Industry Survey: Defining Durability in Fenestration

Dear Members,

In collaboration with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), Fenestration Canada is gathering industry input on the data, assessment methods and frameworks needed to define durability for fenestration products better.

Durability is an important component of long-term sustainability, yet it is not consistently defined or measured in fenestration product standards. Existing compliance pathways generally assess air, water, thermal and structural performance at the time of testing but provide limited insight into product degradation, service-life variability and resilience under prolonged environmental exposure.

As embodied carbon and life-cycle performance receive greater attention, we believe durability must be considered for life-cycle assessments to provide a meaningful picture of a product’s environmental performance over its actual service life.

NRC is currently conducting research on high-performance glazing, including degradation mechanisms and performance-evaluation tools. This work is intended to support future standards and code development and improve the understanding of how service life affects embodied-carbon calculations.

NRC is now seeking industry input through the survey linked below. The results will help inform the work of the Fenestration Canada - NRC Industry Advisory Board, which is expected to begin meeting in September. The Board’s initial focus will be on identifying practical pathways for advancing durability assessment, beginning with insulated glazing units.

Please complete the survey in your preferred language before September 25th:

English survey

We greatly appreciate your participation. If you have questions about the survey or the advisory board, please contact me at adrian@fenestrationcanada.ca.