The Cool House: Eager anticipation and great disappointment

Friday, January 21, 2005

Eager anticipation and great disappointment

We waited so long to get these windows, we first got quotes in July 2004 so it seems like forever. They have been in the garage for a week and today was the big installation. We have been really cold too as the huge windows downstairs were only single pane glass so we were really anticipating that these would make a big difference. The reason it took so long to order them was we wanted them to match with the huge expanses of glass we have throughout the house that let in so much light and we especially wanted to stay true to the contemporary architecture.

So when the contractor said go take a look at the first window I was so excited. But when I looked I felt sick. I wanted to cry and run away too. In place of the expanse of glass we have inches of moldings. This is before they are even framed out, this is how Marvin windows deliver them. We explained to the contractor and the window wholesaler what we wanted - no moldings, minimal wood. We rejected double-hungs (which would have been cheaper) in favor of more authentic picture windows over awnings and were assured we could have it looking exactly like the other windows. That was the beauty of a custom design.

They look nothing like the other windows. Instead of 60" dia of glass we have 53". The rest is horrible pine, with step molding inside and they still need to install another piece of molding between the picture and the awning section. I feel that we were totally misled. And at the moment I cannot bear to look at them. They were also really expensive.

I don't know what to do about the rest of the windows now. We have another four of the same type that we were going to order this week but I am so unhappy with the end result. I have to find some sort of solution because they look so out of place. I don't know whether to just get the same again so there is uniformity or to get picture units that will have less wood.

Total freakin frustration.

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