Think ahead when considering new windows and doors
Summer is the next season on the horizon, and you might be thinking about flowers and upgrading your patio furniture, but you shouldn’t lose focus on your windows and doors.
In previous years it would have been OK to make the idea of upgrading or replacing them a distant item on your to-do list. What’s different now is that continued supply chain issues are impacting how long it takes to get them.
“If any are in need of replacement, it’s good to take note and act sooner rather than later if you want them in place by winter,” said Mike Dennis, co-owner of DeLuxe Window & Door, West Lawn, with his brother, Harry Jr.,. and sister, Joni.
The 72 year-old familyrun business was founded by their father, Harry Sr.
“You should be looking one, if not two seasons ahead this year — it’s not unusual for anything to take three months or more,” Mike said.
He said that aluminum is in short supply and very hard to get, which is impacting storm doors.
“There is a three- to fourmonth wait for some storm doors,” he said.
Typically, when there isn’t a supply chain disruption, the same doors and windows would take a month or two to complete.
“It’s at least double the time or more now due to supply chain issues,” Mike said. “With all the different materials in a product that could possibly get delayed, they can’t anticipate all of it.”
If replacing your patio door is on your mind, you might be in luck because DeLuxe had the foresight to order patio doors to ensure they had some limited stock available for customers this season.
“Because we saw the supply chain issues were going to be happening, we actually ordered some doors a while back to have in stock to help alleviate some delay,” he said. “Normally we
would not inventory these doors because in the past they would get them fast enough.”
If you’re dissatisfied with your existing patio door and want to upgrade to something more energy-efficient, secure, easy to operate and lower maintenance, DeLuxe would come to your home and a door expert would install your custom-made door.
“You want to visit our showroom because we have all of this on display,” Mike said.
Patio doors with mini blinds located between the glass on the door are one of their most popular products. They are ideal for those seeking privacy and light control.
“They are known as the mini blinds you never have to clean or dust,” he said. “There is a magnetic controller outside of the glass to
open and close them, and it’s a sealed dust unit, so no dust can get to the mini blind.”
The blinds also can’t be damaged.
“They are kid-proof and dog-proof,” he said.
If you’re in need of upgrading your windows, Dennis suggested beating the fall rush.
“Normally people can order them in the fall and have them installed by winter, but that’s not going to happen very easily due to the supply chain issues,” he said.
Their tilt-in windows offer ease of operation for spring and summer.
“A lot of old windows are hard to open and hard to clean,” he said. “These windows tilt in for easy cleaning and high-energy efficiency.”
Aside from easy access to each side of the tilt-in window, you can get the look of
old-style grids without the fuss.
“You can have the look of old-style grids, but there is no maintenance because they are in between the glass,” he said.
Montana Graboyes, third generation of the family-owned and operated Graboyes Door & Window in Montgomery County that was founded 70 years ago, said it’s a good time of year to think about window maintenance. If you have modern tilt-in windows she said it’s as easy as dedicating two to three minutes to clean out each window.
“People get brand new windows and think they don’t have to maintain them,” Graboyes said. “It never hurts to go in and clean out your sills a few times a year.”
Graboyes said that no matter the quality of sill you have, dirt forms at the bottom of the window that you need to clean out. She also suggests giving your screen a once-over with dish soap and water. She highlighted another area to pay attention to that can impact the longevity of your window.
“You want to make sure the weep holes in the bottom of the frame aren’t clogged from the winter,” she said, adding it’s important to clean them out once or twice a year and discussed what happens if they aren’t maintained.
“Dirt accumulates and then water can’t wash out, and water always has to go somewhere, so if you don’t clean it out, the water can seep into the cracks of the window and can go into the house.”
For those looking for a window refresh, Graboyes said that April through early June is typically their busiest time for window sales.
“People always purchase in the spring — there is a boom every year,” she said. “People have ventilation on top of their mind and there is something about the spring mindset that encourages people to want to refresh things.”