2009 / 2010 Tax Credit

Renewal by Andersen® windows and patio doors help increase your home’s comfort and energy efficiency. Better yet, if you buy them now, you may qualify for a credit of 30% of the product cost up to $1,500 on your federal income tax. Tax credit is 30% of the amount paid for the product up to a maximum of $1500 combined for 2009 and 2010 (Including other eligible items listed in the IRS Notice).

As part of the Economic Stimulus package, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 modifies and extends federal tax credits for eligible building components that improve energy efficiency. To be eligible, windows, doors and skylights must have both a U-Factor equal to or less than 0.30 and a Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) equal to or less than 0.30.

Click Here for more details!

Great Michigan News!

Gotta love great news like this, especially in Michigan!

Best Economic News
by Lisa Diggs
The start of 2009, brought good economic news to Michigan. Here are some stories you may have missed between the headlines.

While still basking in the glow of securing the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, Michigan State University, forged a new partnership with IBM for the creation of a Global Delivery Center for Application Services to be located on the MSU campus in East Lansing. The Global Delivery Center will be the first of its kind in the United States for IBM. About 100 jobs will be created by this June, with a total of 1,000 to 1,500 new jobs over the next five years.

Governor Granholm signed a battery industry bill into law that provides $335 million in refundable tax credits to encourage companies to develop and build batteries in Michigan for hybrid and electric vehicles. General Motors decided it will build its own battery packs for the much anticipated Chevrolet Volt and will build a new factory in Michigan to do it. Massachusetts-based A123 Systems, which has research operations in Ann Arbor, also announced that its first lithium-ion battery mass production site would be in southeast Michigan.

Southfield-based TechTeam Global, which provides IT and business process outsourcing to both the private sector and the government, announced it had secured more than $20 million worth of new contracts, and consequently the need for 65 new employees in Michigan. The new jobs are to provide customers with IT service desk support

Faurecia, the world’s eighth-largest Tier 1 supplier of automotive components plans to invest $8.8 million to expand its operations in Fraser. The extension is expected to create 281 new jobs, including 82 directly by the company.

A new microbrewery called Northern United Brewery plans to manufacture and bottle beer, distilled spirits and wine in Ann Arbor, Dexter and Peninsula Township. The brewer will invest approximately $5.8 million in the project, which is expected to create 398 new jobs, including 158 directly by the company.

White & Green Motors intends to manufacture electric and recoil starters for gas engines in Eaton Rapids. They anticipate creating up to 60 jobs initially and up to 122 over time.

Manufacturer and assembler of automotive components and systems, ZF Group, plans to lease part of a facility that Chrysler has under construction in Marysville and invest $143.4 million to expand its operations. The expansion is expected to create 1,657 new jobs, including 475 directly by the company.

Fisher Coachworks, a producer of ultra light-weight hybrid vehicles, intends to invest $7 million to establish a facility to produce an innovative, fuel-efficient, mass transit bus. The plant is slated for the site of the former Detroit Race Course in Livonia.

HoMedics, reported to be the world’s leading wellness brand specializing in high-quality home healthcare products, plans to invest $11 million to establish a Commerce Township facility to develop new wireless-charging device technology. The project is expected to create 127 new jobs, including 62 directly by the company.

Novi has much to celebrate. A start-up wind turbine generation system manufacturer, named Global Wind Systems, intends to invest $32.3 million to locate its first plant in the city. The project is expected to create 807 new jobs, including 356 directly by the company. Also, Novixus will build the first national distribution and services center using automated processing of prescriptions for central fill and home delivery. That company will invest approximately $3.4 million in the center and create 428 new jobs, including 192 directly. Additionally, Kongsberg Automotive plans to invest $4.4 million to expand its technical center in Novi, creating 113 new jobs, including 58 directly.

Hart & Cooley, a manufacturer of products for heating, plumbing and air conditioning systems, announced its plan to consolidate a portion of its U.S. and Canadian operations to its Grand Rapids facility. The project is expected to include a $3.9 million investment and create 98 new positions, including 48 direct jobs.

Redevelopment and conversion of the Detroit Creamery building and surrounding areas into a luxury residential and retail complex is planned by Golden Rectangle. The project will generate $38 million in new capital investment and is expected to create 50 new jobs.

Scripps Park Associates will partner with the City of Detroit and the Detroit Housing Commission to invest $35 million to redevelop an abandoned public housing development into 180 affordable townhouses.

The fourth-largest steelmaker in the U.S., Severstal North America, plans to invest $700 million to rehabilitate, modernize and enhance aging facilities in Dearborn to improve its steel mill. The project is expected to retain 76 jobs.

The City of Detroit will use state and local tax capture valued at more than $1 million to support a proposed redevelopment of the former Greater Detroit Hospital. The development will include a modern medical office and assisted living center. The project will generate $8.9 million in new capital investment and up to 251 new jobs.

Using state and local tax capture valued at $364,050 the City of Grand Rapids will support a proposed redevelopment project that will include a three-story, mixed-use building with a green design. The goal of the building is to be west Michigan’s first zero carbon-footprint project. The project will generate $3.1 million in new capital investment and up to 30 new jobs. The Renaissance Venture Capital Fund, a new venture capital fund formed recently and supported by some of Michigan’s largest organizations, announced that it will make its first commitment, a $5 million investment in the Ann Arbor-based venture capital fund Arboretum Ventures II.

Lansing-based Niowave secured a $1 million contract with the Office of Naval Research to build a superconducting radio frequency electron gun. This latest agreement is the third $1 million contract landed by Niowave within a year.

Ford Motor Company announced that their all-new Ford Fusion Hybrid is America's most fuel-efficient mid-sized car, certified at 41 mpg in city and 36 mpg on highway. The Fusion beats the Toyota Camry hybrid by 8 mpg in city and 2 mpg on highway. Its gas-sipping system enables city driving of more than 700 miles on a single tank of gas.

Michigan International Speedway is offering its facilities to test technology that would allow cars to talk to the road and to each other so they become incapable of crashing into one another, saving up to 44,000 U.S. deaths annually from auto accidents, as well as reducing traffic congestion. Research indicates that as many as 40,000 jobs could be created over the next two decades if Michigan emerges as a leader in vehicle connectivity technology, including 1,000 jobs in the first year or two.

Free Tickets!

Stop by our Renewal by Andersen office in Livonia for these free tickets!
While supplies last of course!

Detroit Boat Show Today - February 22nd

Toledo House & Home Show February 20th - February 22nd

Cottage & Lakefront Living Show February 26th - March 1st

Lenawee County Home Show 2009 March 6th - March 8th

Michigan Facilities Expo March 18th - March 19th

Here's our address:

Renewal by Andersen
Livonia Office
37720 Amrhein Road
Livonia, MI 48150


Also, our Showroom in Farmington Hills has Boat Show tickets as well.
While Supplies Last too!

Renewal by Andersen
Showroom
30750 West Eight Mile
Farmington Hills, MI 48336

New home: $750,000. Window repairs: $700,000

An Oregon woman faced this nightmare scenario after the windows in her newly built home were improperly installed. The Wall Street Journal's Teardown Diarist uncovers several cautionary tales and discovers a few problems of her own.

By The Wall Street Journal


My house was all framed and roofed and the windows were installed - but the siding wasn't yet on - when I happened to meet two women at a cocktail party who had recently had new homes built. I casually asked them if they had learned anything.
There's no such thing as casual conversation when you're building a home. It turns out that both women had been involved in lawsuits because of leaking windows that they say were improperly installed.
Window installation has become more of a problem as houses have become more energy efficient. Windows used to be installed leaving a gap for airflow to occur. Now they are completely sealed. While fewer cold drafts occur, the reduction in air means any water that gets in can't evaporate, making leaks more of a problem.
Window makers' warranties typically don't cover installation - only the window itself is covered, and only if the window is installed using an approved and recommended method. That means if windows leak around the edges because of improper installation, the window manufacturer won't pay for repairs. And if the contractor doesn't follow the manufacturer's instructions, the window maker won't pay for any kind of damage to the window, either.

Oh, and unless you ask, it is unlikely your contractor will tell you what installation method he's using.
The women at the party shared their horror stories: Theresa Rockove, who manages her husband's medical practice, had a 5,000 square foot, $1 million two-level home built in Troutdale, Ore., finished in August 2005. The following winter, she noticed a smoke alarm was shorting out; it turned out to be wet. Soon, more windows started leaking. She hired Western Architectural, a national waterproofing consulting company that inspects the weather and structural integrity of residential and commercial buildings. Western Architectural found the flashings - the material, usually metal or plastic, installed to prevent water from penetrating - hadn't been properly installed. It took nine months, a second mortgage and living in only part of the house, but finally Rockove had the damage repaired and settled a lawsuit with her builder for $250,000. The builder could not be reached for comment.
The contractor Rockove hired to fix the leaking windows - Sean Gores of Clackamas, Ore.-based Sean Gores Construction - has been in the construction-defect repair business for 11 years. He says that about 40% of his business involves leaking windows because of improper installation.
What's your home worth?

Rockove's sister-in-law Kristi Calcagno, a real-estate broker in Portland, Ore., spent $750,000 building a three-story, cedar-shingled beach house with lots of windows and decks facing the sea in Long Beach, Wash. She also noticed some leaking around the windows after the house was finished in 2005. After hiring Western Architectural, which said the installation wasn't done properly, she hired another contractor who estimated that it would cost $700,000 to fix the problem.
She then sued the original builder, who in turn named seven subcontractors. The issue is still pending, and Elizabeth Lampson, the attorney for the defendant, insurance company AIG, had no comment.
Calcagno has never occupied the house and is prepared to tear it down altogether because there has been so much water damage. "I'm at a point where if the house falls down I would just say 'eh,'" she says.
I e-mailed my contractor and architect to ask them if they thought I should hire Western Architectural before we closed up the exterior. Both agreed that was a very good idea.
Western Architectural found that most of windows in my new home were installed in the openings using foam as a sealer and no flashing or weather-resistant barrier wrapped into window and door rough openings - a direct violation of the installation instructions issued by window manufacturer Pella. If the sealant fails, the wood structure would be vulnerable to moisture, according to the company's report, which also found that the foam used isn't an industry standard.
Western Architectural recommended removing all the windows and reinstalling them according to Pella's instructions. According to the company's inspector, Michael Drexler, even the foam wasn't applied according to instructions - it should have had paper as well as foam. "My guess is that it was for cost reasons. The wrap takes more time and materials than the foam," Drexler says.
Instead of using paper that rolls into the opening between the window and the hole cut into the siding for the window to create a barrier, the subcontractor my builders used to install the windows used foam to seal them. "They thought that was a better solution," my contractor told me. He says the issue wasn't cost. "It was never about money," he says.
My contractor cleared the installation variation with Pella, which guaranteed that despite the modified installation method the full terms of the product warranty would remain in effect. All very well - but as I stated earlier, that didn't mean that Pella would be responsible if the foam method caused leaking.
Kathy Harkema, a spokeswoman for Pella, said the No. 1 problem builders have is with improper window or door installation. "Installation is every bit as critical as the window," Harkema said. The company has more than 200 engineers at its Iowa headquarters who study installation techniques in order to make the best recommendations to builders. If requested, the company will dispatch a service technician - for a fee - to go to a building site and inspect the installation. "We strongly suggest following our instructions," Harkema says. "It takes the guesswork out of it for everyone."
My contractor says every window manufacturer has different instructions for installation. "It's like getting three doctors to agree on the same treatment," he says. He hired two different consultants to check the installation using foam and tested it with water to look for leakage. "Ultimately, we're liable for this," he told me. One of the consultants, worried that the foam could shrink over time, recommended adding a sticky paper over the foam for further sealing - a step my contractor took.
We are moving ahead with the siding this week, which will be followed by drywall. Then comes the expensive part of building a house: the interior - including cabinets, finishes and lighting.

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Quality installation is a critical component of any successful window replacement project. Even the highest quality windows will underperform if installed incorrectly. That’s why at Renewal by Andersen, we include professional installation as a key part of our window replacement process, backed by our limited warranty.
To maximize performance and provide long-term energy efficiency, a replacement window must fit well in the opening. Renewal by Andersen® replacement windows are custom-built to precisely fit each window opening in your home.
Our made-to-order windows are then installed by professional Renewal by Andersen installers who are experts at window replacement. Since they’ve completed window replacement jobs in dozens of homes like yours, you can be confident that your window replacement project will deliver the beauty and performance you are seeking.
We are so confident in the quality of our installation process that installation is included under your window replacement project’s written limited warranty.

Green Building Going Strong

Green Building Going Strong
Market studies suggest that interest in green homes—from pros and buyers alike—continues to climb.
By: Katy Tomasulo


Las Vegas, Jan. 22 -- Can green be the lifeboat the home building industry needs? During a presentation at the International Builders’ Show, Harvey M. Bernstein, vice president of industry analytics, alliances, and strategic initiatives for McGraw-Hill Construction, suggests that eco-friendly design and products are proving to be a market differentiator for builders and an in-demand feature for home buyers.
Utilizing data from McGraw-Hill Construction’s 2006 and 2008 Smart Market Reports on green building, as well as a few other studies, Bernstein offered the following conclusions:

• Green is a market differentiator: Builders are finding it easier to market green homes and homeowners are much more interested in buying them, even in a down economy. Bernstein called green building a “savior,” and said that while the residential market overall has plummeted, the green residential market is climbing at a steady pace, increasing fivefold between 2005 and 2008 and expected to triple by 2013. The total residential green opportunity in 2013 will be $40 billion to $70 billion.


• Involvement in green building is on the rise: In addition to a growing number of local and national green building certification programs, green policies have jumped from 57 local governments in 2005 to 156 in 2008. The new presidential administration also has demonstrated a commitment to green policies and stimulus programs. At the builder level, in 2007 32% of builders reported being “significantly dedicated” to green building. In 2008 that number climbed to 52% and is expected to reach 69% in 2009.


• Interest in green homes spans all income levels: While the greatest percentage of demand for green homes (27%) is within the $50,000 to $74,000 income range, 30% of the demand falls into the two lower income brackets.
  


• Younger generations will expect green options: “They can’t imagine building anything that isn’t sustainable,” Bernstein said.
  


• Green-home buyers are driven by operational cost savings and improved health. Associating green with quality will be a strong selling point in the down market.
  


• As a builder’s green building experience increases, perceived costs decrease.
  


• Energy Star is the most well-known product standard.
  


• When remodeling, homeowners will spend the most on features that make their homes greener, versus those that increase comfort or improve the appearance.
  For those pros still wary of the trend, it’s worth noting what Bernstein calls one of green building’s biggest obstacles for homeowners: In some markets, there just aren’t enough builders doing it.

The environment is everyone's home. Andersen Corporation, a leading manufacturer for over 100 years, has a long history of environmental stewardship. As the window replacement subsidiary of Andersen, Renewal by Andersen proudly carries this tradition forward. We work to approach sustainability at every level, from our manufacturing facility to your home.

Remodel Green?

Andersen Corp.'s Andersen and Renewal by Andersen brands of wood and wood-composite windows and doors are now Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain-of-Custody certified. The certification was awarded by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), a third-party certification and assessment body based in Emeryville, Calif.

To achieve FSC Chain-of-Custody certification, companies must meet FSC's standards for traceability and distribution, and all stages of production, distribution, and sale of a product must be independently evaluated. With FSC Chain-of-Custody certification, use of Andersen and Renewal by Andersen windows and doors earns points under USGBC LEED Materials and Resources Credit 7: Certified Wood, the company says.

Andersen's FSC certification affirms the company's commitment to sustainability and assures its customers that Andersen and Renewal by Andersen products meet the highest forestry standards, according to J. Glasnapp, vice president of corporate sustainability and quality for Andersen. Windows and doors in the Andersen and Renewal by Andersen lines also recently received SCS' Indoor Advantage Gold certification for indoor air quality.