(Editor’s note: This article is part of an ongoing series about the different types of windows we install. We recently interviewed Bob Davis, president, about what is available for our customers and the difference between the most common types of window materials. In our previous posts, Bob talked about windows for historic homes and vinyl windows. In this segment he shares on the different wood windows we offer.)
Interviewer: So we’ve talked about storm windows and vinyl. What other categories are there?
Bob: There are all wood windows, where you have to paint the exterior and stain the interior. And then there are wood clad windows, where they clad the exterior of the window in an extruded aluminum which is very durable. So we’ve got a very good selection within the wood window lines.
Interviewer: I can see wood windows with the older homes. I would think it’s the more high-end homes that are going to go for the wood. They were probably built with wood and so they would want to replace them in wood, is that correct?
Bob: They say in the industry that there’s only one way to get the warmth and beauty of wood, and that’s to have a wood window. Personally I prefer wood windows; I think they are by far the most beautiful window in a home. Today they’re built so well that they perform well. And they give you the ability to have a warm looking interior stained to match anything you want.
Interviewer: I would think that the vinyl and fiberglass would last longer than the wood.
Bob: Theoretically I suppose that you could say that, but keep in mind that the exterior of a wood window is clad in a very thick extruded aluminum that is very strong and very durable. With the interior being wood, obviously if you let moisture sit on it over a long period of time, it will have some effect on the wood and therefore you could have some problems with it. With a vinyl or fiberglass on the interior you could just wipe up the moisture and it wouldn’t be an issue. So there is a certain amount of maintenance with a wood window that you wouldn’t have with pure fiberglass or vinyl window.
Interviewer: Can you tell us the manufacturers’ names of the wood windows you carry?
Bob: For wood windows our number one line is from a company that used to be called Hurd, out of Medford, Wisconsin. They were acquired by Sierra Pacific last year. And with that acquisition they now are a nationwide window company – a very large window company, if you know anything about them. They own 2 million acres of forest land in Washington state and Idaho. They grow their own lumber and harvest it. And they do their own millwork on the windows. It’s their process from the ground up. It’s a very, very excellent company. They have the best price and performance value in the industry for a wood window, no question about it.
We also have Weather Shield®, which is another Wisconsin company, also based in Medford. They make an excellent window as well. And we distribute both of these windows – we’re distributors for them, which means we buy direct from the manufacturer.
And then we have Pella and Marvin. Pella and Marvin are both what I’d call three-step processes, where there is a distributor in the middle. We buy from the distributor and sell to the end user, so they’re going to be more expensive. You pay a lot for the name when you buy Pella or Marvin, and you’re getting very good quality, and some of our customers definitely prefer these brands. But you get the same quality with Sierra Pacific or Weather Shield®.
Sierra Pacific is a company that is very aggressive right now with the quality of their products. We like their window products. I think we favor them – when we get into wood window proposals we always present Sierra Pacific. But many times we’ll present more than one line – such as Sierra Pacific and Marvin, or Sierra Pacific and Weather Shield®.
We give the homeowner a choice. That’s an advantage with our company. We can give them a choice, where most other replacement window contractors don’t because they have just one window they sell, so you don’t have a choice, it’s either something like Pella or Renewal – that’s what you get. And if you don’t like Pella, you have to go with another contractor. But we have Pella AND we have Marvin and Sierra Pacific (as well as others), so you can have a choice.
We have lots of options for our customers to choose from. On most of our proposals we present more than one window manufacturer as a solution for the customer’s window needs. Among replacement window contractors here in the Twin Cities, that is extremely unusual. And everything we sell is on display at our Savage showroom. Using window cross sections of each, we can show why one might be better for you than another and we can show how they’re different. That way the customer doesn’t have to wonder.
If you’re looking for quality replacement wood or wood-clad windows for your home here in the Minneapolis area, why not contact us today to arrange a free no-obligation consultation at our Savage showroom? We can show you all the beautiful windows we have available and help you choose just the right window solution for your home.
Window Outfitters is a premier Window Replacement, doors, siding contractor and installer. As Contractor in the St Paul, Minneapolis, (Twin Cities) Minnesota (MN) metro, we proudly serve, but are not limited to, the following areas: Minneapolis Energy Efficient Vinyl Windows, Replacement Window Contractors Minnesota, Burnsville, Apple Valley, Lakeville, Savage, Bloomington, Edina, Richfield, Eagan, St Paul, Hastings, Minnetonka, Plymouth, Maple Grove, Eden Prairie, Farmington MN, Chaska, Shakopee, Chanhassen, Victoria, Mendota Heights Anderson Windows Minneapolis, Marvin Windows Minneapolis.
