Woodland Windows and Doors Blog

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.

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?

Black Windows Elmhurst, IL

Have you noticed that black windows are replacing white windows for home renovations and new homes? Now offered by most manufacturers, black is perfect for accentuating the clean simple lines todays homeowners prefer.

We hope you’ll join us next Saturday, October 5^th at Woodland Windows and Doors at the corner of Lake and Gary for our 50^th 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.

Stop battling nature. Be one with nature. Whichever way you want to frame it, it’s never too soon to invest in creating an outdoor space.

It’s never too soon to get these landscape structures built because, let’s face it we live in an area known for its inclement weather. Why let weather spoil another Easter patio brunch, a July 4^th gathering, or a graduation party? Imagine being able to set your outdoor table in advance, leave out patio cushions and serve food with out swarming bugs.

Architectural detail defines a home and selecting the right window grilles or grids expands the character of your home. The grille pattern on these Marvin casement windows located in a small laundry room allows the eye to move between the outdoor scenery and back to the simple wood detailing on the window glass that creates a warm feeling in the room. The designer boldly mixed window grille patterns on these side-by-side windows in order to accommodate a narrow window. The result is aesthetically just right.

Marvin Casement Window

Marvin Contemporary Window series 

A home in the woods needs more glass, which is why the owners of Interior Design Group, IDG in Lisle, Il selected Marvin Contemporary Studio series for their own home nestled on a wooded lot not far from Chicago.

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.

Time takes it's toll on homes. Homes need constant repair and upkeep. As important is to maintanence is keeping them updated. When it's time to make a serious repair to your home take a page from these homeowners who didn't just replace their worn out siding and old windows with new versions of the same thing. These homeowners completely transformed their home. It looks like it was just built.

This beautifully transformed Elk Grove Village home choose replacement Craneboard Honey Oak, Dutch Lap siding, white porch and ceiling soffits, white gutters with oversize downspouts and Marvin Infinity casement bow windows.

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

Andersen E-Series Windows

The owner of this St Charles home who has worked in the building industry for years, selected Andersen E-Series modern windows and doors to connect the inside of his home to the natural landscapes outdoors. His floor to ceiling glass designs could be perfectly executed with the design ability to line up jambs that maintain perfect sightlines to the outside. E-Series allowed him flexibility beyond the structure to include custom walnut interior finishes and black aluminum exterior design choices. This amazing project is a perfect illustration of how frameless glass expanses, narrow profiles and the special awareness of one’s environment all come together to create a perfect modern home.

Mission Style Historic Home

Replacing a home’s old windows, especially in historical neighborhoods, with bad replacements has a lasting effect on the curb appeal of your home and the neighborhood. Windows define a house as the most prominent feature that can add or detract from your home’s style. It was no surprise then when the new owner of a classic 1899 mission style home in a Chicago suburb, a professional architect, readily spotted the offending replacements as upsetting the rhythm of the house and set about to restore the home’s original façade.

Woodland Windows & Doors has proudly featured Marvin products for years offering a full selection of their three brands, Marvin, Integrity and Infinity. The Infinity brand is a favorite replacement window among remodelers and homeowners alike. It’s designed to have the look and feel of traditional wood frames, but with modern features and low maintenance.

When we think about remodeling our homes, we imagine a kitchen, bathroom, more space or maybe an outdoor patio. Few people dream about remodeling their home’s infrastructure, windows, doors, siding, heating and cooling systems, that sort of thing. If you’re thinking about remodeling your home, start by improving your infrastructure with Marvin replacement windows and doors this Spring.

Marvin Replacement Windows

Nothing lasts forever and that includes siding. When the day comes that your old siding makes your home look tired and dated, don’t just replace your existing siding, instead, with a little creativity you can transform your old house into a neighborhood gem. How can you transform your home and budget for the cost of the project?

Watch the makeover of this home in Elmhurst.

Architects know that a secret to designing beautiful homes is to create spaces that direct the eye to a view. When you enter a home or a room that has been well designed there will be a focal point like a painting, or a glimpse into an adjoining room, or a high ceiling. The most coveted view of all is a view of the outdoors. Yet, we live in older homes, often devoid of views from most rooms.

When it’s time to replace the windows in your home be sure to create rooms with views. Take a close look at your home’s windows and doors. Do they look undersized or do your walls look barren without windows?

Chicago Suburb - New Windows (After)

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

If you’re a fan of HGTV you most likely think that white is the only color for your home’s interior windows and trim. Then again, if you’re a fan of This Old House and love traditional and historic homes, you most likely think that natural wood is the more beautiful choice. Is one choice better than the other? It depends on the look you want to achieve and your existing window and trim color.

^{Marvin Ultimate White Interior 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

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

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.

One of the greatest window innovations is the addition of Low-E Glass and gas filled insulated glass units (IGUs). That improvement happened back in 1981 roughly 35 years ago. So, it’s hard to imagine all these years later that there are still so many older homes with single pane windows that can’t take advantage of this technology.

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

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

Windmills in the back yard, rain barrels under gutters, and concrete front lawns, it’s looking like more homeowners are joining the sustainability movement. Sometimes these obvious efforts to do the right thing can seem extreme. When it comes to home building or remodeling, sustainability starts by critically thinking about how windows affect a home’s overall climate.

Windows typically comprise 10-25% of a home’s exterior wall area, and in a climate like ours, they can account for 35-50% of the heating and cooling needs of the home.

When you’re ready to remodel or build a new home talk to architects and builders who understand sustainable design and enlist them to help you create a three step balanced approach to sustainability.

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.

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.