VLX 80 Awning Window

VLX 80 Awning Window in Jacksonville, FL | Lightwell Windows Jacksonville

The VLX 80 Awning Window is a top-hinged aluminum window that opens outward from the bottom, letting you run ventilation even during a Florida afternoon downpour. It’s the window Jacksonville homeowners choose when they want air moving through the house without worrying about rain getting in. And because it’s aluminum with a real thermal break, you’re not trading energy performance for strength. Lightwell Windows Jacksonville is an authorized ViewLux installation partner, which means you get the product warranty backed by installers who work to AAMA standards every day. Call (904) 914-3691 to talk through your project.

Product Overview – VLX 80 Awning Window

The VLX 80 is built around a simple idea that matters more in Jacksonville than most places: rain doesn’t stop the day here. It just changes the plan. A top-hinged awning window means you can leave windows open while rain is falling and not end up with water on the sill or floor. The sash opens outward and upward, forming a natural shield over the opening. That single design choice makes this window one of the most practical options for Florida’s climate.

You’ll see these windows in a lot of different places around a home. Bathrooms, where privacy and ventilation matter. Kitchens above the sink or counter, where an easy crank out is more useful than a sliding track that collects crumbs. Bedrooms where a high placement keeps the open window away from curious hands but still pulls in air at night. And anywhere else that benefits from light and airflow without a protruding sash.

The frame itself is extruded aluminum with a wall thickness of 0.079 inches. That’s a substantial profile, not a thin economy extrusion. Combined with a rated thermal break, the window manages to be both rigid and decent at not transferring Jacksonville’s summer heat straight through the metal. The profile width comes in at 1.97 inches, which gives it a clean sightline that works on modern builds and older Florida ranches alike.

Why do buyers pick this series over others? Most of the time it comes down to three things: the rain-ventilation trick, the aluminum’s long-term durability in coastal air, and the ability to spec glass and finishes that actually match the house. Aluminum doesn’t rot, doesn’t warp in humidity, and doesn’t need the constant repainting that wood frames demand within a few miles of the St. Johns River or the beaches.

Technical Specifications

The numbers matter when you’re comparing windows against each other. Here’s how the VLX 80 breaks out.

Every unit is made to order. That means the window is built to the dimensions of your rough opening, not the other way around. Glass and finish selections happen at the quoting stage, so you don’t pay for options you don’t need.

Performance Features

Thermal Efficiency
The thermal break inside the frame separates the interior and exterior aluminum, which slows the direct path heat normally takes through metal. Glazed with Low-E glass, the VLX 80 carries NFRC ratings that help Jacksonville homeowners meet energy code requirements and keep cooling bills from climbing during July and August.

Acoustic Performance
Laminated glass changes the acoustic profile of any window, and the VLX 80 is no exception. For homes near I-95, San Jose Boulevard, or the flight path into JAX, laminated glass cuts a meaningful amount of road and air traffic noise. The tight frame seal also reduces the gaps where sound sneaks in.

Airtightness & Weather Seal
The awning design has a mechanical advantage when the wind blows: the more pressure against the sash, the tighter it presses into the frame seals. That compression effect is part of why this window performs well in storm-prone Jacksonville neighborhoods where wind-driven rain is a regular occurrence.

Waterproofing
Proper installation is half the waterproofing equation. Lightwell Windows Jacksonville seals every perimeter joint with AAMA 812 low-expansion foam and follows AAMA 2400/2410 installation standards. Combined with the awning shape that sheds water outward, the system stands up to a serious Jacksonville thunderstorm.

Wind Resistance
Here’s where aluminum earns its keep. The 0.079″ wall thickness gives the frame real stiffness, and the top-hinged orientation means wind loads press the sash closed rather than pulling it open. For full storm protection, the impact-rated laminated glass option handles wind-borne debris and meets local wind-load requirements.

Security & Hardware
The crank mechanism on an awning window limits how far the sash can be pushed open from the outside. When closed, the cam-action hardware pulls the sash tight against multiple locking points. A fixed screen or retractable screen adds another layer without changing the window’s exterior lines.

Color & Glass Options

The finish you choose sets the tone for the whole window wall. Pure White is the classic Florida choice: bright, clean, and it disappears against light interiors. Premium Black is the opposite in the best way, giving a sharp architectural contrast that reads contemporary on new builds in Riverside, Avondale, or San Marco. Anodized Silver has a raw industrial look that works on mid-century homes and commercial storefronts. Bronze and Champagne are the middle ground for people who want something warmer than silver but not as heavy as black. Teak Wood is for the homeowner who loves the look of wood trim but doesn’t want to maintain actual wood in Jacksonville’s humidity.

Glass gets selected for what you need it to do. Clear glass is the baseline when you want maximum light and no tint shift. Frosted glass turns the window into a privacy panel, which is why it’s common in bathrooms and side yards in tight-lot neighborhoods like Springfield. Low-E is the energy workhorse, reflecting heat while keeping visible light. Tempered is the safety glass that crumbles into small pieces instead of sharp shards, required in certain locations by code. Laminated is the one to choose if you care about storm resistance or sound control, or both.

Installation by Lightwell Windows Jacksonville in Jacksonville

An awning window is only as good as its install. That sentence matters because we’ve fixed a lot of bad installations around Jacksonville, and the failure usually starts the same way: a window set out of square that never closes tight again, or an opening flashed with whatever tape was left on the truck. The VLX 80 is not a complicated window to install, but it is a window that rewards precision.

Our process starts before the old window comes out. We check the rough opening for square, level, and plumb, and we check the condition of the buck and the surrounding framing. If we find rot or settlement, you know about it before we set the new window, not after the job is done. In Jacksonville, that pre-check is where a lot of problems surface, especially in older homes from the 60s and 70s where framing has spent decades in the humidity.

The window goes in level, plumb, and square. Every perimeter joint gets AAMA 812 low-expansion foam sealant, which fills voids, blocks air movement, and doesn’t bow the frame the way a careless foam application can. Flashing details follow AAMA 2400 and 2410, the accepted industry standard for installation. That keeps the manufacturer’s warranty intact, which is the whole point of having an authorized ViewLux partner do the work.

We finish with a water test on the installation before cleanup. If it leaks under a hose, it leaks in a storm. We don’t leave until it’s dry inside. Then we clean up the work area, remove the old window, and walk you through the operation of the new one.

Frequently Asked Questions – VLX 80 Awning Window

Get a Quote – VLX 80 Awning Window in Jacksonville

If the VLX 80 sounds like the right window for your Jacksonville home, the next step is a free on-site measurement and a written line-item quote. We’ll go over glass, finish, screen options, and walk you through exactly what the install will involve. No pressure, no vague numbers. Call Lightwell Windows Jacksonville at (904) 914-3691 to schedule your free estimate today.

Written by the team at Lightwell Windows Jacksonville, serving Jacksonville, FL as an authorized ViewLux installation partner.