A Key Feature
As I mentioned before, there were a few features I dreamt of in my house. A couple drawn into the plans are the thick walls and stone exterior. But there were two features that were add-ons, additional expenses, and major decisions. The first was the conservatory/greenhouse added as a front porch (and glass covered patio and breezeway). That became such a part of the unique character of the house early on, we pursued it with an outside vendor (Tanglewood Conservatories) before a builder was even chosen. And it's gone forward on its own momentum since then.
The other feature I'd longed for was steel windows and French doors. In my Palo Alto neighborhood there was a large white home with black windows--the muntin bars and casings were thin and black. It gave the home a vintage look, and I loved it. Unfortunately the owners didn't share my appreciation, and they eventually painted the windows white. Meanwhile, I was doing my usual magazine trolling of beautiful homes, and increasingly, I spotted dark (or light) windows and doors with very thin profiles. They were steel. Wooden or clad windows can have thin muntin bars, but the casing needs a certain width to support the window or door. The strength of steel makes this less necessary.
So I was hooked. We compared several companies for quality and service. One significant difference is if the window frames come with the glass installed, or the glazing needs to be done on site, by a local subcontractor. That's a big consideration. But, regardless and uniformly, the price of steel windows and doors is high!
In my house planning stage--the options seemed limitless--and cost wasn't conscientiously considered. But when I got the building bid, that was the point when reality reared it's fiscal head. Turning from steel to clad windows and doors would represent a major savings, and I opted to let that dream go. Fast forward several months, and I'm having non-buyer's remorse--I decided I would regret not having steel, since the windows and French doors are such a strong visual on the house. And after all, this is my dream house!
But now another consideration--which wasn't so crucial when we first pursued it--manufacturing of steel doors and windows takes time--sometimes nine or ten months. And some come from outside the country, which adds additional time (and presumably shipping costs). And now I'd let several months go by... so lead time became a priority. Fortunately, we'd already looked into Euroline, an experienced and high quality California company, so we connected with their enthusiastic and attentive sales and installation people, and found their lead time was only four to five months. That gets us into late fall, when the house should be framed and the rain will begin--so the pressure was on. I definitely don't want delays due to waiting on windows! All the window pane sizing had to be revamped and several decisions had to be made quickly. But we did it, and I'm happy to say, I'll have beautiful steel windows to look through as I live on soup for the years to come!
The other feature I'd longed for was steel windows and French doors. In my Palo Alto neighborhood there was a large white home with black windows--the muntin bars and casings were thin and black. It gave the home a vintage look, and I loved it. Unfortunately the owners didn't share my appreciation, and they eventually painted the windows white. Meanwhile, I was doing my usual magazine trolling of beautiful homes, and increasingly, I spotted dark (or light) windows and doors with very thin profiles. They were steel. Wooden or clad windows can have thin muntin bars, but the casing needs a certain width to support the window or door. The strength of steel makes this less necessary.
Traditional
Steel
Granted, steel can be a much more contemporary look and may seem contrary to the old world appeal I'm going for. But I love the clean lines and more light coming in. And the divided lights can stay as small as desired. And actually, if you look at old European homes with thick walls, you'll see that steel was often used.
So I was hooked. We compared several companies for quality and service. One significant difference is if the window frames come with the glass installed, or the glazing needs to be done on site, by a local subcontractor. That's a big consideration. But, regardless and uniformly, the price of steel windows and doors is high!
In my house planning stage--the options seemed limitless--and cost wasn't conscientiously considered. But when I got the building bid, that was the point when reality reared it's fiscal head. Turning from steel to clad windows and doors would represent a major savings, and I opted to let that dream go. Fast forward several months, and I'm having non-buyer's remorse--I decided I would regret not having steel, since the windows and French doors are such a strong visual on the house. And after all, this is my dream house!
But now another consideration--which wasn't so crucial when we first pursued it--manufacturing of steel doors and windows takes time--sometimes nine or ten months. And some come from outside the country, which adds additional time (and presumably shipping costs). And now I'd let several months go by... so lead time became a priority. Fortunately, we'd already looked into Euroline, an experienced and high quality California company, so we connected with their enthusiastic and attentive sales and installation people, and found their lead time was only four to five months. That gets us into late fall, when the house should be framed and the rain will begin--so the pressure was on. I definitely don't want delays due to waiting on windows! All the window pane sizing had to be revamped and several decisions had to be made quickly. But we did it, and I'm happy to say, I'll have beautiful steel windows to look through as I live on soup for the years to come!
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