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A Window Is Only as Good
as the Install Behind It.
ProVia builds a very good window. Whether it is still tight in fifteen winters comes down to how it was measured, set, insulated and sealed. Here is exactly what our crew does at every opening, and why.
Why installs fail
Where a Draft Actually Comes From
We have pulled a lot of other companies’ windows back out of Madison walls. It is almost never the window. It is one of these four things.
The standard
What Happens at Every Opening
Five things, in order, on every window we install. None of them are optional and none of them are an upgrade.
01
Measured by the person who installs it
Before anything is ordered, an installer, not a salesperson, measures every opening at three points across and three points down, checks it for square, and looks at the sill and the framing behind the trim.
That measurement goes to ProVia, and the window comes back built to it. There is no stock size to make fit, which is the single biggest reason our installs are tight.
- Three points each way, because old openings are rarely square.
- Sill and frame checked, so there are no surprises on install day.
- Style confirmed in person, and the price does not change unless you change the order.
02
One opening at a time, taken out clean
We do not pull every window in the house and then start installing. Each opening is opened, done and closed before the next one, so your house is exposed for minutes, not the whole day. That is how we install straight through a Wisconsin winter.
The old unit comes out without wrecking the surrounding wall, and the rough opening is cleaned back to sound material. If we find rot, we stop and show you before going on.
- Minutes open, not hours, even in January.
- Rough opening cleaned, not just cleared.
- Rot shown, not hidden, and you decide the next step.
03
Set level, plumb and square, and shimmed where it matters
A window that is a quarter inch out of square will bind, whistle and wear out its weatherstripping early. Every unit is set with a level on all three axes and shimmed at the lock points and hinge points, not just wherever the shim happens to fit.
Then it is fastened through the frame into the framing, per ProVia’s spec, not just through the nail fin.
- Checked on three axes, not eyeballed from the yard.
- Shimmed at the load points, so the sash runs true for years.
- Fastened to ProVia’s spec, which is what keeps the warranty valid.
04
Insulated around, flashed and sealed inside and out
The space between the new frame and the rough opening is filled with low-expansion foam made for windows, so it insulates without bowing the frame. On the outside the opening is flashed so water that gets behind the siding drains out instead of in.
Then it is sealed twice: outside, against weather, and inside, against air. That is the part that decides whether you feel a draft next winter, and it is the part most crews skip because nobody can see it once the trim is on.
- Low-expansion foam, the full perimeter, not a bead at the corners.
- Flashed to drain out, so wind-driven rain never reaches the wall.
- Sealed outside and inside, two seals, two jobs.
05
Finished like a remodeler, not a window crew
We come from remodeling, so the trim is not somebody else’s problem. Outside, the exposed wood is wrapped in aluminum and sealed so you never paint it. Inside, we usually do not need to touch your trim at all. If a sill or a piece of trim is rotten, we replace it at no charge.
Locks, tilt latches and screens are fitted, and every window is opened, closed and locked by us before we call it done.
- Exterior wrapped, so there is no bare wood to maintain.
- Interior trim left alone, in most homes it never needs to come off.
- Every window operated, before we ask you to look.
On the day
How We Treat Your House
What backs it up
Three Warranties, One Phone Number
Workmanship, in writing
Our installation is warranted in writing on your quote. If something we did is wrong, it is ours to fix, and it says so on paper before you approve anything.
ProVia, for the window
ProVia warrants the frame, sash and glass seal for as long as you own the home, and the warranty transfers once. Installing to their spec is what keeps it valid.
Us, for coming back
If a window sticks, whistles or sweats a year from now, you call and somebody comes out and looks at it. That is the part nobody else puts in writing.
Questions about install day
Before You Ask
How long is my house open during the install?
Minutes per window. One opening is out and the new unit is in before we touch the next, so the house never stands open. That is why we install all winter.
Do you replace the trim or reuse it?
In most homes we do not need to touch your interior trim at all. If a sill or a piece of trim is rotten, we replace it at no charge. Outside, exposed wood is wrapped in aluminum so it never needs painting.
What if you find rot when the old window comes out?
Rotten sills and trim we replace at no charge, it is part of the job. On the rare job where the wall studs behind the window are rotten, we stop, show you the problem, and repair it on a time and materials basis only after you say go. We do not set a new window on a rotten sill and cover it with trim.
Can I watch, or ask questions during the install?
Please do. Ask the crew anything. The walkthrough at the end is for opening every window with you, but you are welcome the whole way through.
Keep looking around
More on Respect Windows
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Done Right Starts With a Photo.
Send a few pictures of your windows and we will email you an honest quote, usually within one business day. The measure, the build and the install all follow from there.
No obligation. Quote by email, usually within one business day.