SolarGlass

We recently completed a Customer Satisfaction Survey of 102 SolarGlass Replacement Window project we completed between March 2009 and May 2010.

Of the 102 installs, we had 29 conversations. SolarGlass received positive comments from 23 customers. In addition, we received one service suggestion, had four installation problems, and one service issue.

Positive comments included:

• Centennial: Thanks for the great work!
• Johnstown: Timely and accurate installation, very pleasant
• Lakewood: Very knowledgeable about the product. The installers were polite, worked well, and left everything clean
• Ft. Collins: Definitely satisfied
• Denver: Very happy with SolarGlass
• Denver: Great job!
• Boulder: Very pleased with the work.
• Ft. Collins; Absolutely satisfied. The work area was cleaned. Good job done.
• Ft. Collins: The installer was very good. We will recommend to friends
• Littleton: Very happy with quality and installation
• Arvada: Work was good
• Littleton: Happy
• Ft. Collins: Jim paid close attention and his focus on energy efficiency was important to us
• Ft. Collins: Very pleased
• Aurora: Good job.
• Livermore: Will recommend to friends
• Berthoud: Great job, nice clean up. Will recommend to friends
• Ft. Collins: Did well on the installation and will recommend to friends
• Loveland: Customer service and installation were done exceptionally well
• Ft. Collins: Brian was very professional and did excellent work
• Ft. Collins: Exceptional personal skills in understanding what we are looking for. Great job!
• Ft. Collins: Excellent work, very pleased. Will recommend SolarGlass to everyone
• Aurora: Very happy with window and installer

The service suggestion stated we should offer a coupon to clean the windows once they are installed – a good idea and one we will implement.

The service issue related to adjusting hinges and operation on an inswing door – done.

The installation issues:

One installation issue involved the smell of silicon that was used to lubricate the windows after installation. Another installation issue related to an installation method we agreed to and later came to regret. The lesson learned here is to NEVER deviate from Installation Master’s approved installation methodology. We had a stain match and blind fit problem that we rectified to the customer’s complete satisfaction. Lastly, we did not set expectation well enough that a new Entry Door would be different than the very old door it replaced and our customer did not like the door threshold.

I am proud of our team and their performance. We will always have room to improve but it is terrific to have affirmation that we are on the right track!

Our newest location has been open since the beginning of May with successful Grand Opening Events the week of May 17th At 3,500 square feet, the Denver showroom is one of the largest in the market and certainly has the most extensive displays.

Check out our press in the Denver Business Journal and Life on Capital Hill.

Stop in and see us!

The beta version of what could be a great homeowner resource is now available. The guide walks through the “whats, whys, hows, and who” of the replacement process. What will make the starting point a valuable resource is contributions from you! Share your stores, good and bad, ask questions, respond to comments from others. Challenge us if you think we have gotten something wrong.

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four

We were able to arrive at a mutual agreement around the shades and we now have new windows that are super. It is very remarkable how, even without shades, our home is far warmer and more comfortable than it has ever been. Again, one of those things that is hard to explain, or believe, but the overall comfort within the house is very noticeable.

In the past we could feel drafts inside when the temperature was bitter cold (sub-zero) outside. We’d also gotten pretty good at telling the temperature outdoors by the feel within the house, anywhere within the house. For the first several weeks we had the new windows we’d try to guess outside the outside temperature and we’d be off more than 20 degrees! We can stand right up next to the glass on sub-zero days and not get cold. We’ve lowered the thermostat about 5 degrees and the house feels warmer and more comfortable than before.

But not only are the new windows more efficient, they also have a ‘warmer’ appearance to them. The glass is set deeper in the frames (as viewed from inside out) so they impart a deeper feel to the room. And the new awning window in the kitchen has truly opened this room immensely. This new feel to the kitchen is one of our favorite parts of the change. We are very appreciative that Rick didn’t just sell us what we wanted, but also what we didn’t know we’d want! We appreciate that he took the time and effort to help us with the feel of this room and make a suggestion that really made a huge difference, and it was a down-sale since the awning window was less expensive than a direct double casement replacement window.

We are extremely pleased that Rick, Eric, Mark, and Gwénaël are all professionals focused on delivering a quality product and experience to their customers. We believe that SolarGlass is a great company and we have already recommended them to our neighbors who are having similar window rotting problems that we had.

To read previous chapters, click here

The installation of our replacement windows began just as planned , the second week of January right after we returned from vacation. In total, it took approximately 3 weeks to complete and reflecting back on it, the installation went without a hitch.

Since this was our first of this type of renovation, we did not fully know what to expect in terms of exactly how the work was to unfold. Rick had explained things to us, but it was a whole other thing to experience it. Since the Marvin Integrity windows are standard sizing there were larger gaps to fill than if we had bought the more expensive custom fit windows. During the installation there were window perimeter sections of the sheet rock that were exposed without trim and it looked more ‘destructive’ than we thought. For a short while, we were a bit concerned that it would never look right. Some sections of sheet rock had to be filled and re-textured, and we were concerned that the tiles and trim would not go back in place correctly.

All our concerns were for naught. Eric and Mark are perfectionists. The end result was every bit as good as the original, in terms of appearance. From a structural standpoint, the new windows are installed far better. Eric took the time to walk us around and show us how the old windows were installed and how he was installing the new windows. In some cases the old windows only had 6 screws holding them in place – without any additional sealant – and this is for double casement windows that are 5 feet tall. The new windows are fastened, flashed, sealed and insulated way more effectively than the originals. It is a wonder that we did have more leakage and problems with the old windows!

The only real ‘issue’ we had with the final result of our replacement windows was fitment of our original shades. We had done a LOT of homework ahead of time to verify whether or not the original cellular shades would fit into the new frames. Rick had obtained design prints from Marvin and we measured several times. We thought that we would need to replace only a couple of shades.

We knew all along that the new kitchen window and 2 other windows would definitely require new shades. We were in the process of finding ways to have 2 shades cut down and color match the material on the 3rd when we discovered that in fact only 6 shades (out of 26) were going to fit after the install was complete. Needless to say this was a bit of a surprise and, in the heat of the moment, we wondered whether we’d made the right decision to go with the standard sized Marvin Integrity window versus the custom sized Ultimate. One of the Pella quotes included internal shades but we dismissed these out of hand because of the huge incremental expense. We wondered, looking back, whether we would have made chosen the Marvin Ultimate series realizing that new shades were now part of the expenses.

We contacted Rick to discuss things. Rick chose to bring the SolarGlass owner, Gwénaël, so that we could also discuss this with him, and it would give Gwénaël an opportunity to see the final result. They arrived as the job was being completed so they were able to see the finished job. We talked about the process and how we felt (both positively and negatively) about the entire process from investigation to installation. Gwénaël was extremely professional, listening intently and actively questioning us on our perspective. He asked us to continue getting prices on the shades and for us to suggest a proposal that would help offset things. All too often in this kind of situation there would be a bunch of hand waving and dismissals. He is clearly not that kind of businessman. It is very refreshing to work with him.

After much discussion, we finally signed the contract with SolarGlass the first week in October and the Marvin Integrity windows were ordered. Once the windows were received, they would be stained at the SolarGlass warehouse prior to install so that no finishing work, other than trim and wallboard touchup, was to be done at our house. We were looking at an expected installation in the first two weeks of November.

The windows arrived as scheduled. We were asked to do the stain match for the windows and we went to the local Sherwin Williams and tried to obtain a good match. However, this proved to be very difficult in that the paint store could not seem to match the stain to a standard, off-the-shelf stain. They blended a custom stain that looked very good on a small sample. The week that we were to finalize the stain match, we had a family member fall seriously ill. All of our attention was focused on our family and SolarGlass agreed that they would take over the stain matching. We truly appreciated this gesture and it helped immensely!

During the staining process we were contacted and asked to stop by the shop to look at the windows. Unfortunately, all windows had been stained and the color was wrong – very yellow and not the same as we currently had. SolarGlass went back to the stain supplier and purchased a fruitwood stain off the shelf, and it matched great. This meant that the windows needed to be stripped and re-stained with the new stain. The fact that all windows were stained prior to doing a final color match verification was a big mistake that cost all of us time, emotions and money (although the costs were absorbed by SolarGlass, we did not pay for the rework). The result is that in some small cases the corners of the windows show the stain/strip/re-stain work. However, it is not all that noticeable; you really need to look for it.

Due to the delay caused from re-staining, the windows were not ready for installation until ~1 week prior to our planned 3 week extended vacation over the Christmas and New Year holiday. Adding to the confusion and timing, SolarGlass was changing locations at the end of the calendar year. Rather than move our windows to a warehouse for temporary storage, we were asked if we’d prefer to store the windows in our garage for the time we were on vacation and they would get started with the installation as soon as we returned. In the interest of minimizing risk of moving the windows multiple times we decided to have the windows stored in our garage and we kept one vehicle outside during our vacation and the installation process.

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Out of the above three companies, the highest rated windows were Marvin, both via Consumer Reports and via the on-line blogs. We’d also had a great endorsement from our roofing contractor for SolarGlass in Boulder, our local Marvin representative, so we were comfortable getting a quote from them.

We’d read on-line that Marvin tends to be the more expensive windows, but their quality is commensurate. We’d also read that Pella can be difficult to get a true price in that they may bid high and then come back with a lower bid and if you do have problems that their customer service is not all that great. Not much was commented about with the Renewal by Anderson in terms of sales tactics.

In all cases, when we asked for our quotes, we clearly and definitively asked for the best price they could give for replacing our windows. We specifically stated that we did not want a “rethink” on the quote and we wanted the sales rep to think up-front and give us their best price the first time.

Upon receiving the three quotes, there was quite a difference in how the bid sheets were laid out. The least detailed was Renewal by Anderson, the most detailed was Marvin. But mostly we were shocked at the huge difference in pricing! Much to our surprise, the SolarGlass Marvin Integrity quote was the lowest price – and this window (wood interior, pultruded fiberglass exterior) was the highest rated window in terms of energy efficiency. And not only was the SolarGlass total quote (material, finishing and installation) for the Integrity lowest, but their installation also included interior finishing. The other companies would not perform interior finishing (staining).

Strictly in terms of pricing, the list was (lowest to highest cost)
• Marvin Integrity (lowest)
• Renewal by Anderson
• Marvin Ultimate
• Pella ProLine
• Pella Designer (highest)

True to the on-line reports, within about a week or two from the initial quote period we received calls from the other companies offering to reduce their pricing because “they weren’t that busy now and had room to negotiate their prices.” Call us stubborn, but we do not appreciate that type of selling. We asked for best prices up front and we expected the first quotes to be best offer. We find it hard to develop trust when the target is moving. And if it were entirely a decision on lowest landed cost, the SolarGlass Integrity quote still won on lowest landed cost – even after Pella and Renewal by Anderson came back with their ‘improved’ pricing!

However, this kind of decision is not only a financial decision, but one about the installation quality. Without decent installation the best windows are likely to leak or have problems. Again, SolarGlass gave us a good feeling about the work they would do. Their sales person, Rick, stopped by several times to discuss the options, fit and installation process. We spent considerable time with him to determine the best configuration for the windows, trying to understand the changes we would expect and the amount of work required to install the windows.

Rick suggested a change to our kitchen window, moving from a double casement to a wide awning style that would remove the mullion that obstructed the view from the kitchen sink. Not only would this give us a more open feel with a better view, but it was a lower cost option to the double casement. In addition, for the small increase in price (less than 2% of the total installed cost), we made all other double casement windows to have both windows operate so that we could maximize air flow in summer months. Previously, the double casements had only one side operating. We simply would never have considered these two significant changes without his advice.

What you are about to read is a true story from a real customer. No words have been changed. The only thing that has been altered is that I have divided the customer’s experience into chapters – milestones in the process of replacing their windows. From the decision to replace windows, to the research, to the purchase of the replacement windows, and the installation, all chronicled to provide a learning and buying process for us all

The customer whose provided this story resides in our service area which includes Denver, Boulder, Ft. Collins, and the rest of Colorado’s urban corridor.

I encourage your comments, and honor any questions you may have that pertain to your specific situation. Feel free to email me directly at ghagan@solarglass.com as the story unfolds each week for the next five weeks.

Now on to Chapter I:

To Replace or Not to Replace?

Let me preface this by saying that before ~August 2009 we had not even thought about window replacement, nor did we know much about the subject. However, we were forced to learn very quickly!

Background
Our house had Oldach wood interior, aluminum clad exterior, windows installed as original windows when the house was built 16 years ago. Like many of the Oldach installations, we had experienced poor sealing and the window frames had started to rot. We tried to repair the rotted frames with wood filler and hardener but soon realized it was an uphill battle that would not end well. Reluctantly, in September, we started our investigation for replacement windows.

Our search began by pouring in hours of Internet search time, reading blogs, on-line whine lines, etc… to try and determine reputable manufacturers, installers, things to look for, engineering and design data on windows. We also researched Consumer Reports and we checked with our personal network, some folks who are in the construction business, to see if there were any immediate standouts or avoidances.

Selection
The three brands that we narrowed down our final search to for replacement windows were: Pella, Renewal by Anderson and Marvin. The next phase was to go look for ourselves at the showrooms, talk to the sales personnel and get a feel for how the entire process works. After visiting the showrooms we invited sales people to the house for full pricing quotes.

In terms of criteria for the quotes, we wanted to ensure that we kept our wood interior look and feel that we had with the Oldach windows and we wanted white exteriors that require no maintenance. Thus, we were limited to a composite design, either a clad window or one that would give us a wood veneer interior. Additionally, we also wanted to replace the existing windows with better quality and more energy efficient design and construction.

Combining all these constraints, the brands and window lines we compared were:
• Marvin Integrity (wood interior, pultruded fiberglass exterior)
• Marvin Ultimate (wood interior, aluminum extruded exterior)
• Renewal by Anderson (PVC and recycled wood composite with wood veneer interior)
• Pella Proline (wood interior, aluminum sheet metal clad exterior)
• Pella Designer (wood interior, aluminum sheet metal clad exterior, but with more options)

We developed a quote comparison table to help with our selection. The comparison criteria were:
• costs (materials, installation and finishing costs)
• ‘ratings’ (energy efficiency, design pressure rating, warranty, perceived quality & reliability)
• size deviation from existing windows
• features (screen types, will the shades fit? do they come with shades?)
• installation (are the installers dedicated to this company and its windows, or are they handymen?)
• gut-feel
All windows quoted had low-E-Coat glass and in this case, the ‘ratings’ we used were as rated by Consumer Reports, probably the most neutral and least opinionated ratings we could find.

We received the following email yesterday:

“I just wanted to let you know how truly pleased Gary and I are with the new Milgard windows and the front door. We can actually already tell a positive difference and they have been in the house less than a week! Ed, this was an exceptional home improvement experience from beginning to end . . . the gentlemen who did the window/door installation were marvelous (and I usually don’t lavish praise on contractors as I typically have not always had such excellent end results). We can give everything the highest marks . . . your knowledgeable work as the window consultant, the replacement window installation crew and the product itself. We do feel that we have the very best replacement windows for the money; for performance, functionality and appearance. I can’t imagine that we would have received any more of a benefit by doubling the purchase price on more costly replacements.”

My job as owner is to honor the team that makes these comments possible!

We will be in booth 283

We will have our team available to talk about window replacement, window technology and energy savings, and the difference between a SolarGlass American Architectural Manufacturers Association Certified Installation and what is sadly common practice in the replacement business.