Windows are elements of our homes that most of us take for granted. We don’t think much about them as long as they let in light and air and frame the view. However, having the right windows in your home can also enhance energy efficiency and security, improve aesthetic appeal, complement the architectural style, and contribute to your living space’s overall comfort and functionality. Choosing the right windows is a complex decision and not one you want to make on your own at a big-box store.
“Homeowners who are building can be so focused on the big picture that they’re not thinking about how their windows will look or function,” says Bill Blass, founder of Expert Window & Door. “Our goal is to have clients come into our showroom, with the builder or architect, or all three plus a designer, so we can sit down and review the options. When they’re here, it’s usually the first time a homeowner looks at windows and learns about details, functionality and how they’ll affect the space. And, sometimes, when we talk to clients about how they plan to use the space, we can suggest changes that improve the home and make the space more functional.”
Blass has a mathematics and computer science degree, so the extreme precision required for project planning doesn’t intimidate him. He got his start in the business selling windows for Pella in 1996, then transitioned to Jeld-Wen in 2007. During his work with Jeld-Wen, one of his focus areas was getting dealers to invest in showrooms so their clients could choose the right product. That’s when he saw a gap in the market. “Having worked for one brand, I realized that if they didn’t have what the client needed, I couldn’t sell that job,” he says.
With the goal of being a one-stop shop for every client and every type of architecture, Blass started Expert Window & Door in 2013. “This is the quintessential bootstrap company,” he says. “Back then, I was a one-man operation: sales, delivery, service, accounting and head janitor. But it was essential to me that my clients have multiple options to choose from.”
Today, Expert Window & Door has expanded to serve most of the Southeast, showcasing major brands such as Windsor, LaCantina, Sierra Pacific, Loewen, Fleetwood, Western and even European products like Secco profile Thermal Steel in a 3,200-square-foot showroom. “It’s unique—the best equipped showroom in town—because we believe clients need to be able to see the corner cutaways and all the options for aesthetics, colors and details,” Blass says. The company also has a team of expert salespeople who know the products and competitors inside and out. “We’ll give you an honest opinion about which product you should use in your project and the reasoning behind it,” he adds.
With 30 years in the business, Blass is also an expert on windows and doors that suit different architectural styles. “We act as an extension of the architect or builder’s staff,” he says. “We take the performance parameters, aesthetics and budget and show you different options. We can also talk about achieving aesthetic and performance goals, such as setting a sliding door so it’s flush with the flooring.” Blass says working with architects and builders in the early stages can help them ensure they’re within budget. “For consistent clients, we do budget quotes from 50% drawings, which has been a big part of our success,” he explains. “We help builders and architects develop realistic budgets and ensure the plan is in budget when it is finished. There’s real value for the client when we have a relationship with the architects from the start.”
In recent years, the company has supplied large-format windows that are popular in modern architecture. “Glass-to-glass with no frame is an architect’s dream,” he says. “They want big, clean pieces of glass with no grids, and the glass is just getting bigger and bigger. Standard doors used to be 8 feet. Now, people want 12 feet. We carry Fleetwood, which is all aluminum with no wood, and new European options are just hitting the market in the States.”
The company also carries thermally broken steel and aluminum windows and doors with high-performance insulating material separating the two halves. “It’s as thin and as big as it can be. When it comes to modern design, it’s always thin for the win. It’s an architect’s dream,” Blass says.
European-style architecture never goes out of style, and Expert Window & Door provides specific window and door designs to complement Tuscan, Spanish, Italian, English and French designs. “In European architecture, casement windows, that crank-out or push-out, are typical with some kind of grid design,” he says. “Think of the homes typical in a Tuscan hillside town. There are large stone elements on the facade, and the openings are smaller and more contained. Many of them have a courtyard or plaza in the middle of the house and different rooms open up to that space via folding or sliding doors.”
Traditional architecture styles such as Cape Cod, Georgian, colonial and Craftsman are predominant in the Southeast. “Usually, traditional architecture, or blends of traditional and European, have double-hung windows with divided lights and heavier trim,” Blass says. “Transitional style is a mix of two styles where elements are blended.”
The company has grown from being a one-man enterprise to the Southeast’s premier window and door purveyor. Today, it serves Georgia, including North Georgia and Metro Atlanta, with a big presence in Buckhead and Sandy Springs, as well as all of the area lakes, like Lake Oconee, Lake Burton, Lake Lanier, Lake Keowee, and parts of Tennessee, Alabama and South Carolina.
The company also has an in-house service tech, so clients don’t have to wait for a factory technician if they have a problem. “For builders, we can often get out there the same day or the next day,” Blass says. The company also stores finished products as a professional courtesy. “If you order windows for new construction, you don’t need the finished hardware for a year,” he says. “Most other companies deliver everything at once, and the builder has to figure out where to store it. We store the finished items you don’t need as a service.”
For clients building their own homes, most people don’t know what they don’t know, and the Expert Window & Door staff is ready to help. “We offer a higher level of hand-holding than if you go to a lumberyard or big-box store. Our clients need different levels of help, and we’re here for that,” Blass says. “For example, we use modern glass packages that block UV rays and heat. That’s important where we live. However, you don’t need that in the mountains, so we put the right product in the right place. A big-box store might not do that. We can also replace windows without tearing up your house and replace your old double-hung windows with casements using the original frames.”
While Expert Window & Door has grown from its grassroots origins, Blass and his company remain rooted in the community where they began. “We’re committed to recycling and supporting local nonprofits, such as our food pantry and kid-based charities,” he says.
Blass also hopes to work with a local vocational tech school to create a window and door installation class. “Homebuilding is a fulfilling business,” he says. “We remember all of our houses and all of the families that live in them. You meet such great people, and it’s fun to help people make their dreams come true.” *
Robin Howard is a freelance writer in Charleston. See more of her work at robinhowardwrites.com.