Why Do My New Windows Have Condensation?
Windows in areas like the kitchen and bath are more likely to have condensation. However, even if you find condensation in other areas, it doesn’t always indicate a problem.
Posts
Slow and Steady Wins the Race: Replacing Windows in Stages
Many customers ask us if it’s necessary to replace all of their windows at one time, and the answer is: “Absolutely not”! There are many reasons to replace windows in stages rather than all at once.
Windows That Work For Your Space
There are infinite possibilities for creating the perfect window to suit your home and needs. Today, we’re going to talk about six different window styles and how the way they open can make them the best choice for your space.
Historic Districts and Landmarks
Renovating a historic home is one of the most fun and exciting projects you can undertake as a homeowner. Whether you’re modernizing an older home or staying true to the original design, remodeling historic homes can be a huge undertaking. We recently helped our client Stephanie with the windows in her historic Clifton renovation.
Our coworker, Karen, was able to get a Marvin window for her Crescent Hill house that perfectly matched the original window.
In Louisville, portions of your project may be subject to review by the Historic Landmarks and Preservation Districts Commission. There are seven local historic preservation districts in Louisville (Butchertown, Cherokee Triangle, Clifton, Limerick, Old Louisville, Parkland, and West Main Street), as well as individual landmarks.
This charming Clifton bungalow is one of countless historic district homes the Door Store and Windows has helped to restore.
To learn more about the process, we talked with Becky Gorman, who works for Planning and Design Services and is staff to the Historic Landmarks and Preservation Districts Commission. She says that the best place to start with any exterior changes to a home in a historic preservation district is with a call to the Landmarks Planning and Design Department at (502) 574- 6230. Simply explain that you have questions about windows or doors and ask to speak to a Landmarks staff member, who will walk you through what you need to do to get started, the process of getting approved, and the design guidelines for your area.
This sweet Highlands home required craftsman-style windows in a range of sizes, as you can see!
You can also do preliminary research online. On the Historic Preservation and Urban Design website you can find design guidelines for each district and the review process for a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA). A COA is the permit needed for exterior changes, and to obtain one, you’ll need to submit a Landmarks application. Your Landmarks application will be reviewed by a case manager, who will help guide you through the process of making any exterior changes to your home. For Stephanie, it included the recommendation that a contractor could repair her original street-facing windows.
Dark, tall, and elegant windows set this stately Highland Avenue home apart. Historical accuracy does NOT mean dull!
The Historic Landmarks and Preservation Districts Commission Design Guidelines prefer that historic elements (like original windows) are maintained rather than replaced unless there’s a serious issue that can’t be fixed. For Stephanie, this meant repairing the windows facing the street, which she was just as happy to get fixed. “I love the fact that these windows are original,” she says. “They have that charming old wavy glass.”
With the front-facing windows in the process of being repaired, Stephanie contacted Door Store and Windows to address the windows on the side and rear of her home. “I knew that Door Store and Windows had a reputation for being able to match existing windows and that Marvin was great at historical replacements.”
We worked with the owner of this brick Belknap cottage to select deep red divided light windows throughout.
Our Window and Door Replacement Specialist Mark was able to assist Stephanie in selecting a window style that matched her original windows, including selecting a wood stain that matched her interior trim. Ultimately, Stephanie was not only able to get Marvin windows that perfectly matched the originals, she was also able to get sleek, low-profile storm windows to protect the 95-year-old windows on the front of her house.
This magnificent Cherokee home required dozens of uniquely shaped and historically accurate windows.
The most important thing to remember when renovating a home in a historic district is that for exterior renovations, like doors and windows, there are special steps you must take to complete your project. If you’re considering beginning renovations on your historic district home, visit the website of the Historic Landmarks and Preservation Districts Commission.
If you have questions about historic replacement windows or doors, contact Door Store and Windows to learn more, or stop by our showroom to see all of our unique designs.
Do My Windows Need to Be Replaced?
There is no hard and fast rule dictating when windows need to be replaced. Similarly, there’s no standard “shelf-life” for windows. That said, there are some warning signs that your windows might need to be replaced.
Window Rot and How to Spot It
Now that spring has arrived, the annual task of spring cleaning is likely to begin soon, making it the perfect time to inspect a few things around your house. Window rot is one thing you simply don’t want going untreated…
Historic Window Replacement
How do you know that our products are the highest quality? We use them in our own homes! In today’s blog, our long-time teammate, Karen, shares the story of her brand-new window recently installed in her St. Matthews home.
The Problem
Like many in St. Matthews, Karen’s is an older home. Her original front window added a great deal of character and charm. However, at this point in its life, the window was not efficient. Karen mentioned that while sitting on the couch in that room, with backs to the window, she and her husband could feel a breeze on the backs of their necks. Something had to give. They didn’t want to sacrifice the beauty of the window, but they needed to control the air getting into the house.
The old, drafty window let an uncomfortable breeze into the room.
The Solution
They decided to go with a Marvin replacement. As they made their selection, it was very important to them to keep the overall historic look of the home. Thankfully, Marvin excels at historic replacements, and had all of the design features that Karen wanted. She and her husband chose a narrow divided light, vertical grid on the top portion of the window (precisely like the original window), and no dividers on the bottom portion.
Karen and her husband were able to select a Marvin window that perfectly matched the original window.
One thing that we love about working with the Marvin products is their attention to historic detail. These elements help us maintain the look of historical homes in neighborhoods throughout areas like St. Matthews and the Highlands. More importantly, thanks to new technology, Marvin windows perform better and last longer.
In today’s world there’s no reason to have a window that lets in drafts, so let your window work for you. Whether you’re building a new home or replacing a window from the 1930s, we can help you choose the best design and look for your home, no matter the size or scale! Give us a call or stop by our showroom to get started on your next replacement project.
Click here to see Karen talk about her replacement project!
Noise Abatement
New windows and doors aren’t just about aesthetics. Sometimes we’ll get a customer with a very specific need and we never shy away from a challenge! For example, this customer presented a unique problem: noise abatement.
The Problem
Rick and Kay built their house in Eastern Jefferson County in 1999. A few years ago, Interstate 265 expanded, and the noise from the new highway became impossible to ignore. All day long, but especially at night while they were trying to sleep, the sound of cars and trucks disturbed the family’s peaceful home. “I’m a light sleeper,” Rick said, “and I could hear every truck that went by in the house, all night long, every day. I said ‘we need to do something about this,’ and I contacted the Door Store. Kay and I met with them and I said ‘we need to have some sound deadening.’”
The Solutions: New Windows and Doors
We knew that updating the original vinyl windows to a Marvin wood-clad window would be a huge improvement, but simply switching the windows and doors wasn’t going to solve the problem completely.
Noise reduction glazing on glass windows and doors helps reduce sound drastically. We researched all the options of glazing profiles to find the right solution for the family. Together, Rick and the Door Store and Windows team determined which glass and glazing options were most cost-effective.
The result was really impressive.
A close-up of the new windows show the quality.
“Whisper Quiet”
One of the project’s primary goals was improving the family’s sleep, so the team focused on the bedrooms. We installed the same windows and glazing along with an additional storm window. Marvin builds their storm window right in, appearing as part of the window as opposed to an a separate piece. This combination made the couple’s bedroom “whisper quiet,” which resulted in an increased STC (Sound Transmission Class) rating by about 7 points.
With the windows finalized, we tackled the kitchen door to the back patio. We installed a 20-gage steel door with triple-glazed glass and added foam insulation all around the frame, so that all the air pockets were filled.
Glazing was added to the family’s windows.
The Result
The resulting noise abatement and the decreased energy bills impressed our customer. The new doors and windows brought down the family’s energy usage significantly, a great byproduct of fixing their initial problem.
Rick also commented on the service he received from our team. He appreciated that our installation team is made up of Door Store and Windows employees, and that they are not an outsourced vendor. Our team’s attention to detail and respect for the home was evident.
We’re pleased to be able to offer a noise abatement solution to our customer. We wish them many more happy, peaceful, and quiet years together. Are you curious about our window installation process? Learn more here.
Customer Satisfaction, 12 Years Later!
New doors and windows can be a big investment of time and money, but is that investment actually worthwhile? Recently we checked in with a Door Store and Windows customer who purchased twenty new Marvin windows for her home back in 2007. When we asked how the look and function of the windows compared to when they were first installed over a decade ago, she replied “I really can’t tell a difference.”
The Porter Family in front of their 12-year-old Marvin windows
When the Porters moved into their 90-year-old Louisville home in 2004, they knew that window replacements were on the horizon. They wanted windows that looked original to the home, but provided modern safety, energy efficiency, sound proofing, and temperature control. After looking into several local vendors, they decided to trust TDSW as an authorized installing retailer of Marvin windows.
After 12 years, these windows still look as good as new!
Once the Porters decided to move forward with Door Store and Windows, owner Ann Gregory visited Angela Porter in her home to look at the existing windows and discuss options. Angela recalls that this left a great impression on her as she had a young child at the time and visiting the Idea Showroom would have been difficult.
The Porters selected these Marvin windows because they were energy efficient, easy to clean, matched the style of the home.
The Marvin windows that the Porters selected had a historical feel and resembled the original windows in their home, with wood and framing color options that they could not find anywhere else. According to Angela, the installation process was quick and smooth. The windows offered immediate gratification and checked every box: beauty, safety, efficiency, and noise abatement. A bonus, she added, was the convenience of cleaning the easily removable windows.
The Porters also appreciated that Door Store and Windows is a local, family-owned company. In 2008, their home was damaged by a fallen tree, and while insurance covered the repairs, Angela recalls that TDSW representatives were quick to repair the broken windows to look exactly as they had before. If she had to do it all over again, she wouldn’t have changed a thing. “It isn’t inexpensive,” Angela said, “but it is worth it.” Door Store and Windows stands behind their products. Once the initial investment is made, our doors and windows will last, and if any problem comes up, we’ll will be there to fix it.
Let us help you love your windows. Call Door Store and Windows today!
Our Window Installation Process
Quality Products Deserve Quality Installation
Replacing more than one window in your home may sound like a daunting project, but at Door Store and Windows we strive to make the replacement process as simple as possible for the homeowner. One important aspect of this is our efficient rolling installation.
During your window installation, the TDSW team breaks into two groups. Team A begins the installation process on the first window, removing the old and preparing the frame for the new. At the halfway point, team B begins removing the second window and preparing the frame. This way, as soon as team A finishes installing the first new window, the second is ready to be installed. This rolling process guarantees that the project is done quickly and efficiently without leaving your home vulnerable to the elements.
An installation project timeline depends on the number and type of windows you plan to replace. We are proud to say that we complete most of our installation projects in one to two days, causing as little disruption as possible.
Our window installation process consists of the following steps:
1. Team Arrival, Introduction, and Work Space Preparation
Our installation team consists of two to five people, depending on the size of the project. When the team arrives, they introduce themselves before preparing their work space. To contain debris, we place plastic sheeting on the floor and surrounding surfaces in each room. Our team lays a plastic walkway throughout the home so that our team members can carry heavy equipment without affecting your floor. As required by the EPA, we use additional coverage when replacing very old windows which have been covered with lead-based paint.
Plastic sheeting is placed around the window to be removed.
2. Verify Measurement
Before removing any windows, our team makes sure to re-measure the insert area and the new window. This guarantees that the correctly sized product was delivered and that we will be able to complete the project once we begin demolition.
A TDSW Installer measuring the window insert area.
3. Remove Old Window
After measurements are verified, our team carefully removes the first old window, preserving molding and surrounding areas.
The old windows are carefully removed.
4. Clean Insert Area
Once the old window is removed, our team cleans up any loose paint, dust, and other debris from the insert area. At this point in the demolition, you may be able to see inside your wall. This surprises some of our customers, but there’s no need to worry: our team will ensure that there are no signs of demolition once installation is complete.
The insert area is thoroughly cleaned before installation.
5. Installation
Our team carefully unloads the new windows, removes the packaging, and installs the product. Once the window is set and secured, we use spray foam insulation around the perimeter. This creates an energy-efficient seal. Then, we reapply the trim.
A TDSW Installer lifts the new window into place.
6. Clean-Up
After installation we clean up any debris, vacuum the area, and remove the plastic sheeting.
The finished product.
At Door Store and Windows, our goal is to provide peace of mind and customer satisfaction throughout the entire replacement process. Click here to learn more about the replacement process from consultation to install. If you have any questions, feel free to give us a call at (502) 822-5424.
Read about out our door replacement process by clicking here!
WHY BUY LOCAL?
Kentuckiana is our community! We’re locally-owned and operated, not a franchise, so you get attentive, local service.
OUR AWARDS
