Loewen Launches New Product - StormForce™

October 1, 2004

STEINBACH, MB - After an intensive phase of research and development in the Loewen Innovation Center (test lab facility) Loewen has entered this market with the new StormForce™ Series of products. Available in three graduations, StormForce™ DP, IP and MP fill the needs of homeowners - and the requirements of stringent building codes - in a large range of market zones.

The StormForce™ DP Series takes the performance of our standard product line a step further, offering you windows and doors that have been structurally enhanced for coastal environments and lakefront applications. These windows and doors meet – and exceed – the requirements outlined by the International Residential Code for safer coastal living and are proven to protect.

The StormForce™ IP Series features an insulated sealed unit designed for energy efficiency and impact resistance, able to withstand 9,000 cycles of positive and negative wind loading. The IP Series' superior energy efficient design meets specific regional building codes in coastal areas from New York to Texas.

Engineered with resilient, beautiful Douglas Fir, the IP Series offers an aesthetic that will work to enhance your home's design – without unsightly retainer clips or brackets. The laminated glass used in StormForce™ IP provides a number of additional benefits: enhanced security, excellent ultraviolet ray protection (cause of furniture/fabric fading) and increased sound attenuation. Loewen offers finishing options for most of our windows and doors in a traditional clear wood exterior, primed wood or choose from our Metal Clad Color Spectrum of 36 extruded aluminum colors.

The StormForce™ MP Series takes the performance of our standard windows and doors to the extreme, offering you fenestration structurally enhanced to meet even the most stringent demands of Miami-Dade County test protocols. Rated to DP 70, 105 psf structural loading and the impact of a D-Missile*.

Loewen StormForce™ - elegant design and robust performance for the luxury home.

Recent storms have reminded us again of the importance of homeowner safety. Insurance companies can no longer support the immense burden of repair and compensation.

Hurricane Andrew struck Dade County, Florida on August 24, 1992 and created unprecedented loss of life and property. Wind propelled debris and subsequent window breakage were cited as central factors in the failure of building envelope integrity in the 1992 disaster. Airborne debris also figures into damage inflicted by inland storms. Over a 24-hour period in January 1999, 56 tornadoes were recorded in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. "Tornado Alley" in America's midwest is subject to a high risk of window breakage and resultant severe storm damage and puts occupants in harm's way. More recently, Hurricane Charley showed that any part of the east coast may find itself in the "line of fire".

At the heart of the matter is glass breakage. Dade County, Florida proactively took a position that encouraged window and door manufacturers to step up their products' ability to withstand penetration by airborne debris and resist the incredible forces of nature. Current technology and a willingness by window makers to meet this urgent need has resulted in a new generation of remarkable fenestration capable of withstanding a storm's full force.

*D-Missile certified products are tested to withstand impact from a 9 pound 2 x 4 stud, 8 feet in length, at an impact speed of 50 feet/second. Products are then tested to withstand 9, 000 positive and negative wind loading cycles.