Woodland Windows and Doors Blog
There’s a heightened awareness about home security lately. If your entry and patio doors are like most, you have the most common lock, a standard deadbolt, which offers little to no protection against forced entry. If you’re planning to purchase a new entry or patio door do some research first and learn about multi-point locking systems.
Marvin Elevate French Hinged Door with Side-lite
Marvin Windows and Doors
Black windows are a natural fit for a Farmhouse style home, so it’s no wonder we’re noticing the trend with so many beautiful examples in our neighborhoods. Black windows work with the typical warm or cool neutrals like cream, beige, silver sage and grey interior colors. They complement the minimalist style and are stunning in contrast with the typical white board and batten exterior siding.
Mid-Century Modern Home - West Chicago, IL
You’ve driven by one and you may have even stopped to look at it. The Mid-Century Modern Home rarely goes unnoticed. Sleek lines, curtain walls of glass, horizontal window designs and contemporary doors are what defines a Mid-Century Modern home.
If there is righteousness in the heart,
there will be beauty in the character.
If there is beauty in the character,
there will be harmony in the home.
If there is harmony in the home,
there will be order in the nation.
If there is order in the nation,
there will be peace in the world.
So let it be. – Scottish blessing
We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and blessed holiday season.
bhg.com & FamilyHoliday.com
There are few more welcoming sights than Entry Doors decorated for the holidays. Last evening I went to a Holiday party. The home’s entry way was lite up with festive lights and a beautiful door was adorned a wreath. Several partygoers arrived at the same time heading to the welcoming door, when someone said, I think the party is next door. Sure, enough and we turned and headed to the darkly lit door, rang the bell to be greeted by our warm hostess. Could that entry door describe your party this year?
Woodland continues to be grateful each day and each year for our friends, family and the community of customers who support our business -- for 50th years now. We hope you have a very special Thanksgiving Day with your loved ones.
Provia Entry Door with Sidelites - Glenview, IL
Door systems provide a grand entrance to any home. Your selection should fit in architecturally with the rest of your home, but if you have the opportunity to make a ‘statement’ like this homeowner did, you should do so.
We hope you’ll join us next Saturday, October 5th at Woodland Windows and Doors at the corner of Lake and Gary for our 50th Anniversary Fall Open House. We invite you to learn about what’s new for windows and doors, gather with neighbors, family and friends, or enjoy some fun with your kids.
Why visit an Open House?
Arlington Heights Therma-Tru Door Winner
What a difference a new door can make. A worn-out front door is a real eye sore that makes our home look dated. Take a look at this Arlington Heights home of Woodland’s Ugly Door Contest winners. The owners nicknamed their original door “mouse maze” entered their ugly entry way photo in this year’s contest garnering 354 votes to win a new Therma Tru entry door.
There is something about an old entry door that could have been replaced years before and yet it still welcomes its occupants’ home and keeps intruders away that brings to mind a quote by Dr. Seuss, “You’re in pretty good shape for the shape you’re in”.
Mouse Maze Arlington Heights
Wishing you a beautiful Easter weekend. Woodland will be closed Good Friday, April 19th to celebrate this special holiday.
SPRING is a great time to replace your old ugly front door! Woodland is having an Ugly Door Contest to help you get motivated. The contest winner will receive a Therma-Tru Fiber Classic Mahogany Door retail value of $3,200*. See terms and conditions and more information at the contest page.
To enter, submit a photo of your door with a brief description. The deadline to submit a photo is Monday, April 15. From Tuesday, April 16-19 (noon), readers will vote for the ugliest door.
Chicago Condominium
Leave it to the owners of this gorgeous downtown Chicago condominium to select Marvin Integrity ‘ebony’ finish for their new windows and doors. Their choice of sleek casements, awnings and an expansive patio door system, all contemporary looks, gives the individual units and the building a fresh look.
What a difference a door makes. It’s a bold move to replace a window and adding a patio door and one that pays off handsomely in livability. When it’s time to upgrade your old windows, be strategic and look at your home with a fresh eye. Are there rooms in your home that can be visibly enhanced with a different style window or door? Adding sliding patio doors in an existing wall is not difficult. Check out this project in the West Chicago suburbs.
West Chicago Project Before
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone from the team at Woodland Windows and Doors!
We wish you the happiest of times with your friends and family as you open your home in celebration. We're eternally grateful for our community of customers.
When our home looks dated or our entry door looks worn, we imagine in our mind what a new front entry door would look like. Now you can actually design your new front door rather than just imagining it. Visit our showroom door design gallery and use the Therma-Tru design tool that lets you select from all the possibilities to design sidelites, transoms, door glass just the way you want for a custom look for your home.
Bartlett IL
Marvin Multi-Slide Door Sill
If you live in Chicago or the surrounding areas you’ve got to love weather. It’s what we have. If you like oversized patio doors like Marvin’s multi-slide expansive doors you’re going to love the fact that these doors meet aggressive Design Pressure (DP) and Performance Grade (PG ) ratings. DP is a calculation that determines how much wind pressure a window can withstand. PG is an expanded measurement that also verifies structural performance, water penetration and air infiltration resistance and a battery of other performance measures.
The trend toward bringing the outdoors in to our homes makes the addition of a sunroom very popular. If your goal is to open your home to natural light, fresh air and natures views you’ll want to select a style that optimizes your window and door choices. Traditional sunroom additions give you the maximum flexibility to select the size, style and location for your sunroom windows and doors.
Traditional Sunroom Addition
A ‘site built’ or sometimes called ‘stick built’ addition is built from scratch on-site. In this case, the wood, concrete, glass, siding, shingles, insulation, lighting and every other component is selected to closely match your existing home or to upgraded standards. A traditional sunroom addition is constructed by a contractor just as any regular addition or house would be. Permits are pulled, a foundation is laid, walls are framed, insulated and sheet rocked, roof trusses are built, and the room is wired for power.
Since the primary purpose of these rooms is to create a bright and airy space, particular attention needs to be given to the window and door selection in order to get the maximum benefit of the room. Here are some key considerations for your sunroom addition windows and doors.
Foggy glass, rotting wood, shrinking caulk, or leaking windows are all signs that your windows likely need replacing. When you own a condo and belong to a Homeowner Association (HOA) what options do you have for replacing the windows in your unit? Do you need pre-approvals from your HOA?
Condo Window & Door Replacement Project
Explore the 'wide open possibilities' of Marvin Scenic View Doors and earn 1-CEU at this complimentary CEU Training Event hosted by Woodland Windows & Doors. March 16th from 11-1pm, including lunch.
If your projects include expansive door openings this is the perfect time to gather information and learn more about fenestration for large window and door openings in residential applications. The course will be presented by Marvin experts, Taylor Neill, CSI, CDT and Tim Vande Loo, CDT at Woodland where you'll be able to see a beautiful 14' x 10' Marvin Multi-slide Door.
Join us for our Open House, Friday, March 16th from 8 - 10 am in our showroom to learn about buying and installing Marvin scenic view doors.
Oversized doors are increasingly popular for renovations and new construction. Architects, builders and homeowners are choosing these popular doors for the way they enlarge a home by opening up the rooms and for how they connect the indoors to the outdoors.
Planning to remodel or build a home? If so, you undoubtedly have a list of ‘must have’ features. Did you know that traditional sliding and French patio doors are being swapped out for expansive multi-slide and multi-fold door systems that offer maximum views and inviting indoor-outdoor connections? Ever wonder when ‘nice to have options become must have features’? That’s the question homeowners and builders are now asking about large patio doors.
Marvin Ultimate Multi-slide Door
Large patio door systems come in three basic designs each with multiple configuration options depending on your application. Marvin offers the Ultimate Multi-slide, Bi-fold and Ultimate Lift and Slide Doors. Andersen Architectural Collection offers a collection of Folding, Pivot, and MultiGlide™ and Lift-slide Doors. Pella has a collection of expansive doors too. The doors have been available for several years and now they’re more affordable and installation is easier.
Walk into a beautiful space, a classic museum, an elegant hotel, a swank lobby or a beautiful home and we’re struck by how we feel.
Design should express and reinforce the essential idea of the space. The room’s angles, ceiling heights, architectural details, focal points or the outside landscape.
Integrity by Marvin Windows
There are certain facts of life that simply can’t be ignored and one of these is that Chicago area entry doors take a beating. The region’s warm, humid summers and its cold, bitter winters are a life fact that should be a top consideration when selecting an entry door for your home. Wood entry doors are an option for homes with well protected entries, but for the majority of homes in our area, Fiberglass doors are your best choice.
Therma-Tru Entry Door
Thinking about remodeling your home and replacing your old windows? Come to our Open House this Saturday, September 30th and pick up a copy of the remodeling guide with tips about replacing your windows.
This Old House Remodeling Tips for Replacing Windows
We hope you’ll join us Saturday, September 30th at Woodland Windows and Doors at the corner of Lake and Gary for our Fall Open House. We invite you to learn about what’s new for windows and doors, gather with neighbors, family and friends, or enjoy some fun with your kids.
Why visit an Open House?
Woodland sponsors the Open House because we’re completely dedicated to showcasing and educating the community about the beautiful and functional products available for your new home or your home improvement. We also like to hear directly from customer’s what products and services you need from us. What better way than to open the doors for people to leisurely explore, talk with experts and learn regardless of your immediate intentions to buy?
Oversized doors are an increasingly popular item on homeowner’s wish lists. They open the house to connect with the outdoors and help create the illusion of space for today’s smaller homes. Naturally, a key question to ask is, how much do these expansive doors cost? The cost of the doors depends on your project size opening, the door style and design that you select. Of course, you can begin your project by asking for a quote, but without knowing your design alternatives you won’t really know if the quote is high or low for what you want and need.
A better way to get a handle on how much an oversized door like a multi-slide, lift and slid or bi-fold door will cost is first to identify what goes into the price of these doors. Here is a list of door features that you’ll want to consider as you plan and these choices will drive the cost of the doors.
Marvin Multi-Slide Door Installation
There are somethings that you just have to see to appreciate their beauty, such as the Grand Canyon, the Tetons or a glacier lake. If you’re considering adding oversized patio doors to your home you really need to see our newly added four panel Marvin Ultimate Multi-Slide Door and experience its simple beauty.
Drop in to our showroom to see first-hand the effortless glide of the door and the seamless transition from the interior to the exterior. Come see this 14’ wide by 10’ tall sliding door with a wood interior and gun metal clad exterior finish.
Marvin Multi-Slide Door
One of the most popular choices of exterior doors are French and sliding patio doors. Besides opening your home to expansive views, these choices let in light making them beautiful and desirable additions to your home.
The major feature of French or sliding patio doors is the glass pane or panes, which can pose a security risk. Burglars may look through the glass to see if anyone is inside the home, they may try to break the glass, or push in a double French door configuration.
If these beautiful glass doors would be perfect for your home, the good news is that there are multiple options with today’s quality modern glass doors that can reduce the risk of intrusion.
MARVIN FRENCH DOORS
You’ve settled into your dream home that you purchased last year when a huge storm blows through your area. Rain pounding against the house and streaks of water wash across your windows and doors. You scamper around your home ensuring yourself that all the windows and doors are securely closed when you notice a small water puddle on the floor next to the sliding patio door. You wipe it up and the next morning the floor is still dry and you conclude that it was just a hard pounding rain the likes of which no barrier could have kept some amount of water from penetrating.
Poor Installation is a Common Problem
The title for this blog post should be ‘Reimagining Doors’, but the power of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) would more quickly find our blog with something more direct. For the better part of our collective memory there has been a slow evolution of door styles from very expensive crafted wood doors, painted steel utility style doors, sliding glass patio doors and composites that mimic wood doors. While we were sleeping, designers and manufacturers began reimagining doors as expressions of lifestyle. If you’re in the market for a new front door or patio door you’re about to experience a revolution in door design.
Marvin Bi-fold Patio Doors
The three door trends we’re witnessing are, homeowners wanting better and remote security, connecting the interior with the exterior, and selecting a colorful entry door to create a personal statement and focal point. If you’re looking for a new door, there is no better time to be able to personalize and customize the exact door you’ll love.
A consistent theme among customers looking at windows and doors for their remodeling projects is to profess that they want a modern look. After talking and showing them various products, we begin to understand what ‘a modern look’ actually means to most people.
What they’re usually describing is the desire for an up to date, fresh look that is fashionable. Although it’s very important when remodeling to stay true to the style of the home, there is a lot of latitude to replace windows and doors with products that will modernize your home.
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
From All of Us at Woodland Windows and Doors
First impressions and Curb appeal
Whether you’re a homeowner or the property manager for a homeowner’s association (HOA) you know that your building’s curb appeal directly impacts property values, so old beat-up entry doors don’t bode well for what’s inside. Let’s face it, first impressions matter and an entry door is one of the first things guests will see. In HOAs, exterior doors are usually “limited common elements”, which when replaced benefit everyone.
Manor Homes of Chatham
The best entry door is the one that best suits your home style. It’s a key element of design so when you’re ready to replace your old door, consider upgrading to a door with architectural style. One style that’s versatile and back in vogue is the Dutch door.
Potting Shed Dutch Door - Pinterest
Every day at Woodland Windows and Doors, we strive to bring our customers the best of everything – customer service, great products, creative solutions, state of the art showroom and much more. Therefore, when Woodland was selected by our industry peers, for the
Window and Door Magazine 2016 Dealer of the Year Award for the most innovative enterprise, we know we have you, our customers, to thank for expecting the best.
Replacing strategically selected windows during your remodel can significantly enhance your entire project. Have you ever been invited to see your neighbor’s or a friend’s newly remodeled kitchen and what you see are updated appliances, cabinets, countertops, floors and freshly painted walls? What you’re seeing is very typical and would be more accurately called a kitchen replacement, not a remodel. The same thing happens with window replacement. A home’s windows are old, inefficient, inoperable, or badly worn and the homeowner replaces them with a new replica of the old windows. Like the new kitchen, the new windows look and function better, but the space hasn’t improved. A better way to get the most out of replacing your windows is to focus on enhancing – improving the quality of your environment by intensifying and amplifying the effect of your windows.
If you're remodeling, replacing windows can significantly enhance your overall project.
Marvin Windows
You’ve just spent months, if not years making the decision to replace your leaky inefficient windows. You’ve taken the leap and selected the best windows that your budget could manage. Now comes one more decision, which may be the biggest one you’ll make – who will install your new windows and what is their installation process? Remember this -no shortcuts allowed.
Before signing a sales order for your replacement windows, select an installer and take the time to see at least one finished installations. Know the proper steps to install your type of window, for your particular home. Before you sign the installation contract read the detail.
For several years now connecting the indoors to the outdoors has been a hot trend in building and remodeling. Accomplishing this task with style and verve is the “good old” sliding patio door, better known as ‘the slider’. Yes, the sliding patio door has been reinvented to give you wide span openings and expansive views connecting the indoors to the outdoors. You can replace your clunky old sliding patio door with hinged or sliding doors with style!
Create gorgeous expansive openings and views with a wide selection of different styles and configurations.
Steel Door with Sidelites |
Red Metal Porch Roof - Pinterest |
Alside Prodigy Siding |

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Colonial - Homeguides.sfgate.com |
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Marvin Website |
Pinterest Craftsman Home |
he beauty of wood is that no two pieces look exactly the same. The grain patterns, color variations and textures create a work of art. Frankly, it’s a stark contrast from a painted fiberglass or steel door, which can appear flat and lifeless in comparison. There are places for the less costly door; a wood craftsman entry door is the place to splurge.
Jeld Wen Dutch Door |
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Marvin Integrity Sliding Doors |
Source: Velux |
Source: Marvin |
Marvin Ultimate Lift and Slide
Marvin Ultimate French Slider
Andersen French Doors
Marvin French Doors
The feeling you had in the model home was likely because the windows and doors were chosen to obtain unobstructed views and lots of light. Manufacturers are making multi-panel glass and taller doors that flood rooms with light.
The wow factor sets the energy for your gathering. There you are greeting your guests as they arrive framed by an elegant front door. The contemporary black wood finish, classic side lights and oversized transom beckons your guests to come inside. Maybe it's a red classic front door that welcomes your guests. Whichever door you choose, when it’s adorned with holiday decorations it is most inviting.
Have you ever heard the term slippery slope? It means an idea or course of action, which will inevitably lead to something unacceptable, wrong or disastrous. At Woodland Windows and Doors, we think window and door installations done improperly are like a slippery slope – once they start heading downhill they keep going downhill. There are some things that as a business you just have to invest in to ensure the job is done right and we at Woodland think that installation is one of those things.
How hard can it be to install windows and doors? Tricky for a professional who's learned the ins and outs - largely because of all the things that can go wrong. Woodland recognized years ago that the surest way to fail was to leave the fate of our customer’s job in the hands of others. We’ve experienced the slippery slope first hand such as, when a few windows arrive defective, but it goes unnoticed until they’re put into the window opening or a second story window requires special equipment to reach it, which wasn’t planned for. We know how quickly a job can go downhill and we know that the surest way to deliver an expert job is to control every aspect of it with trained people who are committed to a perfect outcome.
Please send us an image (.jpeg or .gif) of your UGLY DOOR to [email protected] by June 7th at midnight. All pictures will be posted to a special gallery on our Facebook page. The picture with the most "likes" will win! You can vote with “likes” till June 13th at midnight. Feel free to share your image with your friends and family and get them to “like” your ugly door!
Many property owners ask a lot of questions concerning Homeowners’ Associations (HOA). The HOA is an independent organization that manages a group of investors. Woodland and most of its neighborhoods where they do work have them. More often than not, the association is made of residents from the surrounding areas who work with a real estate property manager.
There are a couple of things you need to think of when giving your home a facelift: Should you remodel your bedroom first, or the rest room? Should you remodel your entire home, or add some few rooms? How do you answer such questions? But did the thought of lead in your remodeling project ever cross your mind? If yes, you might want to learn the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines first.