As the years pass, it seems they do so more quickly.  During the last few years at WDMA-BC we have seen a great deal of activity in what feels like a very short time.  I think it's fair to say during my five years with our Association we have been more active than any other time in its history.

With the implementation of the Energy Regulation, updates to the ENERGY STAR program, a greater focus on swing doors, and a new building code headed our way, we have had many things to keep us busy.  Our association, along with its board of directors has met many of these challenges head on, and worked hard on behalf of our industry in light of these changes. We have worked to keep our members informed and up to date through emails, seminars, webinars, dinners and breakfast meetings, as well as the ever popular Technical Meetings.  And of course, the golf tournament, to be held this year on May 20/2010.

The association's membership has experienced dramatic growth.  It has been good to see new members from the door manufacturer and pre-hanger sectors of our business.  We were lacking that perspective and expertise and look forward to their participation as we face many challenges with the door industries requirements now and into the future.

I take my hat off to past presidents Al Jaugelis and David Bruce for their leadership over the last four years.  They have been instrumental in increasing the awareness of our association and have engaged both government and industry to make our association a group to be reckoned with.  Our challenge will be to maintain this momentum and build on it to keep the WDMA-BC a strong and influential organization that can continue to grow and offer value and guidance to its membership.  

As the new president of the association I'm faced with large shoes to fill.  Even though I bring my own style and concerns to the board, I will make every effort to serve the memberships call, and to work with all of you to keep our Association moving forward.

The October 29 Technical Meeting featured a panel discussion addressing the issue of replacement window installation. Three industry panelists addressed a number of relevant issues from several perspectives: best-practice issues to consider before choosing an installation method, problems observed with some current installation practices, and the practical challenges faced by installers.

Dave Ricketts of RDH Building Engineering gave an overview of the few applicable code and standard requirements for replacement windows, then presented a chart from the A440.4 window installation standard that clearly identifies low, medium, and high exposure conditions. Charlie Gould of JRS Engineering discussed a number replacement window installation issues, illustrating his talk with photographs. Ian Lingham of Independent Installations addressed the topic from an installer's point of view.

One of the challenges facing the installer is the wide variety of existing window installations, with different types of wood, aluminum, vinyl and steel framed windows installed into a variety of wall types. Even installers with a good understanding of appropriate installation practices are sometimes challenged with conditions they have never faced before. Then too they must deal with customers who don't want to pay for a proper installation and insist the installer use a less expensive and less satisfactory method, or window sales persons who pressure installers to ignore wall problems and just get the job done.

The panel discussion format allowed for questions and comments from the participants. A straw poll, taken by a show of hands, indicated that a majority of members present agreed this topic deserves greater attention from our association.