Crystal Pacific supplied new highly energy efficient MAGNUS uPVC commercial vinyl windows in sliding and fixed styles with special glazing for the classified activities building overlooking the Pacific Ocean at Point Loma Naval Base near San Diego Harbor.
-Manufacturer Supplies uPVC Windows for San Diego Area Naval Facility –
RIVERSIDE, CA, July 28, 2022 –An important classified facility at the Point Loma Naval Base is sporting new windows as it overlooks the Pacific Ocean near San Diego Harbor. The building, which has been described as a modern-day “technical lighthouse” for US Navy ships at sea was recently renovated with 95 new windows supplied by Crystal Pacific Window & Door Systems.
The project involved numerous product, production, and delivery challenges which Crystal navigated well. First was the need for a window system that would stand up to the damaging effects of incessant salt sea air and UV sunlight. Besides the significant challenge of providing materials to a secure military facility job site, the Navy also imposed an incredibly aggressive timeline for project completion, to which Crystal and the fenestration installer responded with “all hands on deck.”
“Crystal Pacific’s success with this project is a result of our great product lineup, the can-do spirit of our technical and production staff, and our sales team’s smooth coordination with the general contractor and Naval Base staff,” said Vivian DeMarco, Sales Manager for Crystal Pacific. All the windows were fabricated at Crystal’s Riverside, CA, factory. The general contractor and fenestration installer for the project was B3 Construction of San Diego.
To handle the sea and sun environment, the 4-story west-facing building just 100 yards from the ocean was supplied with 95 Crystal MAGNUS Series 700 uPVC commercial vinyl windows with special glass options. The Crystal MAGNUS uPVC windows combine the strength of aluminum with the energy efficiency and low maintenance of vinyl windows.
Crystal used two styles of MAGNUS Series 700 uPVC window for the Naval Base project. Most of the windows were the Series 700 single-slider rated R-PG55, and a few Series 700 fixed windows were also used with a CW-PG70 rating. Both windows feature strong, durable cadmium- and lead-free multi-chambered 3-¼” jamb depth
uPVC frames. Crystal’s uPVC windows are easily capable of spanning large openings. The new MAGNUS windows were mulled onsite to form continuous horizontal ribbons spanning entire floors on the modernist building. The single-slider windows were used for openings as large as 60” wide by 53-½” tall and the fixed windows were used in sizes of 69-½” wide by 53-½” tall with a few 52” wide by 92” tall.
The MAGNUS Series 700 single-slider features include dual brass rollers and pull rails for easy operation, reinforced interlocking sashes for a weather-tight seal, and a modern design automatic sash lock. To maintain the building’s original interiors and exteriors, the Crystal MAGNUS windows were finished with a durable bronze Renolit foil which is extremely resistant to heat, sun, salt, air pollution, and abrasion.
Both Crystal MAGNUS Series 700 styles used have a 1” insulated glass unit (IGU) pocket. For this San Diego area project, the IGUs were all specified with dual pane tempered Cardinal triple coated LoE3-366, argon gas filling, grey tinting, with a few units fitted with obscured glass. The Cardinal LoE3-366 is noted for its superior thermal and sun control properties while maintaining the clearest views. The special glass package combined with inherent uPVC energy efficiency delivered U-values of 0.29 and solar heat gain (SHGC) of 0.21 for the Series 700 slider and U-values of 0.28 and SHGC of 0.23 for the fixed style.
“Crystal is really quite proud of our products and performance with this project, including the final delivery which we made right on time,” said DeMarco. “Our customer, B3 Construction, as well as the property owner, the US Navy, are both satisfied and looking forward to working with Crystal again.”
