A Glass Act
Cost
Windows are an important part of the home and, behind the roof and foundation, the third most expensive part of the structure. Most builders use vinyl windows. I use top of the line wood windows with name recognition. My window package in this home is over 40,000 dollars. Vinyl windows in the same home would cost only half of that amount. Windows provide beauty and comfort to a home. This is certainly not an area to cut corners.
In another home that I am building right now, I have 24 "circle top" windows. One of those windows costs more that two of these large square windows. The whole window package in that home comes to 60,000 dollars. It's not cheap!
There are basically four types of windows:
- Casement windows, which crank out and have a "contemporary" look.
- Double Hung windows, which slide up and down and are traditional in style.
- Awning windows, which are hinged at the top and open upward.
- Fixed windows, like circle tops and picture windows.
Placement
You don't want the less significant rooms to have the largest windows so you build the home so that the areas where the homeowner will spend most of his time are facing the view. Here I designed the kitchen, living room and breakfast nook with views facing a wooded yard and gave these rooms large, floor-to-ceiling windows.
A Day on the Job with Larry
- Home
- Entering field
- A typical day
- Real world decisions
- Business strategy
- Construction
- Interactive floor plan
Construction careers