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Review answers to our most commonly asked questions related to membership, events, certification, publications, continuing education, general window advice and more.
No, this is a two-day event (Tuesday and Wednesday) with up to five hours of education focused-content each day.
Participants will receive password protected access to all session materials via Vimeo.
Refunds will be issued (less a $100 service charge per registration) if submitted prior to the deadline listed on the event registration form and website.
If you are not able to login, please complete one of the following options to retrieve/reset your login credentials before registering for this event:
For planning purposes, it is preferred to have participants register in advance; however, all are welcome (different fees may apply).
Non-members are welcome to attend an FGIA event at the non-member rate. However, after attending two events, non-members are required to join the association before attending future events.
Non-members must submit a paper registration form to sign up for FGIA events.
The schedule for in-person events will follow the venue’s time zone.
The schedule for virtual events will be set in the central time zone.
All participants will receive an email containing their unique link to connect to the event.
FGIA is committed to helping you make the most of your time at all of our events. In the week prior to the summit, a link will be provided to join the sessions, where expert speakers will share their insights.
In addition, tips for staying connected will also be shared, including how to ask questions, connect with other participants and how to access meeting materials. Beyond your participation at the summit, an online resource provides information on committee participation and balloting procedures, as well as other useful information. However, if you need more information, please contact [email protected].
Members
Non-members
Non-member companies that are eligible for FGIA membership (i.e. prospective members) may attend a maximum of two FGIA events (per company).
Event fees for all registrants (regardless of their location) for events hosted in Canada, including virtual registration for hybrid events broadcasted from a venue in Canada, are subject to Canadian federal sales tax. For events hosted in British Columbia (BC), the 5% GST will be applied to the total event fees.
As we know from past experience, networking during virtual sessions can be challenging; therefore, we are focusing on the educational content of the event.
There will not be committee or task group sessions at this event.
Chats among participants are highly recommended throughout the day, however we ask that questions for presenters to be submitted through the event platform Q&A function. For more interaction, participants are encouraged to unmute their mics and ask their questions live.
Password protected access to the event presentations will be provided via Vimeo.
Yes. FGIA offers a robust sponsorship package tailored to the needs of FGIA’s members, whether they are small or large businesses. Visit the FGIA Sponsorship page, or contact [email protected] to secure your sponsorship level.
If you are already listed as a contact under your company’s membership, click the Sign In button in the top left-hand corner of the website and choose “Forgot my password” to have your username and password information emailed to you.
If the automated system indicates that your email address is not on file, you will need to be added as a secondary contact under the membership in order to obtain an individual log-in for the Members Only area. Please request that your company’s main contact add you to the membership or contact [email protected].
General benefits of FGIA membership include development of product and component performance standards, networking opportunities, updates on codes information and industry developments, discounts on conference registration, reduced prices on publications and market studies, access to members-only information on our website, free subscriptions to newsletters and priority access to industry-related technical support from FGIA staff. Visit the Join FGIA page to learn more.
Note: FGIA offers a number of membership options, and benefits vary depending on the member selection. Learn more about each option on the Corporate Memberships and Individual Memberships pages.
The cost of membership is dependent on the selected membership type and membership parameters. If applying for Corporate Membership, dues are calculated according to the dues schedule and are based on a company’s North American sales revenue from fenestration and glass products.
Dues fees for Professional Membership dues for an individual membership total $150. Technical Consultant Membership dues total $650.
Only representatives of FGIA Corporate member companies or individuals included in Professional or Technical Consultant memberships have access to members only information of the FGIA website. If you are unsure if your company is a member, search our member directory.
The most up-to-date information about the FenestrationMasters program can be found here.
If you would like to join the FenestrationMasters informational email list, please contact Angela Dickson, AAMA Marketing Manager, and you’ll receive periodic program notifications and updates related to new course availability.
Contact [email protected]. You will need to have your product tested at an AAMA-accredited or approved lab and have the test report and other supporting information sent to Associated Laboratories, Inc. (ALI) for validation.
Yes. There are sometimes significant differences in our standards. Climatic requirements for Europe do not include the extremes of temperature and wind we find in American and Pacific countries. There is no provision for resistance to hurricanes, arctic temperatures, or desert conditions because they do not exist in Europe.
Additionally, FGIA’s standards development and certification philosophies are very different. We depend heavily on private development of standards, test methods and certification procedures, strongly resisting the influence of state and federal governments in setting requirements for product evaluation.
We work closely with the EuroWindoor Association in Europe to compare standards and other issues, and we have a cooperative agreement with this association to share standards and marketing information on a regular basis. Similar agreements exist with Australia and Japan, and we have harmonized our standards with Canada.
All versions of the NAFS document were written to make this task easy and consistent. Rather than specifying individual test methods for air leakage, water penetration, structural testing, and forced-entry resistance, simply use the Short Form Specification included at the beginning of these nationally recognized standards.
There are four parts to a performance specification. The first is the Operator Type (also called the Product Type); in the NAFS-11 document, 36 operator types are addressed (i.e. HS represents a horizontal slider; C is a casement window; H is a single-, double-, or triple-hung, etc.).
Next is the Performance Class; depending on the referenced version of NAFS, there are either five (for NAFS-05) or four (for NAFS-08 and NAFS-11). When specifying via NAFS-05, the included performance classes are: R, LC, C, HC and AW. When specifying via NAFS-08 or NAFS-11, the included performance classes are: R, LC, CW and AW
The third part is the Performance Grade, stated as a pressure in psf (pounds per square foot). Each Performance Class requires a minimum Performance Grade; for example, an R class window must pass testing for a minimum Performance Grade of 15 psf (720 Pa). More information on minimum gateway test sizes can be found on the Performance Class Overview page on the AAMA website.
The last information is the size tested in the lab to qualify the product for certification. The standard specifies a minimum test size for each Product Type and Performance Class. The sample to be tested must be equal to, or larger than, this size. If the manufacturer plans to certify a particular design in larger sizes, they must test to the largest size they plan to certify and label.
In the 2005 edition of NAFS, the five performance classes established in 1997 remained (R, LC, C, HC and AW), but the market sector descriptions were deleted, as the choice of Performance Class is increasingly made somewhat independently of the use of a building. For the 2008 and 2011 editions of NAFS, the C and HC performance classifications were eliminated. In their place is a “CW” classification, which reduces the total number of performance classifications from five to four.
Since 1962, AAMA’s ANSI-accredited Certification Program — the original third-party fenestration performance verification program — has provided manufacturers with the means to independently demonstrate product performance quality to their customers. The AAMA Certification Label on a product tells customers that it has been verified as conforming to the standard’s requirements through independent laboratory testing and follow-up on-site inspection of the manufacturer’s product line.
When a product has been tested and validated by AAMA, the manufacturer is authorized to certify the product by applying the AAMA label. A product must be labeled to be certified.
Test reports are a historical record of test results on specific test specimens, tested to a defined standard or standards; a “snapshot” of the product at a certain point in time.
Laboratories may include expiration dates on their test reports that reflect their individual policies. These expiration and/or test record retention dates will vary from laboratory to laboratory and test report to test report. As historical records cannot technically “expire”, these dates are arbitrary. In the event that no changes are made to the design and/or construction of the product as documented in the test report, it is the position of AAMA that the test report remains valid as a reflection of the facts as of the date of the test.
Test reports prepared by AAMA accredited laboratories are mandated throughout AAMA’s certification and verification programs and are referenced in its voluntary standards, specifications and test methods. Though some test reports may contain expiration and/or test record retention dates established by the testing laboratory, AAMA does not rely on these dates in its certification and verification programs.
For the purposes of certification and validation, a test report is considered valid for the duration established by the requirements of the applicable certification or verification programs. For example, AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S.2/A440 test reports are mandated to include test dates, report dates and a test record retention date.
AAMA created both the FenestrationMasters® and InstallationMasters® programs. Due to the association’s long-standing history of writing standards and influencing codes, coursework and certification programs are a natural progression, and these certification programs help to educate industry professionals in not only the issues affecting the industry but also in some of the very issues that AAMA has helped to influence.
The AAMA FenestrationMasters program is a nationwide program for professionals in the window, door, skylight, curtain wall, storefront and sloped glazing industries, which was launched during the GlassBuild America show in 2010. The FenestrationMasters program offers training content based on consensus-based AAMA standards.
To gain the FenestrationMasters professional certification, the curriculum and certification exam must be completed. More information about FenestrationMasters is available here.
Please contact [email protected] to join the informational mailing list, through which you’ll receive updates related to new course availability.
The InstallationMasters program is a nationwide training and certification program for new construction and replacement installers of windows and exterior glass doors in residential and light commercial markets. More information about the InstallationMasters program, including dates and locations of upcoming classes, online training options and a list of accredited instructors by location, can be found here.
AAMA licensed the InstallationMasters™ program (training, testing and certification of window installers) several years ago to Architectural Testing, Inc. of York, PA. They can be reached at 717-764-7700.
Courses cover a wide range of subject matters including performance standards, product and material types and code requirements. Three course topics are currently available: product types and design considerations, window and door performance standards and proper glass selection. More course topics will be available throughout 2010 and 2011, including:
There are two different credentials available through the program:
Certified FenestrationMaster: To qualify for advanced certification, a four-year degree in engineering, architecture or applied sciences and four years of full-time fenestration-related experience is required OR 6 years of full-time experience in the fenestration industry.
Certified FenestrationAssociate: No minimum education or experience is required to be eligible for this level.
Both credential levels require successful completion of applicable coursework, as well as achieving the required score on the certification exam.
As the leading trade association for the residential and commercial window, door and skylight industry, AAMA provides architects, specifiers, engineers, contractors and building officials with important and up-to-date information on materials, product technology and innovation. In addition to our classroom program, distance education is easy to access through AAMA. Our courses are online and ready at your convenience.
Where appropriate, we’ll even process your credits directly with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and send you a certificate of completion. Click here for a listing of authorized course presenters.
Test reports are a historical record of test results on specific test specimens, tested to a defined standard or standards; a “snapshot” of the product at a certain point in time.
Laboratories may include expiration dates on their test reports that reflect their individual policies. These expiration and/or test record retention dates will vary from laboratory to laboratory and test report to test report. As historical records cannot technically “expire”, these dates are arbitrary. In the event that no changes are made to the design and/or construction of the product as documented in the test report, it is the position of AAMA that the test report remains valid as a reflection of the facts as of the date of the test.
Test reports prepared by AAMA accredited laboratories are mandated throughout AAMA’s certification and verification programs and are referenced in its voluntary standards, specifications and test methods. Though some test reports may contain expiration and/or test record retention dates established by the testing laboratory, AAMA does not rely on these dates in its certification and verification programs. For the purposes of certification and validation, a test report is considered valid for the duration established by the requirements of the applicable certification or verification programs. For example, AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S.2/A440 test reports are mandated to include test dates, report dates and a test record retention date.
No, the AAMA (Gold, Silver or White) Label indicates that the manufacturer is authorized by AAMA to display the label. By placing an AAMA certification label on a product, the manufacturer certifies that the labeled product meets the applicable performance requirements of the standard cited on the label. The label applies to the construction and performance of the window as it leaves the factory, not to its performance once installed.
There are three possibilities:
They may be certified to the AAMA standard, but by a different certification agency. There are other agencies that also certify fenestration products. Ask the salesman to be more specific and to show you evidence to support the certification claim.
Please contact [email protected] at your earliest convenience.
The AAMA Gold Label indicates structural performance, which includes air leakage and water penetration resistance. Unless the Gold Label also includes a section (we call it a “tab”) at the far right that mentions thermal certification to NFRC 500 (condensation resistance), the window is not rated to resist condensation.
AAMA does not certify companies but rather provides certification for products. The AAMA Certified Products Directory (CPD) lists products that AAMA has authorized for certification. Only when the manufacturer has applied the AAMA label is the product actually certified.
