To get the most out of Kentucky’s great climate, the key is to marry your indoor and outdoor spaces. We believe that the best way to achieve this is through the right door (or sometimes, the right door and window combination)! Let’s look at some options.
A recent customer approached us about her St. Matthews home. The home was built in the early 1930s and her recent renovation aimed to modernize it, while keeping the original aesthetic in place. A challenge? Not really.
There is no rule that says all hardware within a home must match. In fact, adding different finishes around the house, when done thoughtfully, can really add a new layer of design and interest within a home.
For this client, she was intentional not only about design, but also about her specific needs as related to both window and door hardware throughout the interior and exterior of the home.
Brushed nickel hardware on the window matches the stainless steel appliances in the kitchen.
With stainless steel appliances in the kitchen, she felt brushed nickel hardware worked best and maintained consistency throughout the room. In other parts of the house, darker hardware was used due to touches of dark accents in each room.
Oil-rubbed bonze is considered a “living finish.”
On her beautifully adorned brand-new back patio, she brought in the darker hardware with an oil-rubbed bronze. Oil-rubbed bronze is what’s known as a “living finish” which means it is uncoated with a sealant and will naturally oxidize over time to show a unique patina on the finish. It will transform slightly over time through exposure to the environment and regular use. Some refer to a living finish as a way for hardware to age gracefully, adding personality and charm to the doorknob over the years. This works in this beautiful space.
Dark bronze is sealed and perfect for doors in high-traffic areas.
For a more utilitarian approach, she selected a dark bronze doorknob for what is probably the door with the heaviest usage. Her side door is where she most enters the house from the car as she comes and goes throughout each day. For this reason, the dark bronze is the right fit as it is sealed and no patina or aging is expected. The color on a dark bronze piece of hardware will remain constant for years to come.
Finally, the question became what to do with the hardware on her front door. Original to the home, this brass doorknob really seemed to work. Our salesperson guided the homeowner to keep what “wasn’t broken” and continue using this ornate door knob which really serves as a jewel to the home – and it works with the design and in conjunction with the rest of the house. A nod to the past, this doorknob reminds all who enter that although this home is updated and current, it has a history which should be respected and enjoyed throughout all of its future generations.
The original brass doorknob adds character and charm to the home.
If you are considering updating the hardware throughout your home, consider adding different finishes to meet your needs and work with your design. Our designers can help guide you to select the right choices that will bring you happiness every time you enter a room!
Looking for exterior design inspiration? Door Store and Windows can help. Take a look at these gorgeous homes with Door Store and Windows products and find something that you’ll love.
Belknap Neighborhood Doors and Windows:
Full windows and doors on this fantastic Belknap brick home completely refreshed the look and feel of the exterior. The red is simply striking.
Vibrant Highlands Douglass Front Door:
This enchanting cherry red door highlights the rusty tones of this beautiful Highlands brick house. A bold color choice creates a warm and welcoming entrance.
Beechwood Village Florida Room:
Soak up the summer and warm up your winter with a Florida room like this one we replaced in Beechwood Village. These stunning, energy efficient windows maximize sunlight and bring the outdoors in without sacrificing comfort.
Indian Hills French Doors:
Simple, classic, functional, and striking. Look at how these Marvin French Doors transformed this Indian Hills indoor/outdoor entertaining space.
Crescent Hill Doors:
A new sliding patio door, front door, and side door. Refresh and modernize every entrance like we did on this Crescent Hill home for added security, energy efficiency, and beauty with a lifetime guarantee.
Highlands Curb Appeal:
This stunning Highlands home is the perfect example of how we take advantage of what the house already has. These gigantic, historically inspired windows blend elegantly with the existing architecture and provide ample natural light.
To view more amazing before and after photos, visit our Before & After Gallery.
A substantial remodel can completely change the look and feel of a home. With a lengthy project it can feel like one big decision after another, but don’t overlook or underestimate small details that can make a tremendous difference. Recently we worked with a client on a back-porch remodel that was chock full of little details.
Now that their renovation is complete, our client shared with us eight small details that made a huge difference to their remodel:
There you have it! Eight small details made a huge difference to the final product. Curious in reading more about this remodel? Check out our case study by clicking here.
Learn more about this project from the contractor, Todd Stengel, in this video!
From advising you on the swing of your patio door to ordering custom double hung windows that fit just perfectly in your space, Door Store and Windows can help your home remodel come to life. To get started on the project of your dreams, give us a call at (502) 822-5424 today!
Over the course of three days this February, TDSW attended the International Builders Show (IBS) in Las Vegas, NV, where we saw the best and most cutting-edge industry innovations. If you couldn’t make it, here are a few of TDSW’s can’t-miss takeaways from the show:
Your Door Store and Windows team at IBS 2019
Interested in learning more about these or any other products we saw at IBS 2019? Your TDSW New Construction team is here to partner with you for your next building project. Give us a call today!
You’re probably curious about the installation process and how much time it will take. Our number one priority is customer satisfaction and 100% transparency with our customers. We are proud to say that most of our door installation projects take one day to complete.
We’ve all heard the old adage about the cobbler who is so busy providing shoes for everyone in the town that his own children do not have adequate footwear. We seem to have a cobbler in our midst, Laurie Scarborough, our co-owner. This is the story of her older windows and door.
Like you, my husband Kevin and I are weathering this icy-cold blast this freezing New Year’s Eve in Kentuckiana. Today, our 1960s-built home turned up some interesting problems before we were out of our pajamas.
In the spirit of keeping this post to windows and doors, I won’t mention the near miss in our laundry room, and the almost frozen pipe. I know many have experienced those in the last week. The real reason for this message is to share the problems we noticed with the older windows and doors in our home. We hope that it helps those of you with similar issues.
It might be time to replace this huge window.We have been updating our home over the last few years and have one more window to replace. It’s an architectural element on the front of the house — a huge 14’ x 12’ bow window. Bow windows are designed to create space by projecting beyond the exterior wall in an arch. It has been the topic of many conversations both at home and in the office — how to replace it, with what will it be replaced, and the proverbial ‘when.’ We have caulked, painted and babied the window for as long as possible. The real impact of this wall-length window to our heating bill and physical comfort has become very evident during this cold snap.
The window is single-pane glass. It’s been so cold this week that the internal humidity is freezing on the inside of the window. Ultimately this moisture causes the paint, glazing, and wood to deteriorate. This means wood rot! With wood rot you generally experience drafts and, if the rot is extensive, a strong wind could blow the glass out. 
If you see problems like these pictures, it’s time to have your windows replaced.
TIP from this local window and door dealer: You do not have to replace all your windows at the same time. We have replaced our windows and doors over the course of many years. You can too.
Unfortunately, this window is not the only issue that presented itself with the cold. Our front door is 30+ years old. For the first time we discovered ice on our threshold (at the bottom of the door.) 
The threshold is brass and the weather stripping on the bottom of the door is also metal. Although we don’t feel a draft, the metal conducts the freezing temperature. This, combined with the internal humidity, causes icing on the interior section of the threshold. In addition, we have seal failure in the decorative glass. Ice buildup can be seen there too.
A new door system with a threshold and “compression” weather stripping, made with composite and synthetic materials, will quickly solve these problems. Today’s doors are very energy efficient.
With all of these developments, we have been working on plans to update the front of our home — both the bow window and the front entry door.
We encountered a situation where the wrong door was used for a new home resulting in door failure after only seven years…
Have you ever seen a home with windows or an entry door that just didn’t look right? We see them all the time and offer design assistance to help homeowners understand the importance of proportion and scale when it comes to replacing their windows or entry doors. We don’t just plug one of our products into an opening…we evaluate the relationship of the window or door to the overall architecture and how we can stay true to the architectural integrity or even improve the overall look of the home.
Here’s a quick primer on how proportion and scale impacts your windows and doors.
These “before and after” photos show how selecting the correct grid size can have an overall impact on the proportion and scale of the windows to the home. Our designer suggested a move toward a more open look with larger grid pattern to provide larger daylight openings. Compare the grid patterns on the before and after homes. Notice how “busy” the original windows look when compared to the larger grid used on the replacement windows. (Click image to enlarge)
Here’s another example of how changing window grid sizes creates a cleaner and simpler look to better match the scale and proportions of a home. Not only did the grid sizes differ in the original upper and lower windows, but the lower window grid lines didn’t even line up to the upper window grid lines.
Sometimes the door style should be changed due to proportions of the opening. For instance, the door shown below was changed from a standard height door with two sidelites and a large transom over the door to a taller, double-door configuration with less transom area. The new door was sized to allow a simple half circle transom rather than the odd-sized transom on the original door. The door and transom size change “stretches” the look of the entryway to make it less intimidating and more pleasing to the eye. (Click image to enlarge)
Here’s a situation where the original double doors are not in scale with the home. The doors seem to be squeezed into the opening. Without changing the size of the opening, we suggested a single door with two sidelites to better suit the low ceiling height of the porch. (Click image to enlarge)
If you have a project that needs a good design eye, give us a call. One of our design consultants will visit your home and provide design opinions on how you can achieve the windows or doors of your dreams. Give us a call at 502-896-1717 to get started today. Interested in reading more of our content? Check out our blog about budget conscious window replacement options!
How much will it cost to replace my windows or doors? That’s probably the single, most-asked question we get. And because it’s also one of the first questions we get, it is difficult to answer without knowing very critical information about the installation, size, options and many other details. Our professional, no-obligation consultations are the best and most accurate way to answer the question as our design experts will help educate you on various features and options and provide you with exact pricing for your project.
While you can see how providing a price over the phone without seeing your home or knowing your needs is challenging at the least, we don’t want you to start your window or door project in the dark. So let’s talk about some price ranges and other information. Keep in mind, a consultation is the single, best way to know exactly what you need, so use the following information for basic price guidance only.
Window pricing covers a wide range starting at a few hundred dollars for a basic small, single hung window and ranging to several thousand dollars for a very large custom window with many added features. Doors follow a wide range too, with a basic steel door installed starting around $1,900 while an elaborate double door with transom and sidelines might be several times that much or more.
Keep in mind that these prices include all hardware, finishing, professional installation and a full warranty. And since window and door products generally follow the “get what you pay for” mantra, we typically don’t carry products in the lowest end of the range that don’t meet our minimum quality criteria. Some of these “budget” products may need to be replaced much earlier than a quality product resulting in a higher lifetime cost.
One of our favorite resources for pricing and value is the “Remodeling 2017 Cost vs Value Report” (www.costvsvalue.com)1. This detailed industry report provides average prices for several styles of window and door installations. The report can be viewed nationally or specifically for the Louisville market.
The “Cost vs Value Report” also provides a projected return on investment for many home improvement projects. For instance, a professional install of 10 upscale wood windows with exterior aluminum cladding can recoup 70.7% of the project cost or $12,898 in added home value based on an estimate of $18,245 invested. Another example is a mid-range fiberglass entry door replacement. The “Cost vs Value Report” estimates you would recoup 85.1% of your cost or $2,739 in added home value from a $3,219 investment in the door and installation. Nice!
Savings on heating and cooling bills will vary greatly depending on the condition of your windows, doors and the rest of the envelope of your home. It’s safe to say your home with be more comfortable with new windows or doors if you had drafts around your old windows or doors. We had a recent project where the homeowners saved 75% on their heating bills that they attributed primarily to new windows. That’s very high and not typical, but it can happen and at least some energy savings should be factored into your investment return.
As you start crunching numbers in your head, you may see costs that don’t match your budget. Have no fear. We have many repeat customers that do a few windows at a time or a door and some windows. We’ll work with you and your budget to put together a plan and a schedule for your home.
Read More: Why Replacing Your Windows In Stages Might Make Sense For You.
Give us a call at 502-896-1717 to schedule an professional, in-home consultation. It’s the first step to finding out exactly what your specific needs are and how to make the most of your budget. And in the end, you’ll love how new windows and doors can transform your home. Interested in low-e glass as a replacement window? Read out blog about it here!
1 © 2017 Hanley Wood, LLC. Complete data from the Remodeling 2017 Cost vs. Value Report can be downloaded free at www.costvsvalue.com.
Kentuckiana is our community! We’re locally-owned and operated, not a franchise, so you get attentive, local service.
