You are going to have to look at most of your European type operator manufacturing companies.

Try Innotech to start with. I know they make a tilt and turn and many times, companies that make that operator type will make a French Casement style as well.

My Euro windows open IN.

"My Euro windows open IN."

Most offer outswing as well.

thank you all. I have tried Innotech and they won't sell to California. Euro looks excellent however they do not have an outswing option which may not work for all of our locations. Are you happy with your Euro windows and doors?

If you have any other leads they are greatly appreciated!

Over the Rockies limits your options. I can't find anyone else via a google search that is out there that does it. You might have to look at other than vinyl options.

Mine are not installed yet -and the company in Austria has since ceased operation. (sigh) so I am no help!

Janni, I messaged you last week!

Check with Sierra Pacific via direct contact. Windows are usually made to order anyway.

They are based in CA (this side of the Rockies).

cp - oh my- will respond later this evening!

Does Kobe have something?

OP was requesting vinyl.

@whaas_5a Kolbe does not have vinyl push-out casements. Here is a link to what we do offer. Push-Out Casements by Kolbe

While I will completely agree with you that some European windows are much better than many of the US made windows, there is crap everywhere (including Europe). Your analogy of "is like a nice new I-phone" and "is like the bag phones of the late ‘80’s" is a bit off.

Here we go.

I am going to guess by this same metric that European cars don't break down? I will have to tell my buddy that his Audi requiring a $1,500 battery change and re-flash was just a fluke.

I’m glad Windows on Washington brought up the foreign car concept. After all, it was the influx of Asian and European cars that raised the quality and service of the domestic brands. By the same method, American construction is primed to reach new heights in product quality and service.

Well...by that metric, you should be buying Korean windows because the Korean car manufacturers rank the best in quality. This false narrative that everything European construction is somehow superior is a fallacy on its face.

thank you Hawkeye and others for helping me find some options that meet my needs. it is disappointing that people don't openly allow opinions to be expressed in these types of forums and instead try to change people's minds through back and forth exchanges. I am hopeful that it can remain open so that I can get anymore leads people may have available. I may just have to open another thread unfortunately.

Were it presented as an opinion it would be taken as an opinion. It was posted as a fact or an absolute, but the fact is infact that it is not a true fact.

With energy costs so high in Europe, they have a different view on windows / doors. They make sense as an investment when you run the ROI calculations. They also rate their windows and doors differently - they rate them as an ASSEMBLY - not just a single R value through the "best" single spot. That is one reason why even a window with identical ratings can be significantly different in function and quality.

I've toured a reasonable number of "green" homes and so far have not seen a window that looks / feels as solid / well made as the ones I imported from Austria. Possible they are out there - but haven't seen them yet. But - they are pricey - and may not meet the ROI in the US with our lower energy costs.

Windows in the US are rated as an assembly as well. COG (Center of Glass) values have not been used for the last 15 years or better to my knowledge.

A windows "U-Factor" is the sum total of that entire units (i.e. edge of frame to frame) thermal resistance.

There are other numbers and performance metrics such as Air Infiltration that are also available to help make as informed decision as possible.

With regards to "green" homes, most of those type homes will employ European style operators of windows because of their superior air infiltration rates. Tilt and Turns are quite popular as are in-swing casements because they are fantastic with regards to air loss.

There is nothing about the glass R-Value that is superlative to US R-Values in the case of the European windows. Cardinal (US based manufacturer) is probably the world leader in glass design and innovation.

What is supremely important with regards to homes that are trying to reach Passivhaus or net zero standards is air tightness. You need to have supremely low ACH rates in a home that is trying to get to net zero. That, along with design (i.e. passive solar heating and orientation) are the important aspect.

With all due respect @jesjonesy, I was the first one to direct you to the European style operators in post one.

I was challenging the idea that someone was putting forth that you can only source a quality window from Europe. That simply is not true and the assertion that US built windows are a "bag phone" vs. and iphone is laughable. Some of the most trend setting development in glazing is happening right here in this country.

Again...if you are looking for a European style operator (i.e. push out casement) you sources West of the Rockies will be limited and even more so in vinyl. If you are willing to entertain fiberglass or wood, you can expand your search. There are some very good manufacturers in North America that make some products in fiberglass that will at least equal the performance of the European units cited in thermal, structural, and air infiltration performance.

The other mention of glazing is, for lack of a better descriptor, a bit of hooey. Cardinal has been meeting Euro-spec gas leakage rates for the last 10+ years and provides a lifetime warranty on their units.

The most likely thing to fail on a sealed and insulated unit is going to be the glass. That potential probably goes up by a measure percentage the more it is handled and shipped across the globe. I don't know about you, but I would want to be able to warranty my glass with a product that is made here in the states and easily accessible without having to cross the Atlantic.

If someone can show me a performance metric in a window from Europe that doesn't have a competitive equivalent here in the states and it was desirable, I might be inclined, but I haven't seen something produced over there that is unable to be sourced in North America.

Yes, Cardinal XLEdge is a fantastic product and reduces seal failure rates 80% from industry norms. However, when industry seal failure rates are already under 1% the diminishing returns of seal failure vs energy savings comes into question. European techniques remove the metal from the spacer to ramp up the energy conservation numbers. They also push those energy numbers further by increasing the overall size of the thermal unit up to 50mm (nearly 2”) in a triple glass configuration. While basic glass technology is nearly identical on both continents, the glass unit in North America is usually limited to lesser performing 7/8” or less for residential windows. Reason being; the sash cannot support the weight and twisting torque force of such a high performing glass pack.

Many conversations can continue on the merits of window technology but it’s telling to know that European windows can be imported in to the States with full warranty; but the inverse cannot be said about America’s domestic brands going to Europe.

I hope this reply doesn't come off as combative, because that is not my intent. I mean that in all honest. There are just so many gaps in what I think you may understand of the products that are available here in the US.

1. Non-metallic spacers...? You mean like Super Spacer, Duralite, and the like that have all been around since 2000 here in the states?
2. 2" IGU spacing, while probably great for sound attenuation, is mostly worthless with energy savings. There are plenty of US manufacturers that are already doing 1 3/8" spacing on triple pane IGUs that gets you to the optimum spacing for argon fill (usually around 5/8") so that you can avoid the more expensive krypton gas fill requirements.
3. Once again, nothing could be further from the truth with regards to your comments on sash strength. We have been installing 1 1/8" IGUs for 5 years at this point and now 1 3/8" IGUs with DP numbers in the 80's in an American vinyl product.

That is great about the warranty but has nothing to do with the product as much as it does have to do with importation and trade law.

What does that European supplier charge with regards to shipping on sending over one sash for a failed IGU?

For the record, the XL Edge spacer, while still metallic, has excellent edge of glass performance ratings and is only about 1-2 degrees off of the best non-metallic spacers while still providing some benefits over non-metallic spacers.

It is a fantastic system that uses thermal breaks to isolate edge of glass conductance and we have seen comparative data that shows no U-Factor offset and similar CR data.

XL Edge Data

Well stated by WoW. There are some excellent products from overseas no doubt, but the higher performance products made stateside are right there with them in many cases--- and with the benefit of a lower cost (not paying to import it) and better, faster service (I have clients that are upset when it takes two weeks to get parts, I can't imagine telling them that it will be a few months while we wait for parts from Germany). Beyond that, there something positive about contributing to domestic companies, especially when once again, there is a great value proposition to be had.

Hawkeye, is this your install team?

https://youtu.be/QHZR9SA5pOg