In January 2023, Ben McDaniel and his wife, Valerie, attended the Indianapolis Home Show because they were looking to replace all of the windows, as well as their front door and six sliding doors of their 18-year-old home. Ideally, they were hoping to work with a smaller community-focused window and door company. 
“At the Home Show, we talked with Lyndsey Brown [product sales specialist] with Hometown Window and Door Company. We also talked to quite a few other manufacturers, and Lyndsey was the one who really stood out to us,” McDaniel says.
The couple set up an appointment to have Brown and Scott Dorrell, sales manager with Hometown Window and Door, come out to their house for a consultation.
“We knew the [Andersen] product was good, but their customer service was top-notch. The relationship they built with me and my wife as we sat around the kitchen table—for quite a long time, I might add—was amazing,” McDaniel says. “They explained who they are and what they are about. As a business owner myself, I knew it was a good fit.”
When shopping for new windows, clients must choose from replacement window inserts and full-frame window replacement. While there are certainly instances where inserts are the right option, typically full-frame installation is the way to go. It involves the removal and complete replacement of the entire window and window frame, plus all the casing on the interior so it allows a homeowner to refresh and do everything brand new. Not only is a full-frame replacement a more extensive fix but it’s also a customized full-service application.
The McDaniels’ opted to go with the Andersen A-Series, which has several options from which to choose, including double hung windows, awning windows, and specialty windows. This series has the highest-performing, most energy-efficient windows of all Andersen series, providing optimal energy savings as well as gorgeous architectural stylings.
“The A-Series windows stood out to us the most,” McDaniel says. “When we were looking not just at Andersen but all of the windows of which there were quite a few, we were drawn to the quality of the A-Series.”
Plus, one of the most important factors in the couple’s selection process was to get black on both the exterior and interior.
“The A-Series was one of the few products we were able to get black windows, and once we understood all of the great benefits of the A-Series, it was a no-brainer,” McDaniel says. “It started as a look type of thing we were going for [with the black windows] and transitioned to choosing the best product. We figured that if we were going to be spending this amount of money, let’s be sure we’re putting the best product in that we can.”
Not everyone can afford top-of-the-line, however. Hometown has a less messy version of installation called the insert application.
“Inserts are utilized in a way that allows us to keep everything inside the home intact—all the casing, trim work, etcetera,” Brown says.
It’s a composite product line they utilize called the 100 Series. This composite product that’s proprietary to Andersen called Fibrex is better than vinyl. It’s extremely strong, efficient, and perfect for those who do not want to invest a lot (e.g., perhaps they are flipping a house or are only planning to stay for a few years).
It’s worth noting that insert applications versus full-frame applications do not change the value of a property.
“It’s purely aesthetic,” Brown says. “It doesn’t modify anything in relationship to the value of the home itself.”
Often people with higher-end homes will use full-frame applications because they want a wood interior that can be painted or stained.
“It’s cool how custom full frame can be,” Brown says. “Even the stains can be custom! We’ll mix a stain to match your interior. It’s a level of customization other places don’t offer.”
Although Hometown Window and Door does both insert and full-frame, their bread-and-butter is full- frame installation.
“We are truly a small business with fewer than 20 employees,” Brown says. “We’re here to hold your hand through the entire process.”
That’s certainly the type of special treatment the McDaniels received. The assurance that they picked the right company to work with continued throughout installation.
“The crew they sent was absolutely phenomenal and completely professional,” McDaniel says, who stayed in his house and out of the way while watching them work. “This was a major structural change for our house, so I was nervous when they were doing it, but the young man they had leading the crew was so special.”
The crew worked from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, determined to get all the windows and doors installed in one week. The crew returned the following week to complete the interior trim work.
“The entire process was such a great experience,” McDaniel says. “We couldn’t be more pleased.”
If you’re starting a window or door project in your home, contact Hometown Window and Door Company. During the month of September, they’re running a 29% off Labor Day special. Their main showroom is located at 240 West Carmel Drive in Carmel. For more information, call 317-688-8100 or visit hometownwindowteam.com.
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