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Apr 5, 2018

Video: Pella Installs Home-Run-Proof Windows Near Chicago's Wrigley Field

On opening day of the 2018 baseball season, Pella Windows & Doors helped the Chicago Cubs get ready by installing home-run-proof windows in an apartment building near the team's Wrigely Field

The building, which sits right behind the left field bleachers, is a prime home run target, and has had at least two windows broken by baseballs in recent memory, says Matt Waldren, an engineering specialist in Pella's test lab.  

"We saw a need in the market, windows being broken, so we offered up a solution and the Cubs were willing to take that ball and run with it," says Waldren of the partnership.

Pella specified their Architect Series Reserve line, a window collection with a historically accurate look.  The Pella team also upgraded the glass to a tempered option, which, after testing in a lab, was determined to be able to withstand the impact of home run balls. 

"We went through and analyzed a lot of MLB statcast data, then we took that data and developed a test in our lab," Waldren explains. "We modified our hurrican cannons to shoot baseballs. We set up products and started shooting baseballs at them."

 The design of the Architect Series Reserve windows allowed the projects certified installer, LaPelusa Home Improvement, Inc., to keep the historic interior window elements.

"We crafted a hybrid type of installation approach, where we took a full-frame exterior, but we decided to preserve all of the interior trim, molding and millwork, because of its history," Brian LaPelusa, the company's owner, explains. "Pella windows facilitates that by making a window designed to allow all of the inside molding and millwork to stay in place."

To here from LaPelusa and Waldren and see the installation in action, watch the video above. 

Transcript: 

I was contacted by Pella Chicago with a great opportunity to take on front elevation of this building that's right behind the left field bleachers left field is notorious for homeruns coming out of the ballpark we saw a need in the market windows being broken and so we offered up a solution and the Cubs were willing to take that ball run with it this specific design of window is called the architect reserve which is historically accurate looking window we went through and analyzed a lot of MLB stat cat's data then we took that data and we developed a test in our lab we modified our hurricane cannon to sheet baseballs and we've said it set up products and start shooting baseballs at them we have upgraded the glazing option to a tempered glass which gives the window its durability to baseball impacts typically tempered glass would be used on your entry doors any big type of a glass surface so in the event that someone went through it it would be a safer break you know everybody thinks rightfully that you know the biggest benefits of replacing windows and doors is the improvement and energy efficiency and that is a huge improvement and the biggest bonus benefit is the improvement in sound control in the city especially a huge comment we get all the time from our homeowners early I could hear people just walking by talking on a street before but now it's like where we're all sealed up.
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