Spectrum Living Podcast With Christopher Rigney
The ‘Spectrum Living’ podcast with Christopher Rigney focuses on the building industry in Macomb County, Michigan. With a specialization in enclosures and the full spectrum of home renovation, the podcast features insights from industry insiders, offering valuable tips and perspectives on home improvement projects.
Spectrum Living Podcast With Christopher Rigney
Windows of Wisdom: Crafting the Perfect Installation
The difference between a great window and a great window installation can mean thousands in energy costs over time. Master installer Scott Smith joins us to pull back the curtain on what truly matters in window and door installations after his three decades in the field.
Scott doesn't pull punches when he reveals the number one mistake most installers make: improper insulation. "The best window in the world doesn't matter if you're not insulating around the window," he explains, before detailing why spray foam insulation creates a superior thermal barrier compared to simply relying on caulk. His insights challenge conventional practices many contractors follow.
We explore why bigger isn't always better when selecting a window company. Scott highlights how impossible it is for large operations to maintain consistent quality: "Not everybody can be the A crew." This critical insight explains why many homeowners experience disappointing results despite choosing well-known brands. By contrast, smaller companies like ours offer direct access to master craftsmen who personally measure, plan, and execute each installation.
The conversation shifts to materials, with Scott explaining why composite windows have become increasingly popular over traditional vinyl options. "They're stronger than vinyl," he notes, adding they're less susceptible to expansion and contraction in extreme temperatures – crucial for Michigan's climate. We also discuss our new certification as Anderson window dealers and how this partnership elevates the warranties and coverage options available to our customers.
Ready to transform your understanding of what makes for a quality window installation? Listen now, then continue the conversation on our Facebook page or website. Your home deserves the expertise that only comes from decades of hands-on experience.
Welcome back to another episode of the Spectrum Living podcast, where we discuss the biggest topics and trends in the home remodeling business. Make sure to subscribe to this show on your favorite podcast platform and join our mailing list by visiting our website, spectrum4remodelingcom. After you finish listening, go to our Facebook page Spectrum 4 Remodeling and continue the conversation. Thank you for listening. Hey everybody, welcome back Facebook page spectrum for remodeling and continue the conversation. Thank you for listening hey everybody, welcome back.
Speaker 2:Spectrum, living spectrum, remodeling Sun space by spectrum. So again we're having a little show today, brought in a really, really cool cat. So Scott is a window but probably doesn't sum up all the stuff. So, window installations, door installations, scott Smith, probably the best installer.
Speaker 2:Well, he is, he's the best installer in southeast Michigan and he works very closely with us and we want to introduce him to you guys today. Scott, how are you doing Good? So thanks for coming and hanging closely with us and we want to introduce him to you guys today. Scott, how you doing Good? So thanks for coming and hanging out with us today. I apologize that we pulled you off the street in like minus 15 degree weather today, because I'm sure you were. I know you were working earlier and probably have other stuff that you'll do. It's a little cold out, it's chilly out, but no, we're glad to have you here to talk about window installations, door installations and things that's going on in the industry right now that you're seeing.
Speaker 2:So, how long have you been installing? I've known you forever, but for the folks, folks, how long you been doing this? How long? Since I was 19, 19, 19 and you're what? 22, now 51, all right, so a couple years. So you've seen it right, I've been around, you've seen it, you've done it. Um, what would you say the biggest thing has changed in the industry, as far from your side, of installing windows and doors. How has that transpired over that course of time?
Speaker 3:Installing yeah, yep Products, quality of installs.
Speaker 2:So the window? Do the windows influence the install? Yes, okay, how? What's one of the features of a window installation that, um, probably, in your opinion, gets overlooked the most like? What do you see not being done? Or insulating?
Speaker 3:it's late. Insulating number one okay.
Speaker 2:So the number one feature last window in the world doesn't matter if you're not insulating around the window. Okay. And that brings up a point to where? Where in our industry, you've got different size right, so you've got the people that are still packing with insulation. You've got, oh, I want to make the windows so tight that all I've got to do is caulk it. No, I want space that I can put insulation. I want to use the foam, low expansion foam. What is the best route? What do we shoot for? Spray foam, Spray foam.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you shoot to make sure you got room for spray foam and make sure you can shim the window proper and insulate it proper.
Speaker 2:Because a lot of guys make mistakes, right. They think like if I get this thing so tight, one, they barely have room to shim it and level off the window and plummet and all that. And then, two, there's nothing left for insulating. They think that that's a good thing, Like, oh, I just had to caulk it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, some people think caulk is the answer. It's not.
Speaker 2:You got to insulate that window like this, right, or else you're going to feel, you're going to feel that cold coming through behind the casings, around the drywall. Return things like that, right? Yep, so when we pull a window out, now, we had just done one, so we'll talk about. We just did a job in Ward. We pulled out some old I won't say whose they are, I won't mention them but somebody everybody hears about every day but it had been in there for a while and we pulled those out and we noticed the install probably wasn't the best Nope, right, even though they had been in there a while. But the install probably wasn't the best, right, yeah, could have been done better, could have been done a little better, and this is a company that everybody knows, you see every day it's supposed to be the best.
Speaker 2:I don't know if they're supposed to be the best, but they're everywhere. So we know the problem with that is, when you're doing that many installs you have to hire so many people that you can't have 15 Scotts. Not everybody can be the A crew.
Speaker 3:No, you can't.
Speaker 2:And so for the folks out there a lot of times with the windows. So whether it be windows or roofing or whatever the widget might be, the bigger companies are not always the safest bet, not always Right.
Speaker 3:No right?
Speaker 2:no, because somewhere it gets lost. Where now, if someone calls us and we're looking at you? Know one? We've got a variety of different windows to meet somebody's needs. Right, yeah, but that's a vinyl window, a fiberglass window, an anderson window, a provia window. We've got all these options to find the right product for them, versus this is our window and we can't get out of our box.
Speaker 3:Yep.
Speaker 2:So one, that's a downside, versus somebody like us who's flexible, yeah, two, we can make sure that they always get Scott. Yep, we only have the 1A crew. We don't have multiple crews. One's not better than the other one or one's better than the other, and you don't know who's going to show up. Yes, so in essence, for a homeowner, it's safer to go with that smaller company. Get more personal care and do that right. So when you're looking at the installation of a window and the insulation factor, what else are you finding? I mean, is it what you find? A lot of rotten things that need to be taken care of? What you find a lot of rotten things that need to be taken care of? I mean what? What are you looking for when you're measuring a job that you just know, like when I come back, I'm gonna have to fix this or I'm gonna fix that rotten wood rotten, rotten wood on the outsides wood windows.
Speaker 3:What needs to be replaced?
Speaker 2:sills so sills? I think we were talking the other day like the fake marble sills and marble sills like that's kind of going away. Yeah, it is. It's harder and harder to find right. 20 years ago it was kind of a thing. It was everywhere and then now it's not. So when we're looking at a window we're looking at, do the sills need to be replaced? Yes, do the cases need to be replaced? Yep, right.
Speaker 2:And we can take care of all that, right. What's really cool about doing a measure? So I will look at a window project, work out what the homeowner is going to get, and then I'll take a measurement. But then I also give you those measurements and you go re-measure, right. And now you double check mine and you say mine are okay. Or you say, well, in this situation I'd rather have it this because I need to do this.
Speaker 2:And that's only something that you're gonna find Right, yeah, experience, and if you're not measuring? So if somebody else is measuring like if we get back to these bigger companies where they send a guy to measure well, he's really just measuring. Maybe he knows some, but he's not the guy that's going to install. Yes, so when the installer shows up, he's still never seen the project before, never seen what's going on, has no idea. Hopefully he's got what he needs, right. Yes, and it's a roll of dice, unless they can make sure that they always have what they need, because they don't really do everything that needs to be done. So the only way that you can know that you have everything in your trailer that you will need is if you limit what you do for a particular job. Yes, like no, I'm not, I don't replace that, so I don't need that. In my truck, where we're looking at everything that needs to be done, you're making your notes and saying when I show up again.
Speaker 2:I need this, this, this, yes, right, and we don't leave anything off the table. Nope, as far as what needs to be done so that that window will perform properly, correct.
Speaker 3:Yes, correct.
Speaker 2:So one of the things that we want to let the folks know, too is we're in the process right now, and it should be. Probably by the time this show airs, we will now have become certified Anderson dealers yes, contractors, which just is more icing on the cake, because you are a certified Anderson installer. So now everything will be complete. So now we have a relationship with Anderson directly, we'll be able to offer better coverage, better warranties, better everything all around. And then, with you being a certified installer, now they're ecstatic because it takes their liabilities off too. So now, with the Anderson windows, that means what? Fiberglass means wood, yep, vinyl too, right, but for the most part, when you're installing Andersons, is it the fiberglass nowadays or is it the wood or what's the most popular?
Speaker 3:window Composite Composite Yep the composite window.
Speaker 2:All right. Why is everybody so excited about the composite window versus vinyl windows? It's stronger than vinyl. Okay, longevity. So the frames are stronger, yes, sashes are stronger, yep, right, weather-wise is that. How do those windows react to the climate, like today, today's bitterly, bitterly cold?
Speaker 3:Are they moving around as much as a?
Speaker 2:vinyl window moves around.
Speaker 3:Are they moving around?
Speaker 2:as much as a wood window moves around.
Speaker 3:No, they don't.
Speaker 2:Because everything moves, right, everything moves, but the composite's not going to move as much. Nope, regardless of what that temperatures outside, yes, and then we get talking about frames all the time. And company you see commercials, you see different things everybody's talking about the frame, the frame, the frame, the frame.
Speaker 3:How come you?
Speaker 2:never, hear anybody talk about the glass.
Speaker 2:Right, yes, they're always talking about the frame this one's stronger, that one's stronger but then they don't talk about the glass. And what, how, what? The performance of the glass, right, yes, and there's always that sticker that's on the window that says this window meets this or that window, this glass meets that. Right, yeah, our values versus new factors and things like that. So that's an inverted number. We know that, right. So nobody wanted to tell anybody that a window was an R1. So they came up with a U factor, just inverted the number, because, you know, 0.30 U factor sounds better than R1. But now to get ENERGY STAR we need 0.27.
Speaker 2:I think it's 0.28, 0.28 or lower now and also, but now all the initial windows will meet. That need right, yes, so we don't have to worry about whether or not they're ENERGY STAR or lower. Now and all so, but now all the.
Speaker 3:Anderson windows will meet that need right. Yes, so we don't have to worry about whether or not they're energy star rated.
Speaker 2:No, as long as you get the low E glass with the Low E argon, argon, right, yep. And then they have more higher performing windows, right? If we want Right Triple panes, triple panes, you can get triple pane. Double pane Lemonade of glass. Lemonade of glass, okay.
Speaker 2:So, there's nothing that we can't bring to a homeowner based on one, but that is what we are going to do, though. Right, we're going to figure out what's the best window for them, because a lot of companies are just triple pane, triple pane, triple pane, triple pane. That doesn't necessarily mean that they need triple pain. I mean, would if, if I took a double pain window out of your house and I put a triple pain window in it, would you know it?
Speaker 2:yes, okay if I put if I took a single pain window out of your house. Do you still have those?
Speaker 3:it's not too many, right no?
Speaker 2:more the old aluminum windows, right, but now? Now, that would make a huge difference, right. But now every stage is a little bit less of a of a difference, right? Yes, so the switch from a double pane unit to a triple pane is not as much as, say, a single pane like an old steel casement window or something like that. That that would be dramatic, right. So we want the most performance. We want sound deadening right, we're going to get that through the triple panes more than, say, double panes.
Speaker 3:Actually, you can get sound glass, sound deadening glass, from Anderson. Oh really.
Speaker 2:That's what they sell. So for someone who's on a main row or something like that, they can eliminate that noise outside. Yes, you.