“Why should I invest in expensive quality windows?”

This is a question we get asked a lot. When a client wants to update their home, often they want to try to save money by purchasing lower end windows so that they’ll have more to spend on something they feel will make a bigger impact aesthetically.

I get that. But if you are going to replace windows, it doesn’t make great sense to replace them with a lesser quality window just so they are newer than what’s currently there! We recommend that you buy excellent windows and only do a few at a time if budget is big concern.

What do we mean by excellent “quality windows”? We only use Parco Windows, which are manufactured right here in Eau Claire, WI. Parco Windows and Patio Doors They have a 90-mil thick vinyl frame. That means that they are strong enough to remain right and true in the opening. So, opening and closing them isn’t a chore! They will also withstand our days of 20 degrees below zero cold winds as well as those days when it is hot, humid, and 90 degrees in the shade. Low quality windows are not made to take these extremes. Their frames crack and fall apart. Their counter-balances break, making opening and closing them unsafe. The glass packages on these inferior windows are many times un-insulated glass, costing more to heat in the winters and in the summer allow the harmful sun rays in working to destroy your carpet and couches. Why pay good money for inferior products?

Now let’s talk about installation. I have heard ads talking about how this or that company will install a complete home of windows in a day. Slam, bam, with a quick thank you, as they head out the door. No attention to quality work. When I come across these quickly installed window, I normally find an adhesive foam applied to the frame around the window and friction fit into the opening. They may take the time to add a few screws to keep it from shaking out in the wind. It is common that they reinstall the old trim with no regards to how it looks.

We do things differently. Parco windows are custom made to the 1/8 inch. The frames are 90-mil thick, the thickest framed available, that I have found, after 25 years of installing vinyl windows. Most windows being marketed today are 45 to 65 mil thick. A 90-mil thick window frame does not contract on cold days or grow on hot days. We can make these windows extremely air tight around the frames by spraying 1 part expanding foam. The foam we use has a rubberized component that allows for studs moving without affecting the overall operation of the window. This, combined with Argon filled insulated double or triple paned glass manufactured locally in Menomonie at Cardinal Glass, makes Parco windows, installed by Balts Construction Inc. a far superior and much warmer window. Even the hardware is manufactured locally, it comes from a plant north of Rice Lake, WI. When you hear those ads that tote this or that company is huge and nationwide, ask yourself, are those windows made in Georgia or southern Ohio, really made for our climate? Buy from a locally manufactured window made for Northern Wisconsin’s extreme temperatures. Now that’s truly great for the environment!

So, if you plan to live comfortably in your home after you update the look – it’s very important to make sure that you use quality windows, installed by the knowledgeable professional installers at Balts Construction of the Chippewa Valley, Inc.