FAQ
Questions we get from both sides
Commercial and residential buyers ask genuinely different things, so the answers are grouped rather than blended.
Request a QuoteCommercial
Architects, GCs, engineers, property teams
- What information do you need to quote a commercial window project?
- Building type, project stage, the number of openings, the number of elevations involved, and the unit types if you already know them. If a window schedule or drawing set exists, that covers all of it. If it does not, opening counts per elevation are enough to start.
- Can you replace windows in an occupied building?
- Yes, and most of this work is occupied. Openings are opened and closed the same working day, interior protection goes down before demolition, and the elevation is worked in a predictable direction so occupant notices can be posted in advance.
- How far ahead should a summer institutional project start?
- Field measurement has to happen before fabrication can be ordered, and aluminum units are built to the measured opening. For work that has to complete inside a summer break, quoting in the spring generally means the following summer rather than the current one.
- Do you handle curtain wall or storefront?
- No. This is punched-opening window systems specifically: individual units set into individual wall openings. Curtain wall is a continuous glazed skin hung outside the structure and it is a different trade with different detailing and testing.
- Can performance vary by elevation?
- Yes, and on larger buildings it usually should. A west elevation and a north elevation have different solar exposure, so the SHGC target is frequently different even when the frame system and U-factor target are identical.
Residential
Homeowners replacing windows
- Do I need to measure my windows before requesting a quote?
- No. Rooms and an approximate window count are enough. Exact opening dimensions get measured before anything is ordered, because aluminum units are fabricated to the opening rather than trimmed from a stock size.
- Why aluminum instead of vinyl?
- Aluminum is stiff, so the frame can be much narrower while carrying the same insulated glass. In a replacement that usually means recovering glass area instead of losing it. Modern residential aluminum is thermally broken, which is what makes it energy-code compliant.
- Can I replace part of the house now and the rest later?
- Yes. Phasing works as long as the first phase is documented — profile, finish code, and glazing package recorded — so the later phase matches rather than nearly matches.
- Will my bedroom windows still meet egress?
- That gets checked at measure. A replacement frame set inside the existing frame reduces the clear opening on all four sides, which is the usual way a like-for-like swap fails inspection. Where it will not work, the fix is a full-frame replacement or a different operation type.
- My house is in a historic district. Is replacement possible?
- Usually, but the profile has to be chosen for review rather than for price. Commissions look at frame sightline width, where the horizontal division lands, the muntin pattern, and how deep the glass sits. Approval comes before fabrication.
- Is there a showroom to visit?
- No. Everything starts and stays with the on-site quote form; selections are made against your actual openings and exposure rather than a display wall.
Question not answered here
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