What Is AAMA? (+Why It Matters)

What is AAMA? What does it have to do with windows? If you’ve looked at a window’s certifications and seen the AAMA Gold Label logo, you might have wondered what the AAMA even is. 

Worse, if you Googled ‘What is AAMA’ or ‘What does AAMA mean” you might have gotten some unexpected results mentioning a medical association and wondered what that has to do with windows.

Well, the American Association of Medical Assistants has absolutely nothing to do with windows beyond their buildings presumably having them. 

What Is AAMA, Then?

What the AAMA acronym means in the context of windows is “American Architectural Manufacturers Association.” 

AAMA was the name of the organization that oversaw the assessment of the Gold Label program for windows.

You might be curious about the past tense used in the previous sentence. 

The AAMA operated under that name for a number of years, but it then merged with another organization. The Insulated Glass Manufacturing Alliance, or IGMA, entered into a merger with the AAMA, and the two groups adopted a new moniker: the Fenestration & Glazing Industry Alliance, or FGIA.

This merger happened back in 2020 according to Glass Magazine. 

So, in effect, the current-day FGIA is the AAMA.

All of the certifications that AAMA oversaw, such as the Gold Label program, are now managed by the FGIA.

Why Did AAMA Merge with IGMA?

So, why would the AAMA merge with the IGMA to become the FGIA? In a quote featured in a Graham Architectural Products article, AAMA Board Chairman Donnie Hunter stated “The value of the new organization will be a stronger industry voice, offering members and the industry single-source access to critical information.”

The two organizations found that they had overlapping roles and responsibilities and, rather than clash to see which one could become the more widely accepted industry standard setter, they merged to share responsibilities and prevent expensive, drawn out battles over standards that would confuse the industry as a whole.

With two separate organizations, it would be confusing for both consumers and manufacturers to follow potentially conflicting standards for fenestration. By merging, there would be only one major organization assigning standards and best practices for manufacturers, installers, and consumers to keep track of.

What Does the FGIA Do?

So, what does the merged FGIA do? As they note on their own About page: “FGIA is dedicated to improving home and building performance through better glass, window, door, and skylight technology and standards.” 

In other words, their primary task is to ensure that homeowners throughout the United States have access to reliable, high-performing windows and doors suitable for their regional 

One way they accomplish this is through their ongoing Gold Label program which still uses the AAMA branding so as not to confuse consumers who aren’t actively tracking what happened with the AAMA, IGMA, and FGIA.

What Does the AAMA Gold Label Mean?

An AAMA Gold Label on a product indicates that the door or window in question has gone through extensive testing of not just the final product, but the whole production process. To earn an AAMA Gold Label, fenestration products must undergo independent testing at an AAMA-Accredited testing lab against the AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S.2/A440-22-North American Fenestration Standard/Specification for windows, doors, and skylights.

These standards include:

• Specifications for allowable air leakage
• That no water penetration occurs when exposed to simulated wind speed
• Minimum allowances for structural resistance to wind and other dynamic pressures (may vary by region where the window or door will be installed)
• Life cycle durability testing
• Additional performance verification to AAMA specifications for each component of the window
• Facility inspections by FGIA inspectors at least twice a year

If a window or door passes all of the testing and inspections, and the manufacturer has an AAMA Certification Program license, then the manufacturer may advertise the product using the AAMA Gold Label.

So, a product with the Gold Label means that it has passed these rigorous inspections, marking it as a reliable product that will stand up to repeated use while also being energy efficient.

There is a separate, Silver Label AAMA certification for windows and doors that only aim to pass the energy efficiency check.

What Happens if a Manufacturer Fakes a Gold Label? How Can I Know?

Say you’re shopping for new windows for your home and see a product with a big AAMA Gold Label, but notice that it looks cheaply made on the demonstration model. What happens if it turns out to be fake?

Some window installation companies might try to cut costs by using non Gold Label windows while charging for Gold Label certified products, and some manufacturers might try to claim that they have the certification when they don’t. 

What happens when your windows or doors haven’t actually passed the Gold Label testing, but use the Gold Label to try to trick you into buying substandard fenestration? 

Unfortunately, if you don’t spot the fake until it’s too late, there isn’t much you can do outside of filing a court case against the fraudster.

The better option is early detection. How can you check that a window or door is a genuine AAMA-certified product prior to ordering it? By looking up its manufacturing information before you sign anything.

The FGIA has an AAMA Certified Products Directory where you can look up windows and doors by manufacturer and description (operator type, material, etc.), by its manufacturer code, or by its CPD code.

If you enter the CPD code (and all certified products will have a CPD that the manufacturer can share) into the directory, you can find the window product name and other information in the registry.

For example, a Simonton StormBreaker picture window has a CPD code of 5793 in the directory. If you enter that CPD #, you’ll see that the window is manufactured by Simonton WIndows, that it has passed the AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S.2/A440-11 standard, its performance class, grade, and more.

Then, you can reach out to Simonton to verify that the window installation company you’re reaching out to is an approved Simonton dealer or installer. 

It is unfortunate that this level of caution is necessary, but that is often the best way to protect your home and hard-earned money from charlatans running fly-by-nite ‘installation’ companies that seek only to extract as much money as they can from the unsuspecting before closing their doors and escaping to found a new business under a different name somewhere else to do it all again.

Get AAMA Certified Products from a Proven Installation Company

One of the best ways to avoid getting scammed with fake windows that don’t meet AAMA certification standards is to find a proven, reliable installation company with a long history of quality workmanship.

Karoly Windows & Doors has over a quarter century of experience installing impact windows with Gold Label AAMA Certification. We’ve installed over 100,000 windows for homeowners throughout the Tampa Bay area, earning consistent accolades as a best-of-the-best impact window installer.

Get a window installation service you can trust by reaching out to Karoly Windows & Doors today!