Why Buy Custom Windows and Doors Vs. Buying from a Hardware Store?

The word custom tends to scare people, when they hear it, all they can think is expensive. While custom products may be more costly up front, they usually end up being the more cost effective option in the long run. Is it really worth it to save money at the beginning, if you have to replace your purchase within a few years? Wouldn’t it make more sense to invest in the best product knowing it will last? This is what we specialize in at Access Window and Door Design Centre; we design window and door products that are built to last.

Your home is one of the biggest personal investments you make in your lifetime, and we believe your windows and doors should do more than just plug a hole and let some light in. We understand what goes into making windows and doors and what products are best suited for different climates and geographical locations. We know that what works in rural areas doesn’t work the same for city housing. We know the structural requirements for a bungalow vs. a 12 storey building, and so on and so forth. We’ve put a lot of time, effort and engineering into our products to ensure they are the best option for our clients, regardless of location.

As we mentioned before, the mindset often is that custom means costly. However, we want to challenge this mindset especially for products like windows & exterior doors. The “cost of cheap” can be astronomical in a rather short timeframe. Countless times have we had to replace windows that were less than 5 years old, which is a very costly and inconvenient endeavour in itself. Then, once we have replaced the windows and doors, and the next heating bill comes in, our customers very quickly realize that the extra 30-40% they saved up front has been paid in extra heating bills, sometimes in as little as 24 months.

With that in mind, when looking at your windows and exterior doors, no other product or material in your home has as many jobs to do. They’re expected to:

1. Provide Comfort
2. Provide Security
3. Conserve Energy
4. Protect from the Elements
5. Maintain Structural Integrity While Being Used Daily

All while being aesthetically pleasing and bringing an inviting atmosphere to your living space.

In comparison, all other building materials provide only 1-2 benefits for your home. For instance, siding will provide protection from the elements and look aesthetically pleasing but adds no structural integrity to your home. Insulation only separates the climates from the inside of your home to the outside climate but has no aesthetic or structural benefits. Flooring is aesthetic, functional, and sometimes heats but again, has little structural benefit. The list goes on and on. However, a properly manufactured and engineered window or exterior door will encompass all of these benefits and should therefore be one of the most researched and understood components of your home.

Standard Windows with Standard Service

When you choose to purchase your windows from a hardware store, their only job is to sell you what you’re asking for. They aren’t required to ask questions about locations or lifestyle to get a better understanding of what you need. There is no consultation, no personal service, no deeper understanding of what it is you want from your windows or doors. They will happily look at your plans and provide you a quote for however many windows at whatever sizes your plans say, no further questions required.

They sell all the supplies you could need to build your home but if they sell everything, are they experts in anything? While they might know the products they sell and believe they are good quality, they don’t know what goes into designing them, they don’t know how much time and effort went into engineering or manufacturing them. It is only their job to sell them. More times than not, the best way to sell a product is by having the most cost effective product available. This may convince many but usually comes at a cost to the homeowner in the long run.

Custom Windows with Custom Service

When you choose to visit Access Window and Door Design Centre, we take the time to understand what you need. We don’t just look at your drawings and give quotes, we sit down with you and discuss your vision for your home, which direction rooms will be facing, where the best views are on the property and what is important to you and your family.

We believe in capturing the views that drew you to the property in the first place. Once we understand your lifestyle, we can recommend what products and sizes, that will help you accomplish exactly what you are looking for.

Any home deserves well-built, custom windows. We want to get to know each client that is interested in our products so we can ensure we provide products that exceed their expectations. We strongly believe that windows should provide a connection with nature and when this is achieved people feel happier and healthier. During your one-on-one consultation we determine the function of each window, which room they will be in, how many you need, will it need to open, and the size of each to really get an understanding of what you need.

We’ll often recommend larger sizes of windows than what plans have drawn up. We have never had a customer say they went too big, but have had many say they wish they went bigger. Windows have the ability to transform a space by bringing in the light and making spaces feel larger than they actually are.

At the end of the day, over 90% of the service calls we receive are installation related, a hardware store would not be able to support you after the windows are purchased. They might reach out to a manufacture for you, but you would get a lot of runaround before getting some answers, if you even get one at all. For a better product, it’s always in your best interest to hire a professional, someone who fully understands the products and will come out to service your product to ensure you will be fully satisfied with your purchase indefinitely.

Our team would love to sit down with you to discuss your window and door needs. Contact us today for your consultation.

Back