Windows & Doors - Ventura Oxnard Thousand Oaks CA

Our Window Replacements - The Final Result

2009-05-18T08:14:00.000-07:00

It's been months now and we haven't had any problems with our windows or doors. We love them. It makes such a difference! Our house is quieter and stays warmer when it's cold outside and cooler when it's hot outside.

If you're interested in getting new windows in your home here's why you should at the very least consider getting a bid from RS Windows & Doors:

1. The Best Prices. Get a free in-home estimate from RS Windows & Doors. You will be impressed with the great prices and discounts they offer.

2. Superior Products. RS Windows & Doors offers several brands. (We chose Milgard.) They will work with you to choose a product that is perfect for your home. They can also make sure you're eligible for energy tax credits, if that's something you're interested in.

3. Great Service. The RS Windows & Doors salesman and installers really went above an beyond for us. They always showed up on time and they were extremely professional.

Day 37: Window Installation Day - Part 5

2009-05-18T08:13:00.000-07:00

To cap off the installation of the windows and doors, the RS Windows & Doors guys actually washed and cleaned all of the windows and sliding glass doors. Danny took me on a final walk thru and explained how the windows and doors worked. We tested all of the doors and windows. They worked great!

Day 37: Window Installation Day - Part 4

2009-05-18T08:12:00.002-07:00

When it came time to re-install our blinds, Danny really did us a big favor. We wanted to install new blinds in a could of rooms. He installed the new blinds for us for free, which my wife and I thought was nice since it wasn't much extra effort to put up in new blinds in place of the old ones. (It saved us $119 though which is what Lowe's wanted to charge us!)

Day 37: Window Installation Day - Part 3

2009-05-18T08:12:00.001-07:00

The sliding glass doors required some special attention, so Danny oversaw the entire installation process. He told me not too worry though since they have a lot of experience. It's kind of scary to see the massive hole in your house ounce the old windows are taken out.

Some of the stucco had some cracks in it, which I was worried about. Here's the good news: RS Windows & Doors will patch any stucco cracks. They were fixing cracks that I'm pretty sure were already there! Great Service!

Day 37: Window Installation Day - Part 2

2009-05-18T08:11:00.000-07:00

After the old windows are taken out, the actual installation of the window is a three step process:

1. First you have to get the window installed with screws. Danny had a level with him at all times to make sure the angles were correct.

2. Second, foam insulation is sprayed around all of the windows.

3. Third, vinyl strips are place over that foam and everything is sealed with caulk.

Day 37: Window Installation Day - Part 1

2009-05-18T08:09:00.002-07:00

Danny and his team arrived right on time at 9:00am on a Saturday. They were professionally dressed in matching RS Windows & Doors collared shirts, which my wife thought was a nice touch.

What happened next was pretty amazing. Danny and his guys split up and proceeded to take apart all of our old aluminum windows I less than an hour! All that was left was empty space where our old windows used to be. The team was careful to take down our blinds without damaging the window sill. Two of the guys took care of the clean up and started to take down the old sliding glass doors. Danny and his assistant started installing win It was a lot of fun to watch. All of the old windows are taken away by RS Windows & Doors and recycled.

Day 34: Our Windows Arrived!

2009-05-18T08:09:00.001-07:00

Three and a half weeks later, our windows arrived. They came early! We arranged for installation 3 days after that.

Day 7: Choosing a Window Replacement Company

2009-05-18T08:04:00.000-07:00

After five days of window bids, we decided to go with RS Windows and Doors. They sent Danny out to take official measurements of our windows and sliding glass doors. Danny and his team are involved with almost all of the installations in Ventura County. Thanks to a window replacement coupon we had, the RS Windows & Doors price was unbeatable. More importantly, they had great answers to the questions below:

1. What brand of windows do you recommend?
RS Windows & Doors recommended Milgard windows. We went with the "Tuscany" category of windows and sliding glass doors. They met our price point and looked great.

2. Are the windows you recommend eligible for the energy saving IRS tax credits?
This was important to us. We could get a tax credit up to $1500 if we chose the right windows. The windows we chose met the energy saving tax credit guidelines and we got RS Windows & Doors to put that in writing for us.

3. How much trim will show on the outside? Please describe how it will look once they are installed.
Danny walked us through each window and explained what the trim on the outside would look like. Here's the kicker….Our sliding glass doors have stucco surrounding them and a wood trim on the stucco that butts up against the old sliding glass door. Danny said that the best fit would be to put the new sliding glass door right up against the stucco and to remove the existing trim all together. We realized that this would give us the best fit for the door, but we were worried about the aesthetic appeal because we wanted trim around the door. Danny said that if we bought new wood trim, he'd put it up for us free of charge!

4. Will you take down AND replace any blinds or window treatments that are in the way during installation? How much do you charge for this?
Danny laughed when we asked him about this. "Of course!", he said. Not only would he replace the blinds and window treatments, but he even agreed to install new blinds for us that we just purchased.

5. How long will installation take?
Danny told us it would take about a day.

6. How big will the work crew be?
The crew would be four people.

7. Ask for a list of projects that they have worked on in the area.
My wife and I drove to 6 houses within a half mile of our house in Ventura County. All were projects that Danny and his crew worked on. They looked great!

My wife and I signed the contract and paid the deposit. Now all we had to do was wait for the custom windows and doors to be ordered. They said it would take 4 weeks for our order to arrive.

Questions to Ask When You're Getting a Bid

2009-05-18T07:59:00.000-07:00

1. What brand of windows do you recommend?
Note: It's important to listen to the expert recommendation. At the same time, they should try to stay within your budget. Some of these window installers will try to sell you brands of windows that they are "authorized dealers" for. Oftentimes this is the only brand of window products that they sell. These may not be the best brands. Do your research.

2. Are the windows you recommend eligible for the energy saving IRS tax credits?
Note: You can read the energy saving tax credit guidelines here. Remember, only the products, NOT the labor are eligible for the tax credit.

3. How much trim will show on the outside? Please describe how it will look once they are installed.
Note: With replacement windows there is always going to be an issue of "fit". It's almost impossible for replacement windows to go in exactly where the old ones were. Any trim on the outside of the house that goes around the windows will be affected. It may need to be cut or removed all together. Ask them to describe how it will look once the windows are installed.

4. Will you take down AND replace any blinds or window treatments that are in the way during installation? How much do you charge for this?
Note: Many of these companies actually charge extra for this! Some won't even do it at all. They expect you to replace them or hire someone else to replace the blinds. Crazy.

5. How long will installation take?
Note: They should be able to give you god estimate on how many long it will take. Be suspicious of jobs that take more than 2 days.

6. How big will the work crew be?
Note: You should know how many people will be on your job site. Be suspicious of crews smaller than four.

Day 2: Getting bids from local Ventura County window companies

2009-05-18T07:49:00.000-07:00

We still hadn't quite decided on a brand of windows. My wife started getting bids from various local window replacement contractors. 5 window contractors in 5 days. Amazing! Here's a list of the bids we received for 10 windows, 2 sliding glass doors, and installation:

WINDOW COMPANY CITY STATE PRICE
The Door Outlet Ventura CA $8,000
Quality Windows & Doors Oxnard CA $7,416
California Deluxe Windows Ventura CA N/A - They never bothered calling us back!
Home Depot Oxnard CA $12,000
RS Windows & Doors Ventura CA $6,900

We don't want to slander any of these companies, but it quickly became apparent that some were much better than others. Not only were some overcharging us, but the way they nickel and dimed us was ridiculous. One company actually wanted to charge us for taking down our blinds and putting them back up!

Day 1: Researching Windows

2009-05-18T07:47:00.000-07:00

We visited friends' houses and even looked at local open houses here in Ventura County in order to do research on what kind of windows we wanted. We quickly decided that we wanted vinyl windows, but needed to do more research to choose a brand. The Consumer Reports window rankings and ratings were helpful. We also consulted with a friend who is a contractor. He told us that Milgard was a popular and good quality brand. We needed 10 windows and 2 sliding glass doors, so we needed to choose a brand that would fit our budget.

Window Replacements in Our Ventura, CA Home

2009-05-18T07:44:00.001-07:00

My wife and I originally created this blog as a way to keep track of the step by step process of getting new window replacements in our Ventura County, California home.

This blog did so well that we actually created an entire website - www.VenturaWindow.com - devoted to window and door companies in Ventura County.