Technical Information

WHAT MAKES SOFT-LITE IMPERIAL LS™ WINDOWS BETTER? Shop and compare. We think you will see why Soft-Lite Windows are one of the best investments for your home. Technology, engineering, craftsmanship, robotic precision manufacturing and people who care about every single window we make means that we will manufacture only the best for you.

uPVC FRAMES AND SASHES

All of our windows are made using the finest quality, specially blended, un-plasticized poly vinyl chloride, or uPVC, frames and sash. Your window frame and sash material will never rot like wood windows are prone to do; it will never corrode like metal windows. uPVC is good for the environment because it saves energy better than other materials. It never needs refinishing (no need to use environmentally harsh varnishes or stains) and it lasts much, much longer than wood or other materials. This inherent durability means that the likelihood of having to replace your uPVC windows again in the future is much less than if you used wood or metal. It is also important that you choose WELDED vinyl windows because the corners are permanently fused together and will never separate. Many vinyl windows today are screwed or stapled at the corners just like wood or metal windows. Some are welded on very old, single- or doubleweld machines. The corners can separate and leak air and water. Choose only fusion welded vinyl produced with robotic 4-point welding equipment.

COMFORT-FOAM™ INSULATION
Using our CFC-free, environmentally-friendly Comfort-Foam™ insulation within the cavities of the vinyl frames saves even more energy. This means lower monthly fuel bills, energy conservation and helping save the Earth’s resources.

DOUBLE HUNG SILL/SASH PROFILE

A. A unique sill dam which extends into the window mainframe for unitized strength and seal.
B. Our interlocking sill-sash rail keeps the sash in place against the sill dam weatherstrip when the window is under extreme wind-load stress.
C. Our Q-lon® compression gasket system straddles the sill rail when the sash is locked shut to add barriers and diversions for impressive water resistance.
D. Comfort-Foam™ insulation.

ULTRASMART™ WEATHERSTRIPPING
Ultrafab® Tri-Fin® Gold Series weatherstripping with built-in Ultra-Fresh® antimicrobial protection minimizes drafts, dust, and pollen and fights the growth of mold on the weatherstripping material. 600 inches of UltraSmart™ weatherstripping is used in an average sized double hung window.

INSULATED GLASS PACKAGES
Our technologically-advanced, robotically manufactured insulated glass packages offer a choice of insulating performance which can be tailored to your geographic location. The finest in multiple layered glass and argon or krypton insulating gas, along with super energy efficient “warm edge” sealing technology, assure maximum energy savings and resistance to condensation.

K-Beam™ is over 5 times stronger than steel. It is also more than 700 times warmer than aluminum, which means that it blocks the transfer of heat and cold 700+ times better than aluminum.

We reinforce the sash keeper rail in our double hung and slider windows with a unique resin-based glassfilled composite material. K-Beam™ utilizes Kevlar® fibers for additional strength and the lowest thermal conductivity meaning extra energy efficiency. Most manufacturers of vinyl windows today use aluminum or steel to reinforce their vinyl, which works like a thermal short circuit due to the poor thermal properties of the metal. K-Beam™, our advanced composite reinforcement with Kevlar®, assures maximum strength, energy efficiency and durability for the life of your home.

ENDURA-FORCE™ BALANCE SYSTEM
When you choose a double hung window configuration there are additional features to look for. A sash can be moved up and down for ventilation purposes. Insulated glass is heavy, especially if you are using the higher insulating and more energy efficient triple pane glass combinations of today. Balance hardware is used to help offset the sash weight so that a homeowner can operate their window with ease. There are several balance types in use today. It’s important to know the differences because they can make a big impact on how smoothly your windows operate over time. Soft-Lite uses a new, heavy-duty, constant-force balance. Our balance is a Teflon®-coated, stainless steel coil protected inside a thermal housing which makes it strong, silent and thermally superior. With a 3/4” inch steel band width and a fully encapsulated thermal chassis that resists dirt and dust accumulation, our Endura-Force™ balance system will give you decades of effortless, maintenance-free operation. Spiral balancers are a thing of the past. Block and tackle balancers depend on a string, a spring, and pulleys that are housed in a metal chassis that does not help the thermal performance of the window they are in. These are among the reasons we developed the Endura-Force™ system and made it a standard part of every Imperial LS double hung window.

COMPOSITE SASH RAIL REINFORCED WITH KEVLAR®

Patent-pending K-Beam™ features DuPont® Kevlar® that is also used to make bullet-proof vests and in Mars Pathfinder ropes, U.S. Navy mooring ropes, jet engine shields, run-flat tires, safety gloves in glass and metal factories, kayaks, skis, helmets, racquets and lots more.