I am officially a grown-up: I own a home. I haven’t owned it long, though. I stayed within my budget and found a quaint house in the neighborhood I most wanted to be in. I settled for a bit of a fixer-upper, though. There wasn’t too much to do but, going into it, I knew I would soon be looking to replace the windows and the roofing. The windows were the first priority, though; I can get a couple more years out of the roofing.
Last month, a close friend of mine referred me to The Screen Shop in San Jose, CA—only a few miles from my new place. He said they were good to him and had really great products for reasonable pricing. I will admit, I was nervous about trusting anyone to help me with upgrading my new home with replacement windows—but I sure couldn’t do it myself. So, I took my friend with me to their showroom.
To be honest, I was instantly at ease. There wasn’t that dreaded “salesy” vibe I was expecting. Instead, there was simply warmth, welcoming, and well-answered questions by the professionals. I was escorted around to the various different window and screen products so I could get a feel for my likes and dislikes. I didn’t feel awkward explaining my budget or asking for pricing at all! Further, what I thought I wanted wasn’t at all what I found to be my preferences. Here’s what I chose:
- Sidelight windows to flank my entry door
- Transom windows for above the door to flood my entryway with more natural light
- A skylight above my top floor stairwell
- A rather large picture window for the living room with decorative awning windows above it for air circulation in the spring and autumn
- Slider windows for both bedrooms
- A small bay window in the kitchen, above the sink
The biggest surprise was that I decided on vinyl windows in San Jose, CA for every single replacement. Truth be told, I pre-decided I would not “settle” on vinyl. You see, for some reason, I had decided vinyl must be cheap-looking and inferior. Full disclosure: I was so, so wrong. Vinyl windows from The Screen Shop are beautiful. In fact, they are wood-grain textured and fooled me at first! The best part is this material helped me to keep within an appropriate budget for my bank account.
Just a couple weeks later, the project began and finished within a couple days. This place looks like a completely new home and I am just thrilled with the outcome. There is now natural light everywhere which really opens the space up. And, these new windows are double-paned with argon gas so my air conditioning bill isn’t affected.
If you are taking a chance on a fixer-upper like I did, don’t feel overwhelmed! The professionals at The Screen Shop will make your project a breeze. Go visit them!
The Screen Shop | 601 Hamline St.| San Jose, CA 95110 | 408.295.7384 | contactus@thescreenshop.com