Frequently Asked Questions

This is our specialty! We have a pre-replacement survey that can help you make an informed decision. A cost-benefit study will make this choice clear.

No cheeseball marketing here, we genuinely want to help you save your windows until they have no life left in them. Once that point is reached, we recommend installing new windows.

Every year we get calls to come fix windows in the middle of a painting project. This is a sure-fire way to incur scheduling delays in your paint job—and significantly increase your project costs when the painters have to reschedule. 

We provide pre-painting inspections to save you the headache of a costly change order from the painter. We offer these inspections year round, but we recommend having them performed by May so your exterior paint job can stay on schedule with your painter.

Late spring is the perfect time to have a pre-paint inspection done on your windows to find out if they are worth painting or if they need replacement parts or repairs.

Give us a call so we can help save you money by identifying your window needs prior to a change order from the painter in the middle of the busy season!

We only supply windows and doors from companies with whom we have a stake in the outcome. Large publicly-traded companies have very little incentive to ensure your windows endure. In fact, they stand to make more money for shareholders by seeing their products' lifespan decrease, thus shortening the customer life-cycle.

We believe this is a tragic waste of resources and a massive stain on the planet. The longer something lasts and the more recyclable it becomes, the better. The big window companies aren’t in it for you, they’re in it for the bottom line, which doesn’t account for environmental stewardship or quality, both of which are core values for us. 

Yes! We want your business for life and we want you to know why.

We know that you do not want to search for a new window contractor every time the need arises. We stand out in the market because we guarantee our work. We offer a service program for our work along with annual maintenance programs that act as our warranty.
See maintenance programs here.

Architecturally sensitive residential and light commercial contracting are our areas of special expertise. Types of projects we do most frequently are:

• Historic restoration
• Installation of historically sensitive replica windows when the original is missing or damaged
• Removing failing vinyl windows and installing solid wood or wood clad windows to improve the look and feel of the home, while adding value to it.
• Architecturally sensitive projects are our specialty. There are many companies that can provide excellent entry-level window services; we specialize in the more difficult or complex projects.

Our sweet spot is helping homeowners unify their windows whether it be all historic original windows or all replacement windows with wood-clad exteriors. 

Very simply, we care. We care about the work we do, the people we serve, and our employees. We care about being good stewards of the environment and the legacy we leave for generations to come.

We are in the customer service business and we happen to service windows and doors. We know there has been confusing information about the benefit of window replacement over the last 30 years. We are here to restore trust in the window contracting trade.

One of the most confusing terms used by many in the industry is the “payback period” for window replacement due to energy conservation or energy efficiency. But unless you plan on living in your home for 30-50 years, there really isn't a “payback period” to speak of. 

The cost of US energy is too low to positively impact the payback period. That doesn’t mean that you can’t replace your windows and add value to your home, it just means that you will rarely see that payback in the form of any significant savings on your energy bills. 

In other parts of the world—like Europe, for example—the cost of energy is much higher than in the US, and this accurate cost of energy consumption is reflected by the efficiency of the way they build new homes and renovate existing structures. In Europe, you will see a shorter payback period because the cost of the energy is so high that it warrants a high-performance window. 

In the US our energy costs are subsidized and too cheap to influence a payback period. Once energy costs increase in the US and building codes catch up with building science, we will begin to see a true payback period. We will also see high-performance windows become the standard in the marketplace.

Until then, we believe you should keep the historic windows you already have and restore them whenever possible.

This all depends on how serviceable yours window are. First, we want to help you select a brand that has a proven history of producing outstanding products AND caring about their customers. 

That being said, industry standard entry-level windows last about 10 years before they fail. That’s not good enough for us. New windows can last well beyond their warranty if they are maintained and treated well.

The first thing to consider is how much exposure to sun and rain will the window get? We have a proposal process that delineates “high exposure” locations, so that we can work to ensure that the window choice you make will be durable.

If the window or door has no protection from the weather, we will recommend a maintenance program or an awning or additional protective element like a storm window. If you know that you aren’t going to have annual maintenance performed—which can be as simple as a good interior and exterior washing once a year—we will recommend an approach that makes your life easy. 

Durable products are products that last long enough to warrant a repair. The longer something lasts, the better the techniques for repair become. This is how we help contribute to a beautiful landscape instead of a heaping landfill.

It is our responsibility to be stewards of our neighborhood and also to the things we can’t see when we walk down the street—like the garbage dumps that are situated out of sight and out of mind.

Probably not. Our hope is to tell you that there are only a few windows that need to be replaced. If the rest of the windows are okay we want to help you keep them. 

Yes, if we need to provide a trade for your project that requires a license we don’t carry, like plumber, electrician or other specialty license trade.

We also act as your full-service window company. Currently we are offering in-house window repair, restoration, and installation. We have developed relationships with our trusted finishers to handle any touch-up paintwork or staining that may be required at the end of the project.

If you need a professional final washing as part of the project, we can arrange to include that in your project proposal. Our aim is to make the process of a fabulous window experience easy for you.

Yes, and our criteria for using vinyl is unique. 

We can and do install high-performance vinyl windows. Typically, we recommend other materials that enhance your experience more and we believe those windows are crafted using wood, aluminum, steel, and fiberglass. 

We believe most vinyl is an entry-level product and we want to help people put in windows that are going to make it through a few generations. If you want to get rid of the vinyl windows in your home and put in something more comfortable, durable, and beautiful, let us help.

Our typical small project is going to include work on 4-6 windows. A large project for us would be 125 windows or more. Let us know what you need and we’ll let you know if it's in our wheelhouse!

Yes. We are an EPA-certified Lead Safe firm. We take the safety of our customers and employees very seriously and rely on Lead Safe practices to maintain a safe and clean work environment.

Certified Lead-Based Paint Renovation Contractor License: LBPR 227521

We are planners at heart and want you to feel comfortable going into your project with a plan that feels good to you. A cost study of the benefits of repair/restoration/new window installation is something we can offer to help you make the most informed choice.

We recommend a pre-replacement window survey. We document the condition and assess repair options, and when the repairs exceed the cost-to-value we can explore new installation options that are sensible and are an upgrade from your old windows.

We are a team of carpenters, window nerds, parents, children, and lifelong learners. We are committed to excellence in our trade. And we are passionate about delivering a project that you can be proud of and that we can stand behind. We are on a mission to craft a culture of raving customers and equally inspired employees.

We're not kidding when we say we're fenestration fanatics!

Yes! We offer financing through Enerbank. 

We can provide this service if needed or you can move things before we arrive. We want to make this process easy, so if you need help providing us access to the work area, we can make this part of the project scope. Just let us know!

Yes, home renovations are disruptive… AND during the planning stages of the project, we take into consideration what the best order of operations will be for your lifestyle.

If you need the kitchen back every night to cook for the family, we accommodate this as best we can without slowing our progress to the point of increasing cost. If you prefer to not share your bathroom while we are working, just let us know. We provide job site restrooms for any project without bathroom options.

We work with you to plan your project to make it easy on you.

We carry full license and bonding requirements in Oregon and Washington as Residential Specialty Contractors and Commercial Specialty Contractors. 

Please check with the Oregon CCB and Washington State to verify that you're hiring professional contractors who can legally perform the work you want done.

Yes! We are licensed contractors in both Washington and Oregon.