US Window & Door Demand To Reach $31 Billion In 2007

The prospects for windows and doors in office, commercial and industrial buildings will be particularly favorable as a result of a recovery in the construction of these buildings.

Several factors will work to offset the effects of the soft housing environment on residential window and door demand, including increases in average home sizes and the growing use of value-added products. These and other trends are presented in Windows & Doors, a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industrial market research firm.

Plastic windows and doors will continue to lead demand gains through 2007, advancing 7.3 percent annually to $6.2 billion. Although growth will decelerate from the historical pace as a result of growing market maturity, plastic windows and doors will continue to gain market share at the expense of metal and wood products. Growth will also be bolstered by greater acceptance of these window and door materials in new residential applications. Gains for products such as fiberglass entry doors will be particularly strong over the forecast period as these products are quickly increasing market penetration.

Despite the strong growth projected for plastic windows and doors, products made from metal and wood materials will continue to dominate dollar value demand through 2007. Of these two material segments, metal windows and doors will offer the stronger growth prospects, rising 5.8 percent per year through 2007 to $13 billion. These above-average gains will allow metal to regain its position as the dominant window and door material, following a weak performance in 2002. This weakness, as well as the strength forecast through 2007, is primarily a result of patterns in the construction of industrial buildings, a key end use for metal products. Advances
in metal window and door demand will also be supported by a favorable outlook for office and commercial building construction.