VLX 80 Awning Window

VLX 80 Awning Window in Dallas, TX | Meridian Windows and Doors Dallas

The VLX 80 Awning Window is a top-hinged aluminum window that opens outward from the bottom, letting you run ventilation even during a Dallas downpour. It’s the window we recommend most for kitchens, bathrooms, and any room where you want airflow without sacrificing security or dry floors. Meridian Windows and Doors Dallas is an authorized ViewLux installation partner, which means you get factory-backed product support and a local Dallas crew that installs to AAMA standards. Call (325) 309-2639 for a free on-site measurement and line-item quote.

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Product Overview – VLX 80 Awning Window

The VLX 80 is built around a simple idea: a window should ventilate your home in real Dallas weather, not just on perfect days. Because the sash is hinged at the top and cranks outward from the bottom, rain hits the glass and runs off instead of coming inside. That matters here. Dallas gets roughly 38 inches of rain a year, and much of it arrives in sudden spring and fall downpours. With a double-hung or casement window, a surprise storm means running around the house closing everything. With an awning window, you leave it open and let the rain do its thing.

The frame is extruded aluminum with a thermal break, which is the feature that separates this window from older aluminum products that conducted heat into your house. The thermal break is a non-conductive barrier inside the frame that stops the outside temperature from traveling through the metal. In a Dallas summer where July highs average 96°F, that break is the difference between a window that blocks heat and one that radiates it into the room. The VLX 80 carries NFRC-rated performance values, so you can verify the energy numbers instead of taking anyone’s word for them.

Architecturally, awning windows suit Dallas homes in two ways. On mid-century ranch houses and modern builds, the clean aluminum sightlines fit right in. On traditional brick homes, a pair of VLX 80 units stacked vertically above a fixed window creates a contemporary focal point without clashing. We’ve installed them in East Dallas bungalows, Preston Hollow remodels, and new construction in Frisco and McKinney. The 1.97-inch profile width keeps the frame slim enough that the glass, not the metal, is what you notice.

Technical Specifications

• Wall thickness: 0.079-inch extruded aluminum, which resists racking and keeps corners tight over decades of Dallas heat and foundation movement.
• Profile width: 1.97 inches, slim enough for a contemporary look but deep enough to house the thermal break and multi-point hardware.
• Operation: Top-hinged awning with crank or lever operation, outward opening.
• Glass options: Clear, frosted, Low-E, tempered, and laminated glass, in insulated configurations.
• Finish options: Premium Black, Pure White, Anodized Silver, Bronze, Champagne, and Teak Wood.
• Screen options: Fixed screen or retractable screen, both installed on the interior side of the sash.
• Performance standards: NFRC-rated thermal performance, AAMA 2400/2410 installation compliance, and AAMA 812 low-expansion foam sealant on all perimeter joints.
• Wind load: Rated for Dallas-area wind zone requirements, including impact-resistant laminated glass as an upgrade for storm zones and added security.

Performance Features

Thermal Efficiency. The thermal break inside the frame interrupts the aluminum’s natural conductivity. In Dallas, where air conditioning runs from May through September, that single engineering detail is the largest factor in your energy bill. The VLX 80 is NFRC-rated, so you can compare actual U-factor and SHGC values against other windows before you buy.

Acoustic Performance. If you live near Central Expressway, LBJ Freeway, or the DART rail line, laminated glass is the upgrade that changes how your home feels. The PVB interlayer absorbs sound waves that standard glass lets through. Paired with the VLX 80’s airtight perimeter seal, laminated glass drops traffic and train noise noticeably. We’ve tested it in homes off Mockingbird and along the Tollway corridor, and the difference is immediate.

Airtightness & Weather Seal. The VLX 80 uses compression gaskets around the full sash perimeter. When the window closes, the sash compresses against the frame on all four sides. That means no air leaks, no dust intrusion during Dallas spring winds, and no draft around the edges in February when the temperature dips below freezing.

Waterproofing. The top-hinged design naturally sheds water away from the opening. The frame also includes internal drainage channels that collect and direct any water that finds its way past the outer seal. This matters in Dallas, where a 2-inch-per-hour thunderstorm can hit with ten minutes of warning. The window is designed to handle it without water reaching your drywall.

Wind Resistance. Dallas sits in a region that sees strong straight-line winds during spring and fall storm lines, plus the occasional tornado warning. The VLX 80 is wind-load rated for local code requirements. The 0.079-inch wall thickness and reinforced corner construction keep the frame rigid when winds push against a large winder. For homes in far north Dallas, Plano, and McKinney where winds sweep across open land, we recommend the impact-resistant laminated glass option.

Security & Hardware. Awning windows are inherently harder to force open from outside because the sash closes against the frame in a compression seal, and the crank mechanism cannot be manipulated through a gap the way a sliding window latch can. Multi-point locking hardware is available. Because the opening is small and top-hinged, an awning window is one of the best choices for ground-floor rooms facing a street or alley.

Color & Glass Options

The VLX 80 comes in six finishes, and each one serves a different look. Pure White is the default choice for traditional Dallas brick homes and any interior with white trim already in place. Premium Black is what we’re specifying most on modern farmhouse and contemporary builds in East Dallas, where it creates a sharp contrast against light brick or siding. Anodized Silver gives you a natural aluminum look that works well on mid-century homes and commercial storefronts. Bronze and Champagne are warmer metallic tones that sit well on homes with earth-toned brick, which covers a large share of houses built in Dallas from the 1970s through the 1990s. Teak Wood is a woodgrain-finish powder coat for anyone who wants the look of wood with aluminum’s resistance to rot, termites, and Dallas humidity.

Glass selection is driven by orientation and room function. Clear glass maximizes visible light and is the most economical option. Low-E glass is what we recommend for any window that gets afternoon western sun, which in Dallas means any window facing west. It cuts solar heat gain without noticeably darkening the room. Frosted glass is ideal for bathrooms and any window facing a neighbor’s wall less than ten feet away. Tempered glass is required by code in specific locations like doors and low windows, and we’ll flag those when we measure. Laminated glass is the security and storm upgrade we discussed above.

Installation by Meridian Windows and Doors Dallas in Dallas

An expensive window installed badly is a bad window. That’s not an exaggeration. Manufacturer warranties on the VLX 80 awwning window are voided by improper installation, and in aluminum replacement work, water intrusion from a sloppy install shows up as rotted framing, mold, and warped drywall within three to five years. This is why we install every ViewLux window to AAMA 2400/2410 installation standards, which cover the correct interface between the window and the wall opening.

Our installation process for the VLX 80 in Dallas homes follows the same sequence every time. First, we inspect the existing opening before demolition, checking for water damage, rot, or framing issues that would compromise the new window. In older Dallas homes, we regularly find that the original window was installed without proper flashing, and the rough opening needs repair before the new unit goes in. We address that before the window arrives.

Once the old window is out, the new VLX 80 is set level, plumb, and square. Aluminum frames are rigid but unforgiving. If the rough opening is out of square by even a quarter inch, the sash will bind, the gaskets won’t seat, and the weather seal will fail. We shim and adjust until the frame is true, then secure it. Every perimeter joint receives AAMA 812 low-expansion foam sealant, which fills the gap between the frame and the rough opening without bowing the frame. After that, we apply exterior flashing and sealant in a sequence that directs water down and out, not into the wall cavity. We finish with a water test, confirm the sash operates smoothly in both directions, and clean up the work area before we leave.

Dallas-specific factors we account for include the region’s clay soil, which shifts foundations and can cause existing openings to move out of square over time. We account for that in the install, leaving proper clearance so the window continues to operate even as the house settles through dry summers and wet winters. We also work within Dallas building code requirements for egress and tempered glass placement.

Frequently Asked Questions – VLX 80 Awning Window

Get a Quote – VLX 80 Awning Window in Dallas

If you’re pricing awning windows for a Dallas remodel, replacement, or new build, we’ll measure your openings, walk you through glass and finish options, and give you a written line-item quote with no change orders down the line. Call (325) 309-2639 to schedule your free on-site measurement, or to tour the VLX 80 in person and see the finish samples against your own walls.

Written by the team at Meridian Windows and Doors Dallas, serving Dallas, TX as an authorized ViewLux installation partner.