Builders' Show: Marvin's child-safety window latches

Marvin Windows made a number of additions to its existing lines at the 2012 International Builders' Show, but one in particular came to address what too often has been missing in residential windows: a child-safety latch.

The new option comes in response to Laela's Law, named for a Minneapolis girl injured in a fall several years ago. That Minnesota law requires the installation of fall-prevention devices on new or replacement windows above the first story in most multi-unit dwellings. It also prompted the development of a nationwide ASTM standard that would prevent a child from opening a window beyond four inches while allowing an adult to open it fully in case of a fire or other emergency.

Marvin, which is based in that state, had already made its so-called Window Opening Control Device available for installation in double-hung-windows. At the Builders' Show, the company announced that it's also offering the device as an option for its casement windows (see photo) as well. In all instances, overriding the device requires carrying out a two-step process that would be challenging for a small child.

The manufacturer expects the optional device to cost about $100 per window; it gets installed in new windows—not as a retrofit for casements. The device is available in all the hardware finishes the company already offers.

—Ed Perratore