Are We Getting More Colorful?

This week's WDweekly suggests our industry is getting more colorful. One of our news items this week focuses on Soft-Lite, which has been promoting color options on its vinyl windows and doors for some time, but also seems to be part of a growing trend. Over the past year or so, a growing number of manufacturers have added new color and finish options or capabilities.

Much of the activity is in vinyl products, but it's not confined to that realm. Just last week, Sun Windows reported it was adding a new powder coating facility for its clad line. And there's been a steady stream of new design and finish options in fiberglass entry doors over the past several years.

So how much are you seeing demand growing for such products? I know some companies may be starting from a baseline of white and beige and others may have offered multiple options for years, but we'll try to get a handle on this trend with our poll question of the week. And I'd like to hear more about what you see happening in your market. Who wants non-white windows now? Why do you think these options are gaining in popularity? Are they more affordable or are more consumers willing to pay for them? Email me and let me know what you think.

What kind of growth do you expect in new color and finish options? More than 20 percent 10 to 20 percent 5 to 10 percent Less than 5 percent Not much, but we've offered a lot of options for a long time. Not much because we haven't added many. If poll form doesn't work in your email, Click Here.

Contact John G. Swanson, editor & associate publisher, at john@glass.org.

Follow @JohnWDMag