a
dra to be released
As the city
by 20 percent
for further input
ushers in its 2013
by 2020.
by this fall. “e
Vancouver
first opportunity
Building Bylaw,
for
it
to
go
to
Council would
underscored by the stated
desire to become the “greenest be the first week of October.”
Johnston said the dra of
city” in Canada within seven
years, the fenestration industry the bylaw will be circulated to
industry and other
needs to take note.
stakeholders at least a month
City green building
before it is presented to
program manager Mark
council.
Hartman made Vancouver’s
Window performance
position clear at the national
ere are some aspects of
conference of the Canadian
the bylaw that are expected,
Green Building Council this
spring. He said the city’s goal is such as reference to the North
American Fenestration
to improve the energy
Standard and the Canadian
performance of all existing
Supplement, as in the BCBC.
buildings by 20 percent by
However, city code officials are
2020.
Hartman said the proposed also pushing for dramatically
lower fenestration U-values for
bylaw standard to be brought
one and two family homes,
forward to the city’s council
down to 1.4 W/m2-K,
for adoption this fall will
compared to the current level
reference the ASHRAE 90
2010 standard for medium and of 2.0 W/m2-K under the BC
Energy Efficiency Act, the
high rise buildings, which is
current energy requirement
projected to result in a 15
for Vancouver. Many say the
percent improvement in
1.4 U-value could mean big
energy use compared to the
2007 version. e city, though, changes to Vancouver’s
window industry. A study
has already been encouraging
done by RDH Building
new building design to meet
Engineering shows that of all
the 2010 ASHRAE standard,
the residential windows in the
he said.
Energy Star Canada data base,
In discussions with
less than 1 percent of
Fenestration West magazine,
double-pane windows had a
city building officials say the
U-value of 1.4, while 90
new bylaw will reference both
percent of triple-paned
the 2010 National Building
windows had ratings of 1.4 or
Code of Canada (NBC) and
“
”
14
lower.
Kevin Saito, fenestration testing
manager for Quality Auditing
Institute in Coquitlam, said the
lower U-value would mean a push
towards triple-glazing in
Vancouver. “If [most] window
manufacturers don’t look at adding
FENESTRATION WEST / Summer 2013
some additional glass options or
changing their profiles, they won’t
be able to reach the 1.4 U-value and
won’t be able to sell windows within
Vancouver. Triple-glazing is the
most efficient way of getting down
to that level.”
Johnston confirmed that the new
The Vancouver Building Bylaw will require better performing
windows and wider doorways on new homes and renovations when
it comes into effect next year. Shown is an award-winning Vancouver
house by Natural Balance Home Builders, designed by Frits de Vries
Architects Ltd., that sports triple-glazed windows and most other
energy features that would be required under the new bylaw.
Photo: Frits de Vries Architects Ltd.
bylaw will be in effect for all new residential
construction, and for “substantial
renovations.” If window or doors were being
replaced, they would have to conform to the
new Building Bylaw.
Wider doors, levers
e new city bylaw will also require that
new residential construction is adaptable for
disabled persons. For the fenestration
industry, this will mean wider doors for
wheelchair accessibility, lever handles and
flush thresholds for exterior doors. “ese
are easy to do at the time of construction and
will enable homes to be adapted to persons
with disabilities or aging in place,” Johnston
explained. ese requirements would apply
FENESTRATION WEST / Summer 2013
to all housing types, he said, and have been
common in new condominium construction
for some time.
Despite what appears to be a ra of new
regulations, Johnston said the city has no
plans to hire more building inspectors. “e
inspection staff we have can handle the
changes that are coming.” n
15
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kind of performance that allows us to offer the industry’s only comprehensive 20-year factory warranty. Finally,
depending on the Cardinal low-e options you select, you can achieve center of glass U-Factors as low as 0.14 and
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contact your Cardinal sales rep. Or visit cardinalcorp.com.
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ENHANCED PERFORMANCE GLASS
Consultant Murray Frank explains the new –and confusing – North American Fenestration Standard
to a packed house in Vancouver. Notes Frank: “Any doors, windows or skylights installed after
December 20 of this year must be in conformance.” Photo: Fenestration West
A DS Group side-hinged door prepared for testing at the Intertek testing lab in Coquitlam.
A new ‘fabricator certification’ program may allow door prehangers to avoid expensive testing.
Photo: DS Group
Options open as prehangers
scramble to get doors tested
for the first time
much this whole thing is going to cost me.”
He is not alone.
Testing labs estimate that up to 75
percent of BC’s 85 door prehangers have
By Frank O’Brien
yet to get product tested to NAFS-08. is
is one of the reasons why a Part 9 code
British Columbia is the first jurisdiction in
requirement that was to kick in this
Canada to enforce the North American
February has been
Fenestration Standard
extended twice – first to
(NAFS) for side-hinge
If you’ve got a
July 2 and then recently to
doors. And, of course in
our wacky regulated
warehouse full of windows December 20, 2013.
Code has teeth
world, this challenge is
and doors that aren’t
But the new BC
compounded by some
[NAFS-08 conforming] you
Building Code will have
confusing code language
have to get them into
teeth, cautions consultant
that still awaits formal
projects right now.
Murray Frank, owner of
clarification.
Constructive Home
As well, there is a series
Solutions Inc.
of exemptions. For example, some doors to
“Any doors, windows or skylights
a building may only require a limited water
installed aer December 20 of this year
rating, “if they can be shown to be
must be in conformance,” Frank told a
protected from significant exposure to rain
packed meeting in Vancouver as he ended a
penetration by means of an overhang.”
Further, site-built doors are exempted from cross-province speaking tour on the topic.
is is unlike previous code requirements
NAFS-08 for Part 9 (small residential)
buildings. Folding exterior doors, a product that related to the date the building permit
was issued, he noted.
type gaining popularity, are not addressed
“If you’ve got a warehouse full of
in the NAFS standard (though they can be
windows and doors that aren’t [NAFS-08
tested and rated as ‘special products’).
conforming] you have to get them into
“It is crazy confusing,” one door maker
projects right now.”
told Fenestration West magazine. “I still
According to Frank, for non-NAFS
don’t know which doors to test or how
“
”
18
FENESTRATION WEST / Summer 2013
windows or doors installed aer the
deadline, the building inspector and the
builder really have only two choices: either
take the exact product to a test lab and pray
it passes, or have them all taken out.
“And where are they going to sell these
doors and windows?” Frank asked,
explaining there will be no legal market in
BC, at least, for products that do not meet
the new standard.
is partly explains the note of panic
rippling through the entry door industry,
which has historically been exempt from
testing.
Leading BC door manufacturers,
including Westeck Windows & Doors of
Chilliwack, and Centra, headquartered in
Langley, already have door products that
meet the new NAFS standard, but there are
many other manufacturers<None> that
aren’t sure.
Component testing
It costs about $2,000 to have a single
door tested, but door fabricator and
component manufacturer DS Group
believes there could be a simpler, less
expensive route to reach NAFS-08
compliance.
Chris Kamensek, president and owner of
DS Group, notes that many door
fabricators or prehangers are new to testing
Intertek’s Licensed Fabricator Program
A first in North America, this program
uses certified component selection to
allow door fabricators to meet NAFS-08.
Here is how it works, according to
Intertek:
“e purpose of the certification
program is to allow Canadian side-hinge
door manufacturers to license out their
tested and certified door assemblies to
fellow fabricators under a licensed
fabricator program.
“Under this program, a licensed
fabricator will have the ability to build a
side-hinge door system that was licensed
from a certified manufacturer. e door
and some are out of the legislative loop.
“ey may not be members of the
Fenestration Association and don’t keep up
with the regulations,” he said.
For such door makers, NAFS-08 has
been a shock out of the blue.
Last year, as comprehension of what was
coming began to sink in, Kamensek
approached Intertek, BC’s largest
fenestration testing company, with a
proposal. What if manufacturers of door
components – from slabs to sills – could
have their products tested and approved to
NAFS-08. en, Kamensek explained, a
door pre-hanger could simply license the
right to use the tested design.
Kamensek soon had some of the largest
door component players on side.
“A licensed prehanger can buy these
components on the [certified] list and
build an entry system that will meet
NAFS-08. is is the first time this has ever
been done.”
e prehanger would pay a monthly fee
to Intertek for quarterly inspections to
assure the product complies with NAFS-08.
Intertek, an international company, has
run with the idea and moved the concept
up a notch. is spring, Intertek’s
Coquitlam lab received approval from its
U.S. head office to roll out the Licensed
Fabricator Program for NAFS-08
side-hinge doors.
assembly that is being fabricated has to be
identical to what was licensed to the
fabricator. All components, methods and
size restrictions that are outlined in the
door machining specifications listing
must be followed identically by the
fabricator.
“If a fabricator wants to use alternative
components or change the door in any
way that would deviate from the listing,
an engineering evaluation process would
need to be undertaken by the
manufacturer and Intertek before any
changes could be made. Intertek will
conduct quarterly inspections at the
fabricator’s facility to ensure the program
is being followed correctly.
“Labels will be purchased through an
Intertek approved local printer and follow
the label guidelines outlined in the
NAFS-08 standard. e label will show
compliance under the licensed fabricator
program and display the Warnock Hersey
certification mark.”
e program requires a one-time
set-up fee of $100 and then monthly fees
of $165 paid to Intertek. Current clients
in Intertek’s inspection certification
program can roll into the program at no
cost, aside from the purchase of labels. n
component plan is a winner. Centra
Business Development Manager Anton
Van Dyk said that, even using the same
components, individual door fabricators
who haven’t had their handiwork tested
may not realize that it takes more than
parts and instructions to build a
water-tight door.
But Intertek notes that regular facility
inspections could ensure that doors will
comply fully with the NAFS standard.
Meanwhile, scores of door makers are
preparing to take part in what is really a
North American industry first as the
manufacturers and fabricators are charged
with delivering the best doors on the
continent. Eventually, all of Canada will
learn – and follow – from BC’s experience.
“Everyone is watching BC,” said Murray
Frank. “We’re a bit like guinea pigs here.” n
Low or no test costs
“ere is little or no testing costs to be
incurred by the licensed fabricator while
under this program,” explained Jeff
Muersing, account manager, building
products, with Intertek’s Coquitlam office.
(See sidebar on how the program works.)
Veteran door and window
manufacturers aren’t so sure the certified
FENESTRATION WEST / Summer 2013
19
PROJECT PROFILE
Harmony House harbinger
High-performance windows allow more light into a building
without losing energy. “Buyers love a home flooded with light.”
n Triple-glazed windows
give notice toughest new
standards can be surpassed
By Frank O’Brien
Photos: Habitat+Design Consulting /
Cascadia Windows Ltd.
When Chris Mattock, principal of Habitat
Design+Consulting of Vancouver, began
designing a ‘net zero energy’ house in
Burnaby, he had little doubt what windows
he wanted.
20
“My standard now is triple-glazed with
Langley, the window series used at Harmony
fiberglass frames,” said the BC pioneer in
House is the Cascadia 300A Series with
energy-saving residential construction.
Cardinal 180 low-E coating on surfaces 2
Built under Canada Mortgage and
and 5. Argon is contained within the IGU
Housing Corporation’s national Equilibrium space.
Sustainable Housing
Aer a year of modeling,
Demonstration, Mattock’s
Mattock said the window
People always think performance was right on the
Harmony House is
designed to produce as
triple-glazed windows are design target. e opening
much energy as it uses.
more expensive, but the windows came with a
e Equilibrium
U-value of 1.2, while the
cost is getting closer to
concept is to influence
fixed windows modeled at an
double-glazed now.
building practices while
impressive 0.88. As a
offering builders ways to
comparison, a typical
prepare for the demands of the future.
double-pane window may have a U-value
e windows certainly fit that bill.
above 2.1 and it appears the new Vancouver
Supplied by Cascadia Windows Ltd. of
Building Bylaw, expected to be introduced
“
”
FENESTRATION WEST / Summer 2013
Suppliers to Harmony House
Design: Habitat Design+Consulting
Builder: Insight Healthy Homes
Windows: Cascadia Windows Ltd.
Insulating Glass: Cardinal IG
Thermal image of Cascadia 300A Series window
with 180 Cardinal low-E coating on surfaces 2
and 5. Argon is within the IGU space. Windows
are from Cascadia Windows of Langley.
but the cost is getting closer
to double-glazed now,” he
said. “And they can improve
the energy efficiency of your
window area by almost 50
percent.”
Lo added, “Consider that
windows are the biggest
heat loss in the house –
about 30 percent of the heat
loss. So if you can cut that
nearly in half, even with the
extra cost for windows, it
may be a good investment.”
Aside from the windows
and doors, the air-tight,
heavily insulated Harmony
House is also equipped with
an advanced heating and
ventilation package, plus
roof-mounted photovoltaic
solar panels for space and
domestic hot water heating.
According to Mattock,
monitoring showed that the
Harmony House “came
early next year, will require a U-value of 1.4.
As one city official said of that rating level, “that would mean a
lousy triple-glazed window or a good double-glazed.”
“I believe that triple glazing will become more frequently used
in Vancouver with the upcoming bylaw changes,” said Mike
Battistel, Vice-President, Operations at Cascadia Windows,
adding, “Each time the U-value maximum is reduced in the codes
it forces more and more window manufacturers to utilize triple
glazing, or advanced low-E coating technology such as the I89
surface 4 coatings by Cardinal.”
More light
Arthur Lo of Insightful Healthy Homes, the builder contracted
to build Harmony House, said high-performance windows allow
more glazing, and more light into a building without losing
energy. “Buyers love a home flooded with light.”
And, it can be affordable, Lo said.
“People always think triple-glazed windows are more expensive,
FENESTRATION WEST / Summer 2013
21
Triple-glazed windows were used exclusively in the open-plan
Harmony House in Burnaby. The window U-values ranged from
0.88 to 1.2, the equivalent of R-4.7 to R-6.5 insulation levels.
surprisingly close” to the zero energy use of
the original projections. He is already on to
his next project, a low-energy home at
Bowser on Vancouver Island, where
triple-pane windows have already been
specified.
In such a rustic setting, the builder may
be tempted to try out a new BC product:
wood-frame triple-pane windows, available
from Unison Windows & Doors of North
Vancouver. n
22
FENESTRATION WEST / Summer 2013
n Low-E and off the grid
On Sidney Island in Juan De Fuca Strait, Helliwell+Smith Blue Sky Architecture of West
Vancouver has designed and completed a light-enhanced timber-frame house that
thrives totally off the grid.
Twenty-six solar photovoltaic panels power the home and five cisterns collect
rainwater from roof surfaces for domestic and landscape use. Other sustainable features
are double-pane low-E windows, a wind turbine, on-demand hot water, radiant in-floor
heating, LED lighting, energy efficient appliances, low-flush toilets and
on-site vegetable gardens. But there is also a back-up
diesel generator for when the sun
doesn’t shine. n
Solar Crest’ house on Sidney
Island, BC: extensive
wood-framed double-glazed
windows used in
“off-the-grid” house.
Photo: WoodWorks! BC
FENESTRATION WEST / Summer 2013
23
Testing doors to NAFS-08
QAI’s Kevin Saito and Graeme Huckell (R) urge door manufacturers and pre-hangers to have products
tested in time to meet the December 20 deadline for compliance with NAFS-08. Photo: Fenestration West
Top test lab prepares for
11th hour rush by
prehangers
Quality Auditing Institute (QAI) testing
manager Kevin Saito advises door
manufacturers to have their products tested
soon to meet the official NAFS-08
enforcement date of December 20, 2013.
“Manufacturers are running out of time,”
Saito said in early June as he toured
Fenestration West through QAI’s testing lab
on Schoolhouse Street in Coquitlam. QAI
is one of two labs in British Columbia
handling the testing of doors to the North
American Fenestration Standard
(NAFS-08) and the Canadian Supplement
(A440S1-09) now referenced in the
National and BC Building Code.
Saito stated that many diligent
manufacturers have completed their own
24
internal R&D testing and come to the lab to those manufacturers the tools they need to
run the official tests. ere are also a
make that decision.
number of manufacturers asking about
“Some prehangers have no previous
what is required to start a
experience with testing programs,” he said.
testing/certification program. e
For the purposes of NAFS-08, the
manufacturers of concern are those with
prehanger (assembler of door, glass, jamb,
the ‘wait and see’ approach who have not
sill, hinges, etc.) is considered the
yet started discussions
manufacturer of the
on a test plan for their
prehung unit.
Some prehangers have no
doors, he said.
e primary parts of
previous
experience with
“It is most
the door test include:
testing programs.
important for those
Operability, Air
manufacturers that
Leakage, Water
find themselves in this category to consult
Penetration, Structural Resistance and
their test lab on what path of compliance
Deflection testing. ese primary tests can
they need to take.”
generally be completed in a single day but
Saito added that it is important for
can extend longer if modifications are
manufacturers to have the knowledge and
required to be made to the product.
the understanding to make an educated
“We recommend that clients do basic
decision on what they need to do to
R&D tests themselves, such as a simplified
comply, and it is QAI’s mandate to give
water test on the product to evaluate for
“
FENESTRATION WEST / Summer 2013
”
leaks before they bring
their product in for
accredited testing, and
we will gladly assist in
helping manufacturers
set up to do so,” said
Graeme Huckell, QAI’s
account manager,
building products.
Saito added that door
pre-hangers and
manufacturers should
ascertain exactly what
scope of qualification
they are looking for so
that QAI can further
narrow down the scope
of what is required to be
tested. Although at first,
testing may seem
overwhelming due to
the immense number of
pre-hung unit
variations, through
discussion with QAI engineers, the scope
can be narrowed down to a manageable
number of tests.
A typical manufacturer, however, may
still require six to eight doors to be tested
to cover their complete product lineup.
Test sequence
e testing sequence from when a door
arrives at QAI is:
• e operation of the door. is test
measures the force required to engage
the locks, latches and hardware, to meet
the 15 pounds force requirement.
• e air leakage test. Under the new
Canadian Supplement, air leakage is
measured in both directions, inward and
outward, which is different than its
American counterpart. e minimum
required level for doors is an A2 level,
which would qualify for Part 9 buildings
up to low-rise residential and
commercial buildings.
• e water penetration
test is one of the most
difficult to pass, and is
giving manufacturers
the most number of
challenges, Saito said. In
this case, water is
sprayed on the doors at
a constant spray
pressure, with
increasing wind loads
applied to the exterior
of the door. e lowest
level is a limited water
rating (allowed for units
with substantial
overhang protection)
with incremental
pressure levels. Each
pressure level takes a
total of 24 minutes in
four cycles (five minutes
of wind pressure, one
minute of zero pressure)
and is increased until the product fails.
• e ‘blow out test’ for structural strength
tests the door assembly and is meant to
simulate high gusts of wind. Permanent
set deformation is measured subsequent
to the blowout test. e deflection test is
meant to measure the amount of
deflection occurring while under load.
• As a final test, the door undergoes a
cyclic test – opening and closing the
door thousands of times (depending on
the intended rating) – to ensure the door
operates smoothly aer completion of
the cyclic test.
Contact QAI (www.qai.org) for more
detail on testing of exterior swing door
assemblies and associated costs. n
Founded in 1994, QAI is an independent third-party
testing, inspection and certification organization that is
accredited by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC),
International Accreditation Service (IAS) and recognized
by Energy Star (NRCan).
FENESTRATION WEST / Summer 2013
Fen-BC to present
prehanger workshop
e Fenestration Association of BC
(Fen-BC) is presenting an industrywide information workshop on ‘NAFS,
the BCBC and Side-Hinged Doors.’
e September 10 workshop, open to
Fen-BC members and non-members,
will be held from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm
at the Sheraton Guildford Hotel in
Surrey.
e grace period for the application
of NAFS-08 under Part 9 of the BC
Building Code has been extended to
December 19, 2013. Fenestration
products installed on or aer December
20th must conform to the 2012 code
and with NAFS-08. e extension does
not apply to Part 5 buildings.
Fen-BC’s half-day workshop is
specifically for door prehangers and
includes:
• A short presentation on NAFS and
exterior side hinged doors;
• Report from the trenches: what it
takes to build a NAFS-rated door;
• Options: Test your own? Buy tested
doors? Bit of both?; and
• Next steps for you and your business.
To register, contact Fen-BC at
604-885-0245 or visit www.fen-bc.org.
25
One Wall Tower:
platform in place.
Photo: Larry O’Brien
Suppliers to 18-storey curtain wall
Coated Glass Suppliers: Guardian, Viracon
Glazing Contractor: Glasstech
Insulating Glass: Garibaldi Glass
A custom-built suspended
scaffolding stage was anchored
through vent openings pinned
to the structure. Each of the
600-pound IGU units had to be
moved from a loading bay,
up a modified residential
elevator and onto the stage.
Photo: RDH Building Engineering
Reglazing an
18-storey
curtain wall
Twelve years after it was built,
failed IGUs being replaced on
Vancouver high-rise
By Dermot Mack
Brian Hubbs, principal and senior building science specialist at
RDH Building Engineering in Vancouver, was diplomatic as he
detailed why 18 floors of insulated glass units (IGUs) topping a
landmark Vancouver high-rise had to be replaced.
“e [original]
manufacturer designed
with good intentions
trying to increase energy
efficiency,” Hubbs
explained in a report
on Vancouver’s
largest-ever curtain
wall replacement.
Graph shows heat built up in tower condos before
“e IGUs failed due
IGU replacement. Photo: RDH Building Engineering
to an unconventional,
untested design.”
e original aluminum-framed curtain wall featured an unusual
three layer glazing system featuring dual panes of glass with a
central suspended film, low-E coatings on surfaces 2 and 5, argon
gas fill, a large PVC thermal break, and a replaceable desiccant
26
tube concealed within the frame.
Built in 2001 and the second tallest
tower in Vancouver, One Wall Centre on
Burrard Street has 30 hotel floors on the
lower level and 18 floors of condominiums
above.
Four years aer construction was
complete, condominium tenants began
complaining of excessive heat in their units
and of fogging and condensation on their
windows. e original contractor had
returned to the site to replace desiccant
tubes on the entire building on two
occasions. Some windows were also
replaced.
“But the owners wanted the windows
fixed for good,” Hubbs said.
RDH was called in to investigate the
fogging of the sealed units to determine the
source and the extent of the problem.
One Wall Tower in Vancouver: after the failure of an “innovative”
18-storey curtain wall, a team led by RDH Building Engineering
is replacing it with triple-glazed IGUs with stainless steel
spacers and conventional perimeter seal. Work is expected
to complete this summer. Photo: RDH Building Engineering
FENESTRATION WEST / Summer 2013
The new glazing system features triple-glazed 6-mm clear
tempered glass with Viracon Vy-30 coating on surface
No. 2 and Sunguard Light Blue 63 coating on surface No. 5.
with Viracon Vy-30 coating on surface No. 2 and Sunguard Light
Blue 63 coating on surface No. 5.
e units have aluminum spacers and conventional dual-seal
PIB/silicone construction. Double-glazed IGUs were chosen for
operable vents.
From the time RDH was first contacted, to the start of the
replacement of the insulated glass, took more than eight years, with
the work expected to be complete this summer. RDH is also acting
as the construction manager on the project.
Custom scaffolding
Aer all the testing, approvals and selection, the removal of old
units and installation of new IGUs also represented a challenge.
Work had to be done as the building was occupied, and the
external wet seals had to be completed on each floor before the
scaffold moved on to the next, Hubbs explained.
Also, the exterior work had to be performed from a
custom-built suspended scaffolding stage, which was anchored
through vent openings pinned to the structure. Each of the
600-pound IGUs had to be moved from a loading bay up a
modified residential elevator and onto the stage.
e remedial procedure includes removing the old IGU with a
specialty sealant-cutting tool, cleaning the aluminum frame
without abrading the surface, and installing adapters for attaching
the new triple glazed units to the existing frames. As well, testing
continued during installation to ensure consistent quality. n
“Fatal” seal failure
What RDH found was a systemic failure
of the insulating glass units (IGUs), due to
inadequately sealed edge spacers.
Investigators also found that the desiccant
tubes were easily overwhelmed in service,
allowing in moisture that resulted in failure.
Also, the low-E coating was not effective
enough to mitigate solar heat gain.
“IGU failure led to frequent fogging and
corrosion of silver low-E coatings on
surface No. 2,” RDH told the building
owners. “e fatal flaw is the failed
perimeter seal.”
RDH concluded that all IGUs on the
condominium units needed to be replaced,
but that the aluminum frames could be
resealed and remain in place.
Aer a study of hundreds of options,
RDH released its recommendation for the
replacement glass, which was subsequently
approved by the City of Vancouver and by
the developer and strata owners.
e new glazing system features
triple-glazed 6-mm clear tempered glass
FENESTRATION WEST / Summer 2013
27
L E G A L
V I E W
When is a
contractor an
employee?
Rule changes blur the line between
contractors and full-time workers
by Robert Smithson
Changes to Canada’s
Employment Insurance
system blur the
traditional line
separating independent
contractors from
employees. A review of
recent decisions in other
forums suggests there is
an ongoing trend
towards treating these
Robert Smithson
two groups as one.
In the E.I. world, previously only true
employees were eligible for coverage. Not
having that aspect of our social security net
to fall back on was just one of the risks of
being
self-employed
and operating
A decision out of
as an
Alberta suggests
independent
independent
contractor.
contractors
may be
In late 2009,
treated
as
employees
the federal
for determining
Fairness for the
whether they can
Self-Employed
Act was passed.
unionize.
It permits
self-employed persons to opt into the E.I.
program to receive certain special benefits.
e E.I. coverage for which the
self-employed are now eligible includes
maternity, parental, sickness, and
compassionate care benefits.
In the labour relations realm, a decision
out of Alberta suggests that independent
contractors may be treated as employees for
the purpose of determining whether they
can unionize.
e Alberta Labour Relations Board
reviewed the circumstances of taxi drivers,
including those who are owner-operators
of their taxis or lease them from other
owner-operators. e taxi drivers,
represented by the Teamsters union, were
engaged by Access Taxi.
“
”
Union bid
e Board addressed their application to
unionize by applying a “purposive”
approach to the definition of “employee”
28
found in the Alberta Labour
Relations Code. e Board
determined that, even if the
drivers were in some sense
self-employed, the taxi company
exercised a sufficient degree of
control and supervision that they
should be treated as employees and
be allowed to unionize.
e Ontario Court
of Appeal recently
determined that the
definition of
“employed” in
that
province’s
Occupational
Health and
Safety Act
must be
interpreted
broadly
enough to
encompass
independent
contractors.
at decision
arose out of a
worksite accident
involving a truck
driver – an
independent
contractor –
providing services
to United
Independent
Operators Limited.
e Ontario
Ministry of Labour
laid charges against
United for failing to
comply with the
requirements of the
Act.
Although the
Workplace Safety
and Insurance
Board, Revenue
Canada, the
Employment
Standards Branch,
and the lower courts
had all determined
that United’s truck
drivers were
independent
contractors, the Court
of Appeal unanimously
held that the truck
drivers were “regularly
employed” for the
purposes of the Act.
FENESTRATION WEST / Summer 2013
is is a decision which seems
destined for a final word from the
Supreme Court of Canada.
In BC, the Human Rights
Tribunal recently determined that
an equity partner at the law firm of
Fasken Martineau Dumoulin LLP
could be considered to be
employed for the purposes of
the Human Rights Code.
Fasken’s had
attempted to force
equity partner John
McCormick to retire
from the practice of
law, at age 65, in
accordance with the
firm’s partnership
agreement.
McCormick filed a
complaint of
discrimination
pursuant to the
Code.
Fasken’s argued that
the Tribunal had no
jurisdiction because
McCormick was not in a
relationship of
“employment” with the
firm. e Tribunal
disagreed, gave a broad,
liberal, and purposive
interpretation to the Code,
and held that McCormick
was employed by Fasken’s in
the context of how that term
is used in the Code.
ese various developments
seem, to me, to amount to four
clear blows to the integrity of
the legal status of independent
contractors. Where I come
from, that amounts to a trend
but where it will go next is
anybody’s guess. n
Robert Smithson is a labour and
employment lawyer, and operates
Smithson Employment Law in
Kelowna. For more information visit
www.smithsonlaw.ca. is subject
matter is provided for general
informational purposes only and is
not intended as legal advice.
I N D U S T R Y
N E W S
Vancouver Island
construction
sees uplift
Overall construction activity in the
Vancouver Island and Coast region
increased in the first quarter of 2013 from
the previous quarter. Employment,
building permits issued, and major projects
made gains.
Construction employment climbed 8.4
percent in April to 27,000 persons while
building permits issued more than doubled
in March rising to $113.4 million from
$53.4 million in February, and major
projects under construction rose 4.6
percent to $10.3 billion.
“e first quarter trends are consistent
with the increase in project opportunities
in the association’s BidCentral and
planrooms,” says Greg Baynton, CEO of the
Vancouver Island Construction
Association. “It is an encouraging start to
the year, however, the industry is growing
slowly and real estate activity is still below
normal.”
Notable highlights during the first
quarter include the surge in commercial
building permits in Victoria which
increased 251 percent to $18.8 million over
February 2013 and the spike to $14.6
million in industrial permits in Nanaimo.
Total investment spending declined 5.3
percent to $85.5 million in the first quarter
from the fourth quarter of 2012 in the
Victoria Metropolitan area.
e only sector to post a gain was
commercial with a 3.1 percent increase.
Public sector spending dropped nearly
25 percent in the quarter while the smaller
industrial sector fell 36 percent, the
Association reports. n
Window and door sales
to increase in NA
Win-Door trade show
expects 2,800
North American demand for windows and
doors is forecast to increase 56 percent
from 2012 levels by 2017, according to a
study from the U.S.-based Freedonia
Group Inc. Most of the gains will be made
in the U.S., which is recovering from a
construction slump.
e US market for windows and doors is
forecast to increase by more than 9 percent
per year through 2017, aer suffering
outright declines between 2007 and 2012.
e primary driver of demand is an
expected housing market recovery in the
country. Western Europe, which also saw
declining window and door demand
between 2007 and 2012, is also projected to
see a recovery through 2017.
North American demand for windows
and doors is projected to rise to $43.7
billion by 2017. If the population ratio is
used as a guide, this would translate into a
$4.3 billion annual Canadian market by
2017.
China was the world’s largest window
and door market in 2012, and will see its
share of global demand rise to 36 percent
of the total in 2017.
Globally, total sales of windows and
doors are forecast to rise 7.1 percent over
the next four years to US$223 billion. n
Win-Door North America 2013 expects at
least 2,800 delegates when it opens for a
three-day run November 12 at the Metro
Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto.
Win‐Door North America is the place
for handling and showcasing new products,
meeting fellow industry professionals and
learning about technical information and
codes pertinent to today’s changing
industry, according to Fenestration
Canada, which sponsors the event.
For details and registration, visit
http://windoorshow.com or phone
1-800-282-0003. n
World demand for windows
and doors (Billions of dollars)
Area
Global
North America
Canada
Asia
Western Europe
2012
2017
$157.8
$28
$3
$80.9
$31.9
$222.6
$43.7
**$4.3
$117.2
$39.8
Source: e Freedonia Group ** Estimated share
FENESTRATION WEST / Summer 2013
ASHRAE drops bid to
cut glass-to-wall ratio
Following pressure from the Glass
Association of North America (GANA)
and the fenestration industry, the
American Society of Heating, Refrigeration
and Air Conditioning Engineers
(ASHRAE) has withdrawn a proposal to
reduce the window-to-wall ratio in U.S.
commercial buildings built to ASHRAE
189.1, Standard for the Design of
High-Performance, Green Buildings.
ASHRAE had planned to recommend a
reduction in the ratio of windows to walls,
from the current maximum of 40 percent
to 30 percent, in a bid to curb energy use.
Bill Yanek, Executive Vice-President of
GANA said, “I am extremely pleased with
the decision. e glazing industry strongly
supports ASHRAE’s efforts to improve
energy efficiency in commercial buildings,
but all improvements need to be based on
sound technical analysis. As major
stakeholders, the glazing industry also
needs to be part of the process throughout.
is is a major step forward.” n
29
information on products. Members
interested in joining one or both of the task
groups can contact Fen-BC’s Executive
Director, Zana Gordon at
[email protected] or 604-855-0245.
by Al Jaugelis, Technical Consultant
for the Fenestration Association of BC
New task groups,
NAFS Q&A
New Fen-BC task
groups formed
Energy issues
continue to be a big
concern to the
industry, and two
new association task
groups have been
formed to deal with
them. e
Commercial Energy
Issues Task Group
Al Jaugelis
first met on July
18th and will meet again on September 5th.
e Residential Energy Issues Task Group
held its first meeting August 15. While both
groups are concerned with the challenges of
working within the BC Energy Efficiency
Act, Vancouver’s proposed U-values for one
and two family homes are a concern for the
residential group. And a NAFS labeling task
group is looking at clarifying NAFS labeling
requirements and ensuring labels are
recognizable and distinct from other label
NAFS Q&A
Here are some questions I have been asked
about the application of NAFS to product
specifications and testing:
Q. Do I have to follow NAFS Performance
Class “suggestions” for different building
types? For example, R Class for one and
two family dwellings; LC Class for
low-rise and mid-rise multifamily
dwellings, and so on.
A. While NAFS wisely refers to these as
“suggestions” and the building code
requires no class higher than R, the
appearance of such suggestions in a
standard gives them great weight.
Building designers concerned about
professional liability are reluctant to
depart from these suggestions, even if
they are not clear about why the classes
exist or what the differences are between
them.
Q. Do I have to choose Performance Grade
according to the higher of design wind
pressure or water test pressure?
A. e Canadian Supplement requires
responsible parties to select products
that are appropriate for their
environment, and provides clear
New energy requirements coming to building codes in BC
Many Fen-BC members have expressed concern with how the BC
Energy Efficiency Act (BCEEA) and other energy regulations are
affecting their businesses. In addition to this regulation, energy
provisions are now coming into both the BC and Vancouver
building codes.
In April the Minister for Housing released an announcement
adopting the 2011 National Energy Code for Buildings which
affects Part 3 buildings, and adding a new section 9.36 that
introduces new energy requirements to Part 9 buildings. Both of
these initiatives affect fenestration.
VEKA Canada Sales
[email protected]
4794 - 94 Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB, Canada
T6B 2T3
Tel: (780) 450 3038
Fax: (780) 465-2278
Customer Care Center
www.vekainc.com
30
1-800-654-5587
guidance on how to determine design
wind load and water penetration
resistance for fenestration products.
Both properties need to be included in a
Canadian specification: PG, and water
test pressure (in Pascals, Pa). Keep in
mind that both properties must be
specified, and that it is entirely
appropriate to specify a water test
pressure that is greater than the water
test pressure associated with a
Performance Grade. It is not necessary,
or correct, to choose a higher
performance grade on the basis of water
test pressure alone. Select a PG that
corresponds to the design pressure from
the table of optional performance grades,
and specify a water test pressure equal to
that associated with the PG, or a higher
one if it is required by the building
location, exposure, and height.
Q. Why are wind pressures in Table A1 of
the Canadian Supplement for some
locations different from those in the
BCBC?
A. Good question! ey were supposed to
be the same, but the Supplement was
published a year before the 2010 NBCC,
and the environmental tables in the 2010
code were updated from the data used in
the Supplement. In the case of a
difference, it is correct to use the tables
in the code. A corrected Table A1 for the
Supplement is expected in the Fall. n
Effect on BCEEA
e Ministry of Energy has invited Fen-BC to engage in
discussions that could reduce some of the difficulties this
legislation has created for the industry. Participation in Fen-BC’s
task groups give member companies the opportunity to engage in
constructive discussions with the Ministry.
Energy issues task groups
To help Fen-BC members understand how these code changes
will affect them, the association has created two task groups; one to
look at the residential sector, the other to focus on the commercial
sector. As these code changes will trigger an update to the BCEEA,
the task groups may be able to recommend amendments to that
legislation.
Commercial Energy Issues Task Group
Scope:
– Evaluate the recently issued guide, Specifying the Energy
Performance of Glazing Products in British Columbia;
– Evaluate the impact of the National Energy Code for Buildings
(NECB) in the context of existing ASHRAE and BCEEA issues
that affect the commercial glazing industry; and
– Engage in discussions with the Ministry of Energy about
BCEEA issues.
Residential Energy Issues Task Group
Scope:
– Evaluate new section 9.36 of the BCBC; and
– Engage in discussions with the Ministry of Energy about
BCEEA issues. n
FENESTRATION WEST / Summer 2013