VLX 500 Single & Double Hung Window

VLX 500 Single & Double Hung Window in San Francisco, CA | Meridian Windows and Doors San Francisco

The VLX 500 single and double hung window is the quiet workhorse of San Francisco homes, from the painted ladies of Alamo Square to the mid-century boxes in the Sunset. It’s a vertical-slide window with an aluminum frame, tilt-in sashes, and a profile built to hold its line against fog, wind, and the occasional sideways rain off Ocean Beach. Meridian Windows and Doors San Francisco is an authorized ViewLux installation partner, which means we supply, measure, and install this exact series with the full manufacturer warranty intact. If you’re pricing out replacement windows or planning a remodel, call (831) 273-7126 for a free on-site measurement and a written quote.

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Product Overview – VLX 500 Single & Double Hung Window

Single hung and double hung windows share one defining trait: the sash moves up and down, never out. On a single hung, the bottom sash glides. On a double hung, both sashes glide, which gives you ventilation from the top, bottom, or both at once. San Francisco homes lean on hung windows hard. They’re the right visual match for Victorian bays, Edwardian flats, and the long horizontal ribbon windows on mid-century builds in Diamond Heights and Forest Hill. The VLX 500 keeps that traditional vertical geometry while cutting the maintenance down to nearly nothing.

The frame is extruded aluminum with a wall thickness of 0.079 inches and a profile width of 2.36 inches. That is a substantial section for a hung window. It resists racking, keeps the track alignment true over thousands of open-close cycles, and holds glass packages that lighter frames simply can’t carry. The tilt-in sash releases allow both sashes to swing inward toward the room, so you can clean the exterior glass from inside the house. For anyone on an upper story in the Mission or Glen Park, that detail alone changes the cleaning conversation. No ladder, no window washer, no scaffolding permit.

Buyers choose the VLX 500 because it threads a needle: it looks clean and architectural, it performs better than builder-grade vinyl, and the pricing stays reasonable compared to full custom wood or steel. It’s a rehabber’s favorite for multi-unit renovations in the Richmond and Sunset districts, where landlords need windows that survive tenant turnover and recoat cycles. It’s also the spec we recommend for owners who want dark-finish windows without the rot-and-peel risk that painted wood carries in a marine climate.

We sell and install the VLX 500 as a complete package: measurement, order, tear-out, install, trim, seal, and haul-away. You’re not juggling a window supplier and a separate installer. One call to (831) 273-7126 covers the whole job.

Technical Specifications

Here are the hard numbers and options for the VLX 500, as we quote them in San Francisco:

• Frame material: Extruded aluminum, thermal-broken
• Profile width: 2.36 inches
• Wall thickness: 0.079 inches
• Operation: Single hung (bottom sash only) or double hung (both sashes)
• Glass types: Clear, Frosted, Low-E, Tempered, Laminated
• Finish options: Premium Black, Pure White, Anodized Silver, Bronze, Champagne, Teak Wood
• Screens: Half-screen or full-screen, color-matched to the frame
• Compliance: Installed to AAMA 2400/2410 standards with AAMA 812 low-expansion foam at every perimeter joint
• Energy rating: NFRC-rated with thermal break technology

Performance Features

Thermal Efficiency – The VLX 500 is built with a thermal break, meaning the inner and outer aluminum are separated by a non-conductive material. That interrupts the heat path that makes ordinary aluminum windows sweat and bleed energy. In a city where the fog bank can park over the Avenues for weeks, NFRC-rated thermal performance is the difference between a wall that feels warm and a draft you can trace with the back of your hand.

Acoustic Performance – Sound control ratings on this series matter in San Francisco’s density. You hear your neighbor’s conversation in a Noe Valley Edwardian. You hear the 22 Fillmore grinding up the hill. Double hung windows with laminated glass cut a meaningful share of that noise, especially mid-frequency street rumble and voices. It’s the difference between “it’s quiet now” and “I forgot the street was out there.”

Airtightness & Weather Seal – Perimeter sealing is installed per AAMA 812 using low-expansion foam, not a thin bead of caulk squeezed into a dirty gap. The result is a continuous air barrier around the entire frame. That matters for energy use, but also for the fine particulate that blows through the city on a windy day at Crissy Field. Airtight means the closed window keeps the outside out.

Waterproofing – San Francisco wind-driven rain is a real test. Fog is easier to manage than the horizontal rain that comes off the Pacific in November. The VLX 500 install spec includes AAMA 2400/2410 compliance, which governs how frames are flashed, sill pans are set, and water is directed away from the wall cavity. Done right, the window drains water out the bottom instead of into your sheathing.

Wind Resistance – Certain exposures in the city, the hills of Bernal, the open corridors of the Marina, the crest of Potrero, get real sustained wind. The VLX 500 carries a wind-load rating suitable for local climate requirements. You’ll come home after a storm that stripped branches off the street trees and the window won’t have moved, whistled, or flexed.

Security & Hardware – The sashes lock at the meeting rail with hardware that sits flush and operates with a single motion. Tempered and laminated glass options add real resistance to forced entry and impact. Laminated glass holds together on impact like a windshield, a meaningful upgrade for ground-floor units throughout the Mission, the Excelsior, and the Bayview where street-facing windows are exposed.

Color & Glass Options

The VLX 500 comes in six finishes, each matched to a San Francisco architectural idiom. Pure White suits the painted Victorians of the Haight Ashbury and the classic exterior palettes of the Sunset. Premium Black is our most requested finish right now; it reads as sharp and modern on stucco boxes in the Mission and on the new-build townhouses in Dogpatch. Anodized Silver is the quiet, industrial finish that works on raw concrete lofts in SoMa and any building where you want the window to disappear into the glass line. Bronze has the sort of warm-metal depth you see on mid-century commercial storefronts on Fillmore and Chestnut. Champagne is a lighter metallic that softens the frame without going white. Teak Wood is for the purist who wants the wood sash look without the refinishing cycle, a very popular choice on Edwardian facades in the Castro where wood windows are perpetually in need of love.

Glass packages are just as flexible. Clear, Low-E, and Tempered are the core options: Low-E cuts solar heat gain and UV, which we strongly recommend for any west- or south-facing wall. Frosted glass makes sense for bathrooms, side yards, and any window where you want light without a clear view line into your neighbor’s living room. Laminated is the noise and impact upgrade. Tempered is code-required at certain locations, including low sills and near doors. We will walk you through the code issues for your specific San Francisco wall when we measure.

Installation by Meridian Windows and Doors San Francisco in San Francisco

Installation is where hung windows live or die. A well-built window installed poorly will leak, bind, fog, and eat its own hardware. A builder-grade window installed beautifully will still outlast a better one slammed into a crooked opening. In San Francisco, the opening is almost never square. Plaster walls settle, old-growth frames drift, and the rough opening in a 1908 Lake Street house is a work of fiction compared to the plan drawings.

Our install process starts with a pre-install inspection and precise measurements. We check the rough opening for square, plane, and level. We check the wall cavity for any moisture damage that needs repair before the new frame goes in. We look at flashing conditions, because many older San Francisco homes were never properly flashed around any window, and that is exactly why they rotted.

We set the frame level, plumb, and square, shimmed so the sash tracks are true from top to bottom. A hung window that’s racked even a quarter inch will bind or allow the sashes to drop on their own. Then we seal the full perimeter per AAMA 812 with low-expansion foam, not an afterthought fillet of caulk. Then we flash and trim per AAMA 2400/2410, so water drains the way the standard says it must. We run a water test after the trim is on and hose the window exactly the way it would see rain in a Pacific storm.

Cleanup is part of the job. You get the old window hauled away, the job site dusted, and a final walkthrough with the owner. Improper installation is the fastest way to void a manufacturer warranty, and ViewLux’s warranty terms presume professional installation done to their published standards. That is why Meridian Windows and Doors San Francisco is an authorized partner: we install this specific product the way the people who built it require it to be installed.

Frequently Asked Questions – VLX 500 Single & Double Hung Window

What is the lead time for the VLX 500 Single & Double Hung Window?
Typical lead time is 4 to 6 weeks from final measurement and signed order to delivery in San Francisco. Custom finishes, custom sizes, and laminated glass packages can add time. We’ll confirm your exact lead time when we quote the job. Call Meridian Windows and Doors San Francisco at (831) 273-7126 to start the order.

Does the VLX 500 qualify for energy tax credits?
The VLX 500 with Low-E glass may qualify for federal energy tax credits if the installed package meets the current Energy Star criteria for your climate zone. Qualification depends on the glass package, the orientation of your wall, and the final NFRC ratings on your exact order. We’ll tell you during the quote whether your package is likely to qualify. Call (831) 273-7126 and we’ll run your specific options.

What warranty comes with the VLX 500 Single & Double Hung Window?
The VLX 500 carries the manufacturer’s published warranty for the frame, glass, and hardware, and warranty coverage depends on professional installation by an authorized partner. We install to the manufacturer’s published installation standards to keep that warranty intact. We’ll explain coverage in writing before you place the order. Call (831) 273-7126 for specifics on your job.

Can I customize the size?
Yes. This is a built-to-order window, not a stock size pulled off a shelf. We measure each opening in San Francisco individually and order the exact sash sizes needed. That’s how we handle everything from standard bedroom windows to tall, narrow openings in Edwardian stairwells. Call (831) 273-7126 and we’ll measure your openings and price the exact sizes.

How do I maintain aluminum frames?
Wash the frames once or twice a year with mild dish soap and water, wipe the tracks clean, and keep weep holes clear so water drains properly. The powder-coated and anodized finishes don’t need painting or sealing. The tilt-in sashes make glass cleaning simple from inside the house. If a sash ever gets stiff, call us before forcing it; binding usually means track debris, and a quick visit resolves it.

Get a Quote – VLX 500 Single & Double Hung Window in San Francisco

If you want the VLX 500 Single & Double Hung Window on your San Francisco home, start with a free on-site measurement. We’ll confirm sizes, walk through glass and finish options, and hand you a written line-item quote with no surprises. Call Meridian Windows and Doors San Francisco at (831) 273-7126 to schedule your measurement. Let’s get your windows right the first time.

Written by the team at Meridian Windows and Doors San Francisco, installing ViewLux products in San Francisco, CA.