Everybody loves a good do it yourself project.  You can save a ton of money and get a great sense of satisfaction from seeing your hard work pay off.  Maybe you find the guy that does odd jobs in the neighborhood will save you a ton of money- after all replacing windows and doors looks simple enough.  Prepare to settle for good enough- and hope that it is indeed.  In our years we’ve found the costliest mistakes have come when a job was installed poorly.

RIGHT TOOLS FOR THE JOB

Everyone has tried to use a tool that was wrong for the job.  It never turns out as well as it would have if you just had the right tool.  A professional window and door installer will have all of the right tools for the job.  If he is doing windows and doors for a living he’ll be using them every day.

LONG TERM OPERATION

The installation on your windows and doors is as important as the products themselves.  The long term operation of a window and door is dependent on a perfect installation.  Sometimes require building out or shimming to level things out and ensure the product operates well long term.

PRODUCT SELECTION

The best windows aren’t sold directly to consumers.   To get your hands on these products you’ll need to have a business license and order a significant amount of windows per year.  Maybe your contractor can get his hands on a decent window through a place like Roof Center?  Compare the ratings on a window like that to a premium vinyl window and you’ll be amazed at the difference in efficiency.  Be especially wary of the guy that buys windows off the rack and builds in the opening to make them fit.  A real pro wouldn’t downsize your glass area with a poor insulating material.

FINISH WORK

Probably the biggest difference between the amateurs and pros is the finish work.  A real pro can bend aluminum cladding on the job and make it look like it was always a part of your home.   Here’s where a pro will use the cladding to flash any areas prone to water penetration- preventing serious future water and mildew problems.

LIABILITY

Know all the building codes-like the scenarios where tempered glass is required?  If your house was built before 1978 did you know why an EPA lead-safe contractor is the only person that should touch the project?  We do the research to protect your family so you don’t need to worry about horror stories like lead contamination.

Our installers are trained by the manufacturers to ensure installation goes perfectly.  Believe me if problems arise the installation will be the first place they look.  Professionals are required to warrant their work.  We stand behind our work because we know how every job is left.  Good luck getting a hold of the handyman in the pickup truck when the problems start with your windows and doors.

LEAVE IT TO THE PROS

Paying a professional to do what he/she does best isn’t the worst thing in the world.  And it’s often significantly less expensive than trying it yourself and then paying a professional to fix your mistakes.