Fresh Outlook

For some homeowners, starting one small project can quickly snowball into much more, quite often because numerous small tasks have been neglected over the years. Ankeny resident Dan Dresser has always approached household maintenance from an offensive rather than a defensive position, and that has allowed him to address one project at a time rather than a host of issues at once.

When it came time to replace windows in his 25-year-old home, he tackled that project the same way. “We’d done other projects over the years such as finishing the lower level and adding outdoor living space. I knew I’d need to replace the windows before too long. But it wasn’t until I discovered a gap in one of the windows that I realized the time had come,” Dresser says.

He’d purchased materials and hired Beisser Lumber for previous jobs, so he didn’t hesitate to contact the company for this project. “I did look at some other companies that had been sending me marketing materials,” Dresser says. “But between the cost and the unknowns involved in working with an unfamiliar vendor, it just wasn’t a good option.”

Instead, Dresser reached out to his friends at Beisser and found everything he needed and the attention to detail he expected.

Beisser’s Ethan Stahl says, “Dan had some specific expectations when he came to us, and that helped us determine which product line to focus on. He wanted crank windows like the home’s original units, and he initially wanted white windows because he had painted all the trim in the home white.”

After looking at different options with Stahl and window manager John Murphy, Dresser began rethinking his color choice. “I saw the black windows that were getting popular, and I thought that might look really good against the white trim.”

Stahl agreed. “With Dan’s preference for sleeker lines and more-contemporary style, I knew that black next to the white trim would look really sharp.”

Although it was one window that spurred the conversation, Dresser took preventive action and opted to replace all the windows in the house at once before more problems arose. Because cold weather was approaching, that also meant ordering product and scheduling the work.

Murphy says, “We were able to get all the windows from the same manufacturer with different product lines for different sizes. Our typical lead time is four to six weeks from most of our window manufacturers. Once we had walked through the features and sizes needed for Dan’s project, we were able to get the windows ordered and work scheduled for mid-November.”

Beisser also worked with Dresser to determine if any upgrades were needed on any units. “We did a tinted-glass upgrade on a couple of units because of the amount of light coming into that room in order to protect the furnishings and things,” says Murphy. “Most homeowners know ahead of time what color they want and whether they want fixed or operational. Those decisions help guide us to the right product line. And we have a lot of customers who want to replace existing windows with bigger units. That means we have to have conversations about how that will affect the exterior trim and siding.”

“I dreaded what the process would be like beforehand,” says Dresser. “I knew with a 25-year-old house I was going to have to deal with the windows at some point. I work from home, and I tend to keep my personal space structured because my work life can feel chaotic. Having a crew of people working in the house every day, yanking out windows in November—I was a little skeptical.”

The Beisser crew exceeded his expectations. Dresser treated them to a pizza dinner the day they completed the final window installation.

Stahl says, “Most of our crew has been with Beisser for years, and cultivating that customer service culture is a priority. Part of the training with any new hire is being mentored by an experienced team member to learn not just how to do excellent work but how to treat our customers and their homes.”

“Our crew is all certified through a nationally recognized installation system, and we do ongoing training as new products and methods are introduced,” Murphy says.

Despite removing and installing nearly two dozen windows, including trim and touch-up, the Beisser crew was done in just over a week with minimal disruption to Dresser’s daily routine.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better group of guys to work with,” Dresser says. “They were professional, efficient, pleasant to talk to. I can’t say enough about them. I can’t believe how different the experience was from what I expected.”

Dresser says he has a whole new outlook on the process. And his home has a fresh new look, too. •