Serious About Windows

From the very beginning, Scott and I understood there would be three (at least) big-ticket items for the house: the roof, the solar heating system and windows. As the roof and the solar heating system near completion, it is time to turn our attention to the windows.

We actually began investigating windows even before Wayne had drawn up our blueprints. Early in the planning stages, Wayne took us to the Loewen Windows show room in Salt Lake. Loewen is the brand Wayne has in his straw bale house in Idaho. According to the literature, Loewen windows have extremely high thermal performance which has led to their Energy Star designation. And, as we saw in Wayne’s house, the douglas fir casing and brick mould are absolutely beautiful. As you can guess, they also have a price tag to match.

Still, we had agreed to spend what was necessary to have excellent windows. After all, since our walls have an R-value of 40 +, we better have high-performing windows to fill the holes we make in those walls. We were planning to go with Loewen window until two things happened. One - I asked my mom how she liked her wood windows. She said, if she were to do it over, she would NOT have wood because they require so much maintenance. And two - we learned about Serious Windows because Scott, always one for extensive research, learned they were the most efficient windows available.

Plus, get this, the EMPIRE STATE BUILDING, in a retrofitting project, will be using Serious Windows. Hey! If they’re good enough for the Empire State Building, they are good enough for us. And we won’t even have to worry about cleaning glass 1,250 feet off the ground.

Yes, there is a big price tag for their performance, but we’re excited to have such a great product in our house. Last week, I took a big gulp and wrote the check. The windows should be delivered this summer!