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AAMA/WDMA Study Sees Window Sales Tumbling
With new home construction down and residential remodeling expenditures flat, window sales tumbled 5.3 percent last year, according to a new report from the American Architectural Manufacturers Association and the Window and Door Manufacturers Association. Weak market conditions are expected to produce a further 9.4 percent decline this year before sales tick up again in 2008.
 Prepared by Ducker Research Co. Inc., the AAMA/WDMA 2007 U.S. Industry Statistical Review and Forecast sees better times in the nonresidential window market. There, demand jumped 9 percent last year, with further increases expected this year and next.
The study, now available for purchase on the AAMA and WDMA Web sites, reports that after breaking the 70 million mark in 2005, residential window shipments declined to an estimated 66.7 million units in 2006. Weak market conditions mean that number is expected to decrease again this year, and this pattern is evident for residential doors and skylights as well.
Although their market shares are still relatively small, alternative materials are faring better than the market as a whole. Ducker estimates that fiberglass window sales grew by 6 percent in 2006 and composites and other types of products 2.5 percent. Fiberglass is making even more progress in doors. In fact, fiberglass entry doors are one of the few product categories expected to see increases in 2007.
A more detailed article about the Ducker study will appear in the June/July issue of Window & Door magazine.
Click here to read last year's article about the 2006 report or read recent Window & Door content here.
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