American Architectural Manufacturers Association

April 27, 2012

AAMA Seeks Code Modification for ADA Threshold Height

On July 26, 2010, the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), President Obama announced newly revised ADA regulations.

The regulations, entitled the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, went into effect March 15, 2012, for physical construction or alterations commencing on or after that date. Property owners across the country are now required to meet these expanded regulations for renovation or construction projects or risk ADA compliance lawsuits.

April 27, 2012

Door Task Groups Near Completion on Industry Documents

At the 75th Annual Conference in Naples, FL, the Door Council and related task groups met to resolve ballot comments and discuss critical issues.

March 30, 2012

Member Profile: WIC First Vice President, Chris Habegger

WIC First Vice President, Chris Habegger (Gaska Tape), describes some of his industry experiences and influences, as well as his involvement with AAMA, in this Member Profile.

March 30, 2012

FenestrationMasters Includes Basics of Wall Interface Components and Their Installation

AAMA's new FenestrationMasters™ training program for industry professionals is targeted toward technical managers at manufacturing companies, manufacturer sales and customer service personnel, distributors, dealers and installers. Courses are configured for two training levels: FenestrationAssociate™ (provides overviews of the material), and FenestrationMasters™ (provides in-depth details). The foundation for the coursework is consensus-based AAMA standards.

January 31, 2012

Skylight/Sloped Glazing Council Updates Documents, Discusses Codes and Creates Course

The AAMA Skylight/Sloped Glazing Council is currently working on several document updates, as well as reviewing and commenting on an ASTM human impact document. AAMA is promoting daylighting through codes and working proactively to introduce provisions for natural daylighting into green and energy codes. The Skylight NAFS Task Group is reviewing and commenting on its course in order for a conference call tobe scheduled to discuss all member comments.

January 31, 2012

Objectifying the Subjective: In Pursuit of Metrics for Daylighting

Lisa Heschong (Heschong Mahone Group) presented a roadmap for the development of daylighting performance metrics to the NRFC in November 2010. The following is a summary of her presentation and ensuing discussion.

In the context of green construction, building owners, designers and standards developers look increasingly to daylighting to provide natural interior illumination while saving money on energy costs and reducing a building's impact on the environment.

December 22, 2011

BHMA 101

Hardware is a mission-critical component of operable fenestration. Recognizing this, a window or door intended for AAMA certification under the current North American Fenestration Standard (NAFS), i.e., AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S.2/A440, must have its various hardware items tested for compliance with applicable AAMA 900-series standards.

December 20, 2011

Canadian Codes Updated, Effects on Fenestration Industry

Much is written about code development in the U.S., but little is often said about the building codes of our neighbor to the north. While their code change cycle is not as frequent as ours, new versions have recently been released and will be of interest to manufacturers selling across the border.

November 29, 2011

WIC Solicited for Expert Advice, Requests Quotes from Labs

The Western Wall and Ceiling Contractors Association (WWCCA) asked AAMA to review selected details for window installation in stucco, and whether or not a sill pan is needed in particular instances. WWCCA is writing a guide that intends to reference AAMA; as a result, they asked the Wall Interface Council to review their guide before it is published.

November 29, 2011

Wall Interface Council Activities Update

AAMA's Wall Interface Council met at the National Fall Conference to discuss several issues, including industry document updates. Visit the Wall Interface Council home page for more information.