McCann Window Northbrook Chicago IL

847-562-1212 | 346 Anthony Trail | Northbrook, IL 60062

by

Installing Marvin Windows in Glenview Home: Our Window Installers Listen to What You Want

Window replacement project Glenview IL | McCann WIndow Northbrook IL

“We liked McCann’s knowledge and professionalism, and he did a great job of listening to what we wanted.”

—Jane and Michael Ungari, Glenview, IL

Find out what real homeowners say about working with McCann Window

Third in a Series: Yes, we can talk all day about the benefits of choosing McCann to replace windows or doors. However, we would rather have real clients share real stories about what it’s like to work with us.

Windows that Just Had to Go After Nearly 30 Years

The Ungaris needed all new windows in their Glenview, Illinois home, and they had 17 total openings, including:

  • Two sliding patio doors
  • Five three-section casement-style windows
  • Five single casement-style windows
  • Five double casement windows

After meeting with Kevin McCann, the Ungaris chose to go with Marvin for the window brand for the aesthetics, function, and durability. Marvin offers several styles of windows including single hung, double hung, casement, awning, and glider windows.

At McCann, we pride ourselves on simplifying the window replacement process and clarifying some of the most important considerations when choosing windows that work for your home. If you aren’t sure what type of windows and doors will be best for your home, we are happy to guide you through the options. We provide you with information about materials that will compliment the style of your house while helping you choose options that stay within your budget. We invite you to schedule a free consultation with one of our experts today.

A Great Installation Experience in Just 2 Days

This is the first time the couple had a replacement project completed by McCann Window. McCann had been recommended to them by Terry Albaugh of The Craftsman Group. “We had Terry do a number of jobs in our house and were quite impressed, so we trusted his opinion.” Michael Ungari says.

They were likewise pleased with the McCann experience, including how “proficient and professional” McCann’s dedicated installers were while completing the project. “They did a wonderful job cleaning up and respected our living space,” Michael says.

On-The-Scene Window Installation Photos

These project photos show the extent of the windows and doors project on the Ungari’s Glenview, IL home:

Back of house with large door being replaced with new Marvin sliding doors. Building materials and supplies on the grass near the door opening.
This is the largest of the back patio doors just before all-new Marvin sliding doors were installed.

Sliding doors maximize the amount of daylight that can enter your home. You will want to make sure that you choose doors that are energy efficient like the Ungaris did.

Back of a blue siding and brick home with ladders leaning against the house and new Marvin sliding glass doors and windows recently installed.
Job in progress: Installation of two sliding doors and the windows on the back of the home.
Installation complete—all new Marvin patio doors and windows.

 

We check our work. Once the windows and doors are installed, we perform a final inspection to make sure everything is in excellent working order.

 

 

Front of house with old window frames and other scraps of material gathered on the front lawn while new Marvin windows installed.
McCann hauled away all the old frames and screens that came out from the front and rear of the home.

Marvin Replacement Windows in Glenview, IL home | McCann Window

Picture perfect and peace of mind. Our dedicated team of window installers treats every home with courtesy. We work hard to minimize disruptions, and we take great pride in doing a thorough clean up when the job is done.

Would You Like a Free Consultation for Your Home?

by

Marvin: The Solid Citizen of Replacement Windows

Marvin is not the most innovative designer and manufacturer of replacement windows. That title goes to Pella, as I explained in my post on the pros and cons of Pella windows.

Marvin, however, builds good, solid, substantial windows. You may not get the latest features, but you get a classic look that will last. Marvin windows tend to be the choice of architects because of their solid wood construction and the company’s precision customization.

We also tend to specify Marvin windows for dark exterior colors in deep sunlight. Marvin windows hold color better than others, though Marvin does not have premium colors.

Take a look at the pictures in this post and in Marvin’s idea gallery, and you’ll see solid windows, from traditional to modern. Just what the citizens of Chicago’s North Shore want in replacement windows.

 

 

by

The Pros and Cons of Pella Replacement Windows

Throughout my 25-plus years in the replacement window and door business in the Chicago area, I have worked with a lot of window manufacturers. We have always selected manufacturers that provide the service, style, and cost options suited for our clientele.

Replacement windows must fit your home décor, lifestyle preferences, and cost needs. Over several blog posts, I will tell you about the manufacturers we use and under what conditions we recommend one or another.

First up, Pella replacement windows.

Of all the window manufacturers, Pella is the most innovative. They are always coming out with new products that improve appearance, function, or energy savings.

The Pella snap-in, between-the-glass Slimshade®, for instance, is a patented design in which the shades are between the panes of glass. The shades block the sun without a separate unit in the home, and they’re available in a wide variety of colors. It’s an extremely clever design.

Pella window replacement also provides the most options for cost and finish. Although Pella can be the most costly windows we sell, they also have the most cost points in their product line.

I have Pella windows in my house. They look and really feel great. The hardware has a clean modern look. The double-hung windows feel solid and, to me, have the same reassuring sound as a door closing on a Mercedes-Benz.

Just as with a high-end car, some colors work for Pella, and others don’t. Pella windows have a wide variety of beautiful colors and finishes—with three prefinished shades of interior white, for instance. You can’t go wrong with any of them. However, dark vinyl exterior colors have had a tendency to fade over the years.

If we see a home with a south-facing wall in bright sunlight, with a dark color, we are more likely to specify Marvin windows over Pella. Look for our next manufacturers post, in which I’ll tell you more about what makes Marvin replacement windows unique.

by

A Window into Serving Generations

From time to time, I take the opportunity to write about my business philosophy as we have developed it at McCann Window and Exteriors throughout our more than 20 years in business. Working with multiple generations in our network of North Shore customers matters deeply to me, as does the reciprocal nature of the relationships we have developed among our customers in Deerfield, Northbrook, and other North Shore Chicago communities.

I have written about the importance of community to our business, and we recently completed a job that reinforced our community commitment even more.

We have worked with a Deerfield real-estate agent twice over the years when we bought and sold our homes here. She has become a good friend, and we’ve done work on her home and, more recently, the homes of two of her daughters.

A few weeks ago, we replaced windows for one of her daughters. She and her husband are expecting their first child. Given the importance of such a life event, we made sure the job was completed to the couple’s satisfaction well before the birth. They had enough things to worry about, and windows didn’t have to be one of them. We took extra care to make sure that the mother-to-be was not exposed to any harmful fumes. And I related my experience in becoming a father to a nervous first-time dad.

Our efficiency, attention to detail, and strict concern for customer safety are always inherent in our work. But the deep feeling of satisfaction I felt from helping that couple prepare for life as a family makes this project stand out to me. I know the father appreciated my advice, and I know our long-time friend liked the care we gave to her daughter and new grandchild. And who knows, the child may one day become a third-generation customer!

 

by

Selecting a North Shore Windows Contractor

Almost every blog on replacement windows, doors, or siding writes about how to select a contractor. It’s an important decision, and errors can be costly.

Articles on how to select a replacement windows contractor stress the importance of:

  • getting at least three bids,
  • checking contractor references ,
  • making sure they are insured, and
  • looking at reviews on Yelp, Angie’s List, and other consumer ratings services.

Those are all important, and you want to do them. (I have listed two such articles at the end of this post.)

In thinking about how I make important purchases and how I run McCann Window and Exteriors, however, I realized that there is another, more critical concern that comes down to one word: “trust”.

Do you trust the person sitting across the table from you?

I met a man last year who had needed new windows for years. He looked now and then and never found anyone he trusted. He didn’t think he ever would and just put up with the old windows.

The man finally selected us because he saw one of our crews working on a neighbor’s home and liked how they approached the job. They worked diligently, deliberately, and seemed courteous. Those were all hallmarks of trust to him.

You have to do basics of cost, license, insurance, and reference. But in addition to that, make sure you are dealing with a person who feels right to you, who you intuitively trust.

What criteria make you trust a home repair contractor? What do you look for that causes you to trust a service provider? Leave a comment and let me know.

How To Compare Replacement Window Prices – Vinyl Replacement Windows, Wood Replacement Windows

How to Find a Window Contractor

 

by

Becoming the North Shore Replacement "Window Guy"

I heard an interview on the radio the other day with author Peter Lovenheim, who has written a book about getting to know his neighbors. Called In the Neighborhood: The Search for Community on an American Street, One Sleepover at a Time, it reports on his experience of realizing that he did not know the people on his street very well and his determination to change that.

The story behind the book and Lovenheim’s experience in meeting people he’s lived on the street with for years but has never really known is fascinating, and it reminded me of why I started McCann Window and Exteriors and started selling replacement windows in the North Shore in the first place.

I wanted to know people in the community, and I wanted to have a positive influence in neighborhoods.

I remembered in particular one customer, Linda Lewison. We replaced her windows on the 3900 block of Fargo St. in south Skokie about 10 years ago.

Linda loved the work we did. She was the hub of the block and told all her neighbors about her new windows.

Not only that, she got six or eight of them to have us install new windows. And she went around to all of the home after we had finished to make sure they were satisfied.

I started in business to be the area’s “window guy” in the North Shore, and Linda helped me see how that was indeed possible. I liked hearing about Peter Lovenheim’s book because I’m glad to know that people like Linda are still out there keeping neighborhoods together one conversation at a time.

Read a transcript of an interview with Peter Lovenheim.