Learning Center

As a premium service provider, we offer several services upon request at each stage of the window and door buying process:

1. Discovery: Product demonstrations, pre-construction plan review; preliminary field-measurement; preliminary budget pricing;
2. Evaluation: Warranty analysis, product comparison and product features analysis; T24 reporting and specification and cut sheet review, finished detail review, samples requests for jobsite and mock-ups.
3. Order Review: Final measure, shop drawings, and final order review
4. Delivery coordination: collaborate with installer and building team, delivery back-up plan, product inspection guidelines
5. Post Delivery: Warranty service support, unwrapped product inspection support, home-owner move in support

• Specification Sheets & Shop Drawings: Reviewing the details of your order with your team is critical
• Product Samples & Comparisons: We know the importance of the real thing and work with your team to create jobsite mockups
• Continuing Education & New Products: CEU Classes AIA and ASID
• Factory Tours & Events: We have several local factories that we are happy to tour with customers, and we offer out-of-State tours as well
• Building Science, Installation Support & Certifications: Knowledge is power and we support our building partners who share in our passion by offering access to these events

Our team is trained to offer the highest quality customer service, from educating customers about the products we sell, to supporting the sales process in the field with preliminary measurement and final review with your building team. For more details about all our services please review our services page.

Most often, once you have selected the product(s) that will meet your goals, we provide referrals to and collaborate with our licensed network of industry partners to ensure a successful window and door buying experience.

Our VIP industry partner services include marketing and photography, on the job support, continuing education programs in the field of Building Science and Architecture (AIA) and Interior Design (ASID), and guided factory tours.

If you are a Designer Window Supply customer, Please visit this page to submit your claim and a service representative will be in touch shortly. Photos and videos of the issue are very helpful to get the ball rolling and can be sent to support@designerwindowsupply.com.

Warranty service claims are supported through the purchasing dealer. It is strongly advisable to know the following information:

• Manufacturer
• Order number
• Year of purchase.

If you do not have this information, there is a “bug” in the corner of the glass that is a unique identifier for any window and door. Checking the hardware for manufacturer name is another technique we recommend.

Having a record of your Manufacturer’s warranty is extremely important, so that the terms of warranty are followed. Oftentimes, at the 10 or 20 year mark, a warranty for materials ONLY is expired. If the product is out of warranty, we can help you determine if the best recourse is to purchase a new window or door, or if you need a company that specializes in servicing and replacing parts for window and door hardware.

If we are not the original dealer who sold your product, our hands are tied for warranty service claims as we do not have a record of your order. Also, if you are beyond the warranty period, the manufacturer will not provide materials.

We do not repair hardware or parts for old windows and doors that are not covered by the manufacturer’s warranty or for orders that were not sold by Designer Window Supply. We only sell new windows and doors. Every door and window is made-to-order, custom. We do not carry inventory or stock doors and windows. 

Depending on the overall condition and magnitude of the repair, we often help customers decipher whether to repair or replace their windows and doors. Replacing single glazed, aluminum windows with improved performance materials that carry higher thermal properties and use dual glazed insulated glass units has a high return (90%) on investment (ROI) for the homeowner or building owner. Contact us for a free project consultation.

There are several ways to begin a replacement project and we are here to help facilitate a successful window and door buying experience. Here are 5 key topics and some questions that our sales team uses to begin the process:

1. Know your ultimate goal: Are the windows failing to open? Are the windows old? Glass is fogging? Leaking? Are you looking to improve the comfort, living style, performance, operation, or overall design of your home? We begin our process with understanding your ultimate goal for replacing your window and doors and then match you with the best quality products and collaborate with talented industry professionals to achieve your goal.

2. Identify the scope of your project: How many windows and doors need to be replaced? Do you want to match the look of your existing windows and doors? Do you want to update the configuration or keep it the same? Are you budgeting for new construction of retrofit windows?

3. Select your team: Our window and door buying process includes working shoulder-to-shoulder with the entire building team. Depending on the size of the remodel, that may or may not consist of a licensed builder, installer, architect and city plans and permits. We can help facilitate the replacement project with our trusted network of industry partners. We will come out to your jobsite to get a sense of jobsite conditions, take general measurements, and help you select the right product and corresponding team members.

4. Research manufacturers and window and door dealers: Whether you rely on friends’ referrals, or are an online sleuth, we encourage our customers to come in with questions, pictures and ideas for us to reference and aid in the education and evaluation process. There are 100s of window and door manufacturers with varying degrees of reputation (made in the USA and manufacturing over 80 year) and brand awareness. There are several different business models, performance attributes (structural, energy, water and air), warranty nuances (such as geographic location and climates), and levels of warranty service support in the market and we are happy to educate our clients on these factors. Review customer testimonials, affiliations, credentials, and references. We believe in supporting and elevating the building experience and continually improving with our industry partners. We are an active leader in continuing education and working with high-level professionals.

5. Time sensitive and urgent: if there is a security issue or the replacement is time sensitive, please call to speak to a team member and let them know the urgency of getting new doors and windows in the shortest time possible.

Whether you start the process by creating plans with an architect, hiring a contractor, or getting preliminary measurements from a window and door dealer, we are here to help you get the ball rolling and are available to make the process successful from start to finish.

Regardless of how you identify yourself (builder, homeowner, developer, architect, designer), we use these markers to facilitate our process:

1. Understand your primary goal and timeline for buying new windows and doors.
2. Review and select the product for budgeting (pricing and lead-time) purposes.
3. Approve Quote, understand warranty, and initiate final review of specification sheets, shop drawings (if applicable), finishes and finish details with the building and design team and the homeowner.
4. Approve contract and submit deposit payment to initiate the order approval process with the factory.
5. Begin delivery coordination with the installation team and mark the ETA of the materials.
6. Check in with the factory and the jobsite regarding jobsite readiness.
7. Send an invoice for final payment and begin delivery coordination two weeks prior to the ETA.
8. Receive the delivery, inspect the product, and schedule a check in of an unwrapped product follow up.
9. Additionally requested post-sale support services.

On average, proposals take 1-2 weeks. This depends on scope, if plans are present, and if special factory approval is needed. If drawings are required as part of the order process, we need a deposit and on average 2-4 weeks to generate drawings.

With an engaged customer, the sales process typically takes 2 weeks to review and revise the window and door package, as there can be several parties participating in the review process – homeowner, builder, and architect.

All of our products come with a manufacturer warranty and a commitment to customer warranty service support. If you are a Designer Window Supply customer, and have a warranty Please visit this page to submit your claim and a service representative will be in touch shortly. Photos and videos of the issue are very helpful to get the ball rolling and can be sent to support@designerwindowsupply.com.

Warranty review is important to understanding how the window or door is made and the quality of the components and manufacturing process. Also, the warranty may illustrate how long the manufacturer has been in business, where the factories are located, and how they handle warranty service. Due to the performance of windows and doors in the building envelop, we encourage research and awareness of manufacturers from overseas with no service departments for our forever home clients. Buying direct from a manufacturer that does not invest in a dealer or post-sale warranty service support may seem advantageous from a cost standpoint, but looks different from a long term investment value should there be warranty service needs of replacement parts down the road.

Here is a list of some third-party organizations and resources that help guide and regulate manufacturing per regional guidelines. Southern California also needs to be contentious of our coastal and marine environment that can cause corrosion. Following proper Care and Maintenance guidelines of your fenestration investment is paramount.

• WDMA, window and door manufacturer association
• NFRC, National Fenestration Rating Council
• AAMA, American Architectural Manufacturers Association
• 2022 California Building Code, Title 24, and 2021 International Building Code, 2019 California Energy Code
• California Net Zero Carbon Pollution, 2050
• Passive House Institute, United States, https://www.phius.org

Have a question or need Warranty Support? Reach out to us here.

Researching on your own and focusing on which product(s) is the right one for your home from the deep product pool is a daunting task. Here are some simple tips we use at Designer Window Supply to help you get started.

Ballpark Budget

Most people do not like B word! However it is often a very useful metric to make sure we are in the same ballpark and we can measure our overall success of your window and door buying experience. Success for most construction projects entails hitting our target of product, timeline, and budget. Window and door product costs are directly tied to materials. The most value driven materials are vinyl, composite and fiberglass. The second factor tied to cost is the labor involved to manufacture these materials into window and door affect the cost. Then, factor in the finishing details, such as paint and interior wood, and hardware and cost increases. Also, materials and manufacturers come with their own limitations due to engineering and testing. We have a talented team of window and door design professionals that will help you to understand and choose the right high quality and warrantied materials for your project within your budget.

Configuration/Operation

One of our favorite questions to ask is “How do you living your space?” This help us determine which window or door system will match your living style in terms of operation and features. Screens help to illustrate this point, you may think they are unattractive, or you may functionally require them due to insects and reptiles. We apply the same thinking to helping you design your space with windows and doors.

Style & Material

Or, as we like to call it Form and Function. Architectural styles tend to rely on certain materials to create the overall aesthetic, and all materials carry specific elemental properties that inform the way they look and feel. We offer a variety of window and door materials that are designed to meet different needs: steel, aluminum, thermally broken aluminum, all wood, wood clad, composite, and vinyl. We have product collections to meet all types of designs, budgets, climates and performance. Make an appointment!

Method of Construction

With any remodel it is important to have a general understanding of the steps involved. We like to suggest thinking like a contractor with x-ray vision. Will you need to open a wall, reinforce structural framing, move electrical outlets and/or plumbing? Will you be living in the home during construction? Basically, what is your goal and the associated scope that you are prepared to undergo? Measuring the ROI is what we recommend homeowners consider. The invasiveness of new constructions adds value to your home and day-to-day life but it is more costly. If you are budget minded, we work with you to factor in various product costs of materials as well as the method of construction so that we provide a successful window and door buying experience.