Hi everyone, I’m here to add a perspective from Trinity. We moved into a new build home (built 2020) in Trinity, so it’s a pretty modern house. You’d think a new build would have the best windows, but honestly the ones that came with the house were just basic double-pane windows without any special hurricane rating.
Our community is inland enough that impact windows weren’t required by code, but after the last hurricane scare, we decided to upgrade. We didn’t want to deal with putting up storm shutters every time.
We hired Karoly Windows & Doors to replace the key windows and our patio sliders with hurricane impact ones. They worked with us on a plan so we didn’t have to replace every single window – just the larger ones and those facing the wind. That saved some money.
Karoly’s team was great. Even though the house was new, they found a couple of the original windows weren’t sealed properly (yikes!). They fixed those areas during the install. Now we have peace of mind that the next storm season, our glass can handle it. Plus, the new sliders glide so much better than the cheap builder-grade ones 😊.
Our situation was a little different, but I think it highlights the importance of contractors understanding your home’s needs. We have a 1960s ranch house in Largo. Not historic or anything, but old enough that things aren’t standard size. We wanted to upgrade our windows mainly for energy efficiency and some sound reduction (we live near a busy road).
The first contractor we spoke to (a company from out of town) tried to upsell us on all sorts of fancy options – triple-pane glass, special coatings, the works. They made it sound like our house would fall apart without these $,$$$ upgrades 🙄. It felt excessive for a one-story mid-century home that isn’t on the water or anything.
We got a second opinion from Pro Tech Windows & Doors. They were much more down-to-earth. The rep actually said triple-pane would be overkill in our case. He recommended a good double-pane, vinyl frame window with proper insulation. It was refreshing to have someone tailor the solution to our actual house and location.
We went with Pro Tech and have been really pleased. The noise from the road is noticeably lower now and the AC doesn’t kick on as frequently. It just goes to show how different contractors can be – some will try to sell you the most expensive thing, while others will find what fits your home best.
Seeing a lot of great experiences here. One more factor I haven’t seen mentioned yet: unique window shapes. Our home in South Tampa has a Spanish-style design with arched windows in front. When we decided to replace them, a couple of contractors actually told us they couldn’t do the arched shape and tried to convince us to put in a square window with filler panels. That was a big nope for us – it would ruin the look of the house.
We searched specifically for a contractor who could do custom-shaped windows. Karoly Windows & Doors came through on that. They were able to order custom arch-top impact windows that fit the original openings exactly. It wasn’t cheap (custom stuff never is), but at least we didn’t have to compromise on style.
Installation was a bit tricky (I remember the crew carefully fitting those arches like a giant puzzle piece), but they did it perfectly. Now we have brand new windows that maintain our home’s character. If you have an unusual feature like that, definitely find a contractor who says “no problem” instead of “no way.”
I’ve actually had the chance to work with one of these companies on two different types of homes. We used to live in Brandon in a typical single-family home and had Pro Tech Windows & Doors replace all our windows there about 5 years ago. They did such a good job that when we moved to a high-rise condo in Tampa recently, I reached out to them again.
I wasn’t even sure if they handled condos, but they did, and I gotta say the experience was just as smooth the second time. Of course, the condo had more red tape (permits, HOA approval, scheduling the service elevator, etc.), but Pro Tech managed it well.
It’s nice when you find a contractor you trust and can stick with, even when your home situation changes. For us, knowing their quality of work from our first home made selecting them for the condo a no-brainer. And now our new place has the same comfy, quiet feel our old one did after new windows. 😊
Any fellow townhouse owners here? I live in a townhome in Westchase and our experience was a bit different since we share walls and have a really active HOA.
Our HOA actually coordinated a community-wide window replacement last year for a bunch of units at once. They wanted everyone to have the same style for consistency. The HOA board got bids from a few contractors (I believe Karoly Windows & Doors and some others were in the mix). In the end, they chose Karoly for the job, partly because they came recommended by another neighborhood that used them, and they gave us a decent group rate.
It was kind of nice not having to individually hunt for a contractor, but also a little scary to just go with what the HOA picked. Thankfully, it turned out well. Karoly’s crew knocked out all the installs building by building over a week. They communicated with each homeowner about scheduling, which I appreciated. All our townhomes now have matching impact windows and it actually improved the look of the place a lot. So, if you’re in a townhouse, see if your HOA will organize a group project – it can save money and hassle, assuming the contractor they pick is solid.
Wow, loving all the info in this thread. It really shows how different the window replacement experience can be depending on your home type.
My takeaway so far: if you have a unique situation (historic, waterfront, high-rise, etc.), make sure your contractor has proven experience with it. Seems obvious, but reading these stories, it makes a huge difference.
I haven’t pulled the trigger on my project yet, but I feel a lot more prepared now. I live in an older house (1950s block home in Tampa), not officially historic but not new either, kind of in-between. After reading this, I’m definitely going to ask any contractor I call about their experience with older homes (like understanding plaster walls, etc.). And I’ll probably reach out to the companies mentioned here since they clearly have happy customers. 😃
Ugh, I wish I had seen this thread earlier. I’m dealing with a bit of a window replacement nightmare in my condo. I live on the 8th floor of a building in St. Pete, and I hired a contractor who was a friend-of-a-friend (not a specialized window company, more of a general handyman crew). Their quote was low and I naively went for it.
Long story short: they were clearly out of their depth. 😢 On day one, they struggled to get the old windows out and actually cracked some of the interior drywall. Then the condo association got involved because the crew didn’t follow the building rules (they were using the main elevator without padding it, a big no-no here). The work got shut down by the building manager.
Now I have half-removed windows, some interior damage, and an upset HOA. We halted the project and I told that crew to stop. Lesson learned the hard way: always use a properly licensed and insured contractor who knows what they’re doing, especially in a high-rise.
I’m currently scrambling to find a new contractor to fix this mess. Seeing @ray_gonzalez and @richardsnorkeler’s posts about Pro Tech (and others here mentioning Karoly) – I’m thinking of calling one of them to rescue this project. Fingers crossed.
@philosophy471 Oh no, that sounds awful. I’m really sorry you’re dealing with that. 😕 Thank you for sharing though, because it’s a good reality check for the rest of us.
Definitely get in touch with one of the experienced pros people have mentioned (Karoly or Pro Tech). They might charge more than the friend-of-a-friend, but you’ll get what you pay for – competent work and no headaches with your HOA.
If it helps, my neighbor had a somewhat similar issue last year (their first contractor disappeared mid-job). They ended up hiring Karoly Windows & Doors to finish, and it went smoothly after that. The new contractor even helped fix some of the mistakes the first guys made.
Wishing you luck getting it resolved quickly! Let us know how it turns out.
This might be a bit technical, but for anyone with waterfront or coastal homes, consider the window frame material too. My old windows were aluminum and after years of salty air in Gulfport (yep, right on the water), the frames had corrosion in spots and the sliding tracks were a mess.
When I replaced them, I talked to the contractor about options. I ended up going with vinyl-framed impact windows. The contractor (a local guy familiar with coastal installs) told me vinyl holds up well against salt and doesn’t conduct heat as much either (bonus for energy efficiency). Some people worry about vinyl warping, but the newer stuff is pretty sturdy.
So far so good – after two years, no signs of rust (obviously) and they look like new. Plus, I noticed the rooms don’t heat up as much in the summer sun compared to the old aluminum frames. It’s just something to think about when selecting your windows, especially in humid, salty Florida environments. The right contractor will walk you through these choices based on your home’s location.
@coffee_pumpkin Good point about materials. In my case I actually went the opposite route – I stuck with aluminum frames. My home is a mid-century modern design with some really large picture windows, and I was worried about frame strength for those big spans.
The contractor I chose explained that for very large windows, aluminum frames can provide more rigidity, which made sense to me (the last thing I want is flexing or leaks). He assured me the aluminum windows he installs have a special powder-coated finish to resist corrosion, plus all stainless hardware.
It also helped that our original windows were aluminum and the new ones matched the look pretty well, just way better performance now. I live near Clearwater (not directly on the beach, but close enough to worry about hurricanes), and we went with aluminum impact windows. A year in, they still look brand new. I think as long as you get quality windows and a contractor who knows how to install them right, either material can work – it just depends on your specific home and preferences.