PGT® WinGuard® Featured in Innovative Pilot Housing Project in St. Petersburg

VENICE, Fla., July 24, 2006 -- PGT® WinGuard® Impact-Resistant Windows and Doors is pleased to team up with the a host of organizations and other companies in the first housing project in the state of Florida built out of recycled shipping containers. The construction of the homes, called Intermodal Steel Building Units (ISBUs), will be featured step by step on the “Bob Vila” show, scheduled to air in three episodes from September 11-25, 2006 and again from March 12-26, 2007. Local station listings and schedules can be found at www.bobvila.com.

In the project, two single-family homes will be built in St. Petersburg’s Bartlett Park neighborhood and will be aesthetically identical to other homes in the neighborhood. Used as the house framework, the heavy-gauge steel construction system is an innovative way to build quality housing that is affordable, efficient, and eco-friendly for a region hard-hit by hurricanes and soaring housing prices.

In addition to providing an affordable housing option for low- and moderate-income families, the heavy gauge steel structures are designed to withstand high wind speeds of up to 120 mph, and resist water and termites. The design of the homes also meets or exceeds standards set by FLASH’s Blueprint for Safety (www.blueprintforsafety.org) and Miami-Dade County (FL) construction standards, the toughest in the country.

Homes in St. Petersburg within one mile from the coast are required to have impact-resistant windows and doors or shutters that pass tests proving that they hold up to 110 mph winds, as well as large and small debris -- referred to as missiles -- that can be carried by the winds. These homes are located within one mile of the coast. WinGuard Impact-Resistant Windows and Doors with vinyl frames, featured in the homes, meet these requirements and have Florida State Product Approval.

WinGuard windows and doors combine heavy-duty aluminum or vinyl frames with impact-resistant laminated glass. A special silicone glazing process helps keep the glass from breaking away from the frame. Laminated glass is constructed by bonding a tough polyvinylbutyral (PVB) interlayer between two pieces of glass under heat and pressure. Upon impact from wind-borne debris or wind, laminated glass adheres to the interlayer, keeping the glass intact within the frame. The opening is not penetrated because of the strength and energy-absorbing capability of the interlayer.

The ISBU Housing Pilot Project is the result of a collaborative effort among St. Petersburg Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. (SPNHS); Tampa Armature Works (TAW); and the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH); and is funded by $185,000 in grants from The Home Depot Foundation, The Home Depot and NeighborWorks® America. PGT® donated WinGuard for the two homes.

PGT pioneered the U.S. impact-resistant window and door industry and today is the nation’s leading manufacturer and supplier of residential impact-resistant windows and doors. PGT is also one of the largest window and door manufacturers in the United States. In its 25th year, the company employs approximately 2,400 at its 485,000-square-foot manufacturing and glass laminating and tempering plants, and delivery fleet facilities in Venice, Fla., and its 225,000-square-foot production facility in Lexington, N.C. Sold through a network of over 1,300 independent distributors, the company’s total line of custom windows and doors is now available throughout the eastern United States, the Gulf Coast and in a growing international market, which includes the Caribbean, South America and Australia. PGT’s product line includes PGT® Aluminum and Vinyl Windows and Doors; WinGuard® Impact-Resistant Windows and Doors; Multi-Story Series 800 Windows and Doors; and Eze-Breeze® Sliding Panels.

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