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Lasting Beauty and Peace of Mind on the Waterfront

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Lasting Beauty and Peace of Mind on the Waterfront


By Integrity November 17, 2015

Ocean View, Delaware designer/builder Bruce Mears once worked for an architect who wanted a mahogany-veneer entry door on his beach house. The client insisted that a coat of oil was all the door needed, despite Mears' objections. It took only a month for the door to start delaminating, ruining its look.

Mears, who has built luxury homes on the Delaware coast for 30 years, tells this story to explain two things: what the harsh North Atlantic environment will do to a home, and why he standardized around Integrity from Marvin’s windows and doors. He has found that Integrity products, made with Ultrex® fiberglass, are both durable and good looking no matter what nature throws at them.

The abuse heaped on an oceanfront home goes well beyond what homes see just a mile inland. "Salt, sand and wind will thoroughly test any exterior product here," says Mears. He has a keen eye for what will consistently pass that test, so after using Integrity products on just two jobs he decided to offer them to all his clients. He even put the brand logo on his website. "I prefer Integrity over every other window and door line I've used," he says.

An abundant use of Integrity windows opens the home up to beautiful waterfront views while protecting the home from the elements.

So when a prominent Washington political consultant asked him to design and build a spacious home on Bethany Beach's Little Assawoman Bay in Delaware there was no question what window and door brand he would use. With panoramic views of the Bay, all that separates this beautiful and spacious home from the North Atlantic is a narrow causeway. While the causeway shields the Bay from surf during storms, it does nothing to dampen high winds from offshore.

Wind-driven horizontal rain puts high demands on the glass, the cladding and the flashing. Within this east coast market, Mears says that fiberglass cladding is more durable than vinyl or roll-form aluminum, with Integrity being a step up from other fiberglass and composite windows and doors. Integrity’s Ultrex material stands up to the elements with strength, rigidity and overall quality. "The shadow lines are crisp, clean and straight. Those on other products can be inconsistent and wavy," says Mears.

He also praises Integrity's flashing details, which go above and beyond those that most professionals use. In October of 2015 the house went through an intense four-day storm –  the outer edge of hurricane Joaquin. Mears however didn’t worry about leaks in this home or any other homes he has built. "My houses don't leak," he says. That promise to clients summarizes why he chooses Integrity Windows and Doors.

Selecting stylish windows and patio doors that would match the elegant design and withstand the cruel oceanfront environment was easy. Integrity’s fiberglass windows and doors, made with Ultrex, offer the performance, design options and energy efficiency that help make this one of the community's finest homes. The Low E insulated glass coating on the surface of each pane significantly reduces a home’s energy consumption.

The home, completed in the spring of 2015, won the Red Diamond Achiever People’s Choice Award from Integrity after receiving the most votes among hundreds of projects. It was the first project in this market to use the Integrity’s new 4 panel sliding French door. The home has four of them which, when combined, equal more than 400 square feet of glass facing the water. The doors proved to be a great fit for the seaside climate, and opened up the home with stunning views of the coast.

Integrity’s 4 Panel Sliding French Door, central in this living space, is one of four such doors featured in this coastal home.

Coastal luxury builder explains how he uses Integrity® Windows and Doors to add beauty and durability to all of his homes

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