Wood Window and Door Manufacturing
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Industry Overview
The US wood window and door manufacturing industry includes about 1,400 companies with combined annual revenue of about $14 billion. Major companies include Andersen, JELD-WEN, and Pella. The industry is concentrated: the 50 largest companies control about 70 percent of the market.
Competitive Landscape
Demand for wood windows and doors is closely tied to residential construction activity, both new construction and remodeling. The profitability of individual companies depends on efficient manufacturing and effective marketing. Large companies have advantages in purchasing power, manufacturing volume, and methods of distribution. Small companies can compete by offering custom design and other value-added customer services to local or regional markets.
Products, Operations & Technology
Major product categories include interior and exterior wood doors and wood windows. Interior and exterior doors account for about 30 percent of industry revenues; other types of wood doors, including garage, patio, bi-fold, and cabinet doors, account for about 15 percent. Double-hung and casement windows each account for about 10 percent of industry revenues. Other types of windows such as single-hung, sliding, picture, transom, specialty, and bay windows and skylights, along with wood window and door frames, account for the remainder of industry sales.
Wood windows and doors are primarily marketed for use in residential construction or remodeling. Styles range from simple, basic designs to doors and windows that have architectural features such as arches, art glass, or custom hardware. Wood window manufacturers have a range of standard sizes, and some also offer custom sizing. Large manufacturers of wood doors usually offer standard sizes that are shipped fully assembled in their frames. Customers can create custom wood window and door designs by selecting various combinations of wood species, finishes, hardware and locks, and other features.
Raw materials for wood doors and windows include wood of various species, glass, and hardware, which is typically made of steel or brass. Wood is usually purchased from sawmills or timber producers; glass and hardware are also purchased from suppliers. Wood species commonly used in door and window manufacturing include alder, cherry, Douglas fir, hickory, mahogany, maple, oak, pine, poplar, and walnut. Manufacturing also requires the use of various chemical products, including adhesives, which are used in assembly. To make exterior-facing wood window and door components resistant to the elements, such as rain and ultraviolet (UV) rays, wood surfaces are typically clad with vinyl or aluminum. Exterior-facing window components that are not clad usually are treated with a chemical sealer, such as paint or stain. Clad windows tend to be preferred as they require less maintenance.
Major operations in wood door and window manufacturing are cutting, machining, and assembly. Door frames and window sashes or frames are made of various wood components that are cut to size, then assembled using woodworking joinery techniques including cope and stick, doweling, or mortise and tenon. In the case of windows, glass is cut to size and installed into the wood frame or sash. There are three basic glazing methods to make modern windows more energy efficient: using a method such as tinting to change the properties of the glass, adding a reflective coating (such as a low-emittance or low-E coating) to the glass, and using multiple layers of glass. Two or more of these methods are often combined to maximize energy efficiency.
Some companies have highly automated production facilities. Typical machinery often includes horizontal/vertical, single- or multiple-spindle machining centers than can perform complex drilling, routing, mortising, tenoning, shaping, and routing processes. Specialized machinery is also often used for clamping and assembling doors and windows. Machinery is often computer controlled (CNC). Engineering skills are necessary for product and process design.
Large companies may have their own distribution networks that coordinate product delivery and handle logistics through regional distribution centers. Both large and small companies may use wholesalers, who resell products to retailers, remodelers, and homebuilders.
