From pilot to contractor: (15) Window and door decisions

It seems every building supply store wanted to sell me windows and doors. No wonder!  Windows and exterior doors can be the single most expensive component of a new home. And while raw lumber has become a bit of a commodity item for competing retail stores, windows and doors are an opportunity to turn a tidy profit without the retailer actually handling or stocking the merchandise.

But which window and door features were priorities for me? And what brands should I consider? Should I be swayed by beautiful brochures tucked inside the newspapers, or radio ads that promise life-long performance? Should the lowest price guide my final decision?

In order to install each of the 2 massive frame assemblies in the Great Room, the glass had to be removed.

My architect wasn’t much help, at least not at the beginning. He had spent too much time in previous residential projects getting involved in window and door decisions only to find that the client ‘had a cousin in the business’ who  ‘could cut him a deal’, or something similar to that.

My previous major home renovation experience had left me with a good idea of what I wanted.  In short, here were my priorities

1. High quality construction: I wanted windows that were not only well built but also featured opening mechanisms of the highest engineering. Too often I had experienced mechanisms that either soon failed, became sticky, or didn’t close the window smoothly and completely.
2. Clear pine interior/ aluminum exterior: I wanted a natural wood look on the inside, so neither finger-jointed pine or vinyl or fibreglass would do. On the exterior, I found it hard to argue against aluminium for durability.
3. Energy Efficiency: There is a lot of glass in our new house, particularly in the Great Room that overlooks our hill and trees. Reducing heat loss in winter was a factor given our location in a snow belt.

Once I had a lead contender for the contract, I spoke to my architect. Turns out, he knew the manufacturer I was considering very well having worked with them recently on a local historic restoration project. Since the company does not sell through retail outlets, he put me in touch with the manufacturer’s area sales rep. She in turn invited me to tour their facility in Mississauga, and later attended meetings with the architect and my lead building trades to assure a smooth specification process. I couldn’t have been more pleased.

The 5-panel French entry door was customised to my specifications. Now its part of the manufacturer’s product offering.

Another key factor was the company’s willingness to allow customisation of my front door to my exact tastes. For me, the front door makes an important statement about the home and its owners.

Although installing the regular windows was within the realm of my on-site carpenters, they had an installation challenge when it came to the 30’ x 9 ½’ wall-of-windows in the Great Room. As a result, I hired a third party installer approved by the manufacturer. It was an extra cost I hadn’t anticipated, but the install had to be done to the highest standard, not only for structural integrity but also to keep my warranty intact.

What I learned from all this is that a little extra research will lead to manufacturers who are not necessarily on the tip of the tongue of friends and neighbours or sold through the major building supply retailers. However, these may also be the manufacturers who win interesting and complex project bids because of their innovation, engineering excellence and high level of customer service throughout the building process.