Happy Thanksgiving

Posted by: Ken Mariotti

Kolettehall.wordpress.com

In his first Thanksgiving proclamation, President Reagan wrote: "America has much for which to be thankful. The unequaled freedom enjoyed by our citizens has provided a harvest of plenty to this Nation throughout its history. In keeping with America's heritage, one day each year is set aside for giving thanks to God for all of His blessings. ... As we celebrate Thanksgiving ... We should reflect on the full meaning of this day as we enjoy the fellowship that is so much a part of the holiday festivities. Searching our hearts, we should ask what we can do as individuals to demonstrate our gratitude to God for all He has done. Such reflection can only add to the significance of this precious day of remembrance. Let us recommit ourselves to that devotion to God and family that has played such an important role in making this a great Nation, and which will be needed as a source of strength if we are to remain a great people.

This is the genuine spirit of Thanksgiving.

Installation Blunders You Can Prevent

Posted by: Ken Mariotti

HDTV is a popular TV channel featuring remodeling wonders. The shows begin with a demolition phase, which is instructive. It’s not uncommon to uncover unwelcome discoveries behind the walls, while the poor homeowners look on hopelessly. At Woodland, we hear stories and witness similar problems all the time when we install replacement windows. It’s a crying shame to see how badly windows can be installed whether new construction or previously remodeled. At Woodland we have a holistic approach to window installation, which is why we prefer to install the windows we sell and why we don’t install windows we don’t sell. 

When purchasing replacement windows or new windows, remember that it’s as important to spend as much time understanding window installation as it is researching different window brands and styles. Even the best-made window can’t make up for a bad installation. What’s most unfortunate is the likelihood that a bad installation can damage far more than your new window if water is allowed to seep into the walls.

If you’re planning to purchase windows, educate yourself about some key installation facts first. Be aware of the common practices deployed by inexperienced or lazy window installers throughout the industry. Learn the facts and trust yourself to spot the gaps. When you’re ready to sign an installation contract make sure it spells out in detail the work that will be done and the materials that will be used. And above all know the skill level of the installer(s), visit the company showroom, ask for the contractor’s license and proof of insurance, get references and personally examine one of the jobs they’ve installed.

Here are some important facts and the common practices to look out for as you select an installer and during the installation process.

Fact:

Windows come with manufacturer installation instructions.

Common practice:

These instructions are lost, not on the job site, or the installer assumes he knows what he doesn’t know, unless he’s installed that exact window previously.

Fact:

Window installation and replacing existing windows is a skill built by learning professional techniques, apprenticeship, and experience.

Common practice:

A framer from construction team, a subcontractor or a handyman does the installation.

Fact:

Windows need to be measured and ordered to precise specifications and according to building standards. Building knowledge means understanding how a window fits and calculating precise allowances for wall depth and the window profile. New energy efficient windows are generally thicker than your old windows they are replacing and the extra thickness must be anticipated and framed properly.

Common practice:

Someone orders the windows and someone else makes it fit. An inexperienced installer typically installs the window with the extra thickness stuck out past the exterior wall and past the 1x4 facings. The same thing happens if a window is ordered wrong for the opening. Any attempt to cover the protruding or receding edge of the window is highly likely to either leave a gap or create a shelf. The installer caulks the window, but when the caulk breaks down water is trapped and creates a leak.

Fact:

The manufacturer made and shipped window parts needed for a proper fit and installation.

Common practice:

Johnny, the installer, grabs whatever he needs from the truck, old latex caulk, insulating foam or trim. He finishes the installation and throws out the unused drip cap, exterior flash or other parts that the manufacturer shipped in the box with the windows.

Fact:

Materials have become highly specialized and performance depends on using the correctly specified materials. Have you ever applied a sealant that never hardened?

Common practice:

Lacking the knowledge about building physics such as water penetration, it’s common for installers to leave an open space between the replacement window and the building water resistant barrier, such as Tyvek. The membrane must be sealed to the window on all sides or the barrier is violated and air or water will enter the home. Finish carpenters learn how to cover gaps or create symmetrical openings using trim to shore up rough carpentry. This doesn’t work with windows because the window installation is the barrier between outside elements and the interior of your home. A poorly placed trim piece to cover a gap doesn’t stop air or water infiltration and could actually become a basin for water to become trapped.

We’re all busy and we want the people we hire to do the job right. Unfortunately, we can’t assume it will be done right. Fundamental errors in window and door installation can result in water leaks, air infiltration, poor operation, and structural problems. The best we can do is be clear about the job we want done, hire a professional company and don’t be afraid to look for the signs it’s being done right.

We don’t use sub-contractors for window anddoor installation and we hope you won’t either.

Installation and The Big Mistake

Posted by: Ken Mariotti

Marvin Ultimate Casements

It’s hard to say why it happens, but time and again, homeowners make the big mistake when replacing their windows. After spending untold hours researching window brands they buy their windows without any knowledge about installation and they make the big mistake.

The big mistake is signing a sales order for your new windows and afterwards, beginning the installation discussion.

At Woodland Windows and Doors, we think window and door installations done improperly may not be immediately obvious, but can lead to serious long-term problems. There are some things that as a business, you just have to invest in, in order to ensure the job is done right. We at Woodland think that installation is one of those things.

The big mistake happens because homeowners don’t realize all the things that can go wrong with window installations if performed by an inexperienced installer. It’s important to purchase your windows from a window dealer with their own installation team.  Windows can be ordered wrong, arrive defective or the opening needs modifying. We know the pitfalls and we know that the surest way to deliver an expert job is to control every aspect of it, with trained people who are committed to the perfect outcome.

Marvin Integrity Casements

In a previous post, “Installation and Why Our Installers are Woodland Windows and Doors Employees”, we relayed several customer stories about botched installations and poor customer service.  There is no shortage of stories from customers who make the big mistake and here are a few more that we’ve come across.

We thought we’d save a fortune if we install the replacement windows on our own.

We watched videos and the process was straightforward. We’re DYIs and figured that we didn’t need to spend around $300-$400. per installed vinyl replacement window, when we could save at least $100. per window by doing the installation ourselves. What we didn’t count on is how long it would take. We’d been told that professional installers could completely install 10-20 windows in a day, but it took us six weekends to do the job. After spending money on insulation and caulk, and our time, we didn’t save much money by doing the job ourselves.

We were remodeling our home and the contractor found someone to install our new replacement windows.

We didn’t know anything about windows, so we let our contractor determine what windows to order and who would install them. Shortly after the job was complete we noticed that we heard more freeway noise with the new replacement windows than we had with the old windows. Our general contractor finally determined that the subcontractor hadn’t properly insulated or shimmed, and the windows were ordered without the correct glazing or for the proper wall width. Our contractor is fixing the problems and we see some improvement, however we won’t have the results we were expecting. Our mistake was not bothering to ask our contractor what type of window was going in the house and who would be installing them.

Andersen 100 Series French Doors

We bought our replacement windows from Home Depot and contracted with them to do the installation.

We regularly shop at Home Depot for our needs, so we assumed they would also have good brands and the best value for our replacement windows. The installers botched the job, including reusing our 25 year old fiber insulation for example. Home Depot has sent out contractors to correct the problems, but they can’t seem to get it done correctly. Only after making this mistake did we learn what others already know, that many subcontractors working for the big box places are transient and are working for less than the going because they need the work, but don’t necessarily have the knowledge or experience.

Installation, whether you are replacing your old windows or having new windows added to your home, requires careful planning, flawless execution, and superior response times to address those unforeseen problems. It’s a process that must be owned from the beginning to the end. Did the person who measured your job, check their measurements before the order was placed? Or did that person walk through the job with the installers? The best way, the only way, to achieve a flawless level of performance is to build a professional team of skilled people who don’t just show up, but who own the work down to the last keeper – if it doesn’t lock the job’s not done. 

We don’t use sub-contractors for window and door installation and we hope you won’t either. Don’t make the big mistake.

Entry Doors - Victorian Era

Posted by: Ken Mariotti

Pinterest

What makes a house Victorian style? It’s describing Victorian era architecture in the period of Queen Victoria’s reign. The Victorian styles include Queen Anne, dominate from 1880-1910, Gothic Revival 1840-1880, Second Empire 1855-1885 and Italianate 1840-1885. You’re guaranteed to win a round of Trivia with this question.

It was common for American home styles to follow style trends from England, but what also accounts for an abundance of Victorian style homes in America was the building boom during the later nineteenth century.  Victorian homes were the first product of our Industrial Age after the Civil War when munitions factories were converted to make house parts. The factories mass-produced wood trim for the decorative trim, porches, gables, towers and dormers.

Although Victorians are largely made of wood, this was not always the case. In fact a large number of old Victorians around the Midwest are built with patterned brick and stone, which was the preference in urban neighborhoods.

DYINetwork.com

What are the characteristics of front entries during this period? Typically entry doors are rail-and-style wood construction with raised panels. Commonly they’re designed with two panels with the upper panel made of glass and decorative motifs. Four or six panel doors will combine flat and glass panels. Generally speaking these homes have a porch or a projecting pavilion above the entry door.

Wood or Fiberglass

Either material will be suitable to create the Victorian style entry door look, however wood is preferable. In most cases, the entry door is protected by a porch, which eliminates weather exposure concerns. Second, wood can finished to mimic the same carved moldings throughout the rest of a Victorian house. Expensive Fiberglass is an alternative that will give the look of wood, but it’s unlikely you can match the overall finishes to the home.

Finehomebuilding.com

A very real challenge that most homeowners face when selecting an entry door is translating their favorite style photos into an actual door that will give their home the look. Selecting just the right door for a Victorian style home presents this challenge in spades because Victorian is a stylistic hodgepodge of classical decorative elements – it’s expression is very individual. Bring photos into Woodland’s showroom and we’ll show you the door profile and glass options you can build from.

For example, a classic London Victorian will have twin glass panels in the four-panel door.  Jeld-Wen Custom Wood Glass Panel Collection or Simpson Door Selects Series offer the door profile to create this look. Or if you’re looking for a single large glass opening the Therma-Tru Fiberglass Classic Craft Canvas Collection is a good place to start.

Glass

Use your imagination and design away. Today the availability of glass options is as endless as the glass expressions you’ll see on Victorian style doors and windows. Large single panes of clear or etched glass, standalone or framed by square panes are universally liked.  Frequently you’ll see multi-paned clear glass or colored glass insets.  More elaborate use of glass includes stained glass or beveled glass designs in a variety of motifs’.  Check out Simpson Door for glass panel ideas.

London

Hardware

You’ll have no trouble finding an assortment of suitable hardware choices for your Victorian entry door. We suggest you make your entry door hardware traditionally conforming, yet unique. You can do this by observing the door hardware of yesteryear such as, an oversized knob centered on the door or an address etched in the glass above the door. The Victorian era was the romantic period – express yourself.