Whole-House Window Replacement in Shoreline, WA: From Hodgepodge to One Matched System
Amy & Darrick | Shoreline, WA | Infinity by Marvin windows and bi-fold door
Project summary: This window replacement in Shoreline, WA put new black Infinity by Marvin fiberglass windows throughout a 1950s home, replacing fogged 1970s aluminum windows and painted-shut original wood windows. Signature Window & Door Replacement also enlarged several openings, added a five-panel bi-fold door on a new steel header, and finished the whole-house project in five days.
After
Before
The street side before and after. Black Infinity by Marvin frames and fresh charcoal paint give this 1950s Shoreline home a crisp, modern face.
Some houses wear their history in their windows. Every owner leaves a mark, and after enough decades you can read it in the glass: a few windows from one remodel, a few from another, none of them matching and none of them working the way they should.
That was the story at a 1950s home in Shoreline, WA. This whole-house window replacement traded a patchwork of tired aluminum and original wood windows for one matched system of black Infinity by Marvin fiberglass windows and a new bi-fold door. Along the way, it opened up views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains that the old glass had been blurring for years.
Why Amy and Darrick Chose Signature Again
Amy and Darrick first met the Signature team at a home show. They knew what they wanted before the conversation was over: a quality product, paired with a quality installation. Not one or the other. Both.
They also knew who they wanted on the job. They had worked with Signature once before, at their previous house. They called again for the same reason many customers come back: Signature has been family owned and operated since 1999, and the team cares about the end result as much as the homeowner does.
This was not a window here and a door there. It was a whole-house project: new windows throughout the home, several enlarged openings, and a bi-fold door that needed a steel header to make it work.
Project at a Glance
|
Location |
Shoreline, WA |
|
Installer |
Signature Window & Door Replacement, family owned since 1999 |
|
Home |
1950s house with windows from several eras |
|
Scope |
Whole-house window replacement plus a bi-fold door |
|
Replaced |
1970s aluminum windows with failed seals Original 1950s wood windows, painted shut |
|
New windows |
Infinity by Marvin fiberglass: picture, double-hung, awning and sliding |
|
New door |
Infinity by Marvin bi-fold door |
|
Colors |
Black exterior, black interior, black hardware |
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Glass |
Cardinal LoE-366 with argon on south- and west-facing windows Cardinal LoE-270 with argon on north- and east-facing windows No grids |
|
Screens |
Hi-Transparency screens on all windows |
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Structural work |
Dropped sills on multiple openings Steel header beam for the bi-fold door |
|
Installation |
Full frame, AAMA 2400 nail fin |
|
Trim |
Exterior: 2 x 4 finger-jointed cedar Interior: 1 x 4 real wood casing and 1 x 4 real wood liner |
|
Timeline |
5 days, start to finish |
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Warranty |
Lifetime installation warranty from Signature Window & Door Replacement Limited lifetime manufacturer’s warranty on Infinity by Marvin products |
The Challenge: Fogged Aluminum and Painted-Shut Wood Windows
The previous owner had worked on this house many times over the years, and every round of work left different windows behind. By the time Amy and Darrick owned it, the home had a hodgepodge of products from different decades, and none of them were doing the job well.
Most of the windows fell into two groups.
1970s aluminum windows. These went in during a 1970s remodel. Aluminum conducts heat quickly, so on a cold Seattle night the frame itself pulls warmth straight out of the room. On top of that, the seals had failed. Once the seal on an insulated glass unit goes, moisture gets between the panes and the glass fogs from the inside. No amount of cleaning will fix it.
After
Before
Main bedroom before and after. The fogged aluminum pane is gone, and the new Infinity by Marvin picture windows show Puget Sound and the Olympics edge to edge.
Original 1950s wood windows. The rest were the home’s original wood units, and years of paint had sealed them shut. They could not be opened, they could not ventilate a room, and like the aluminum windows, they leaked energy every season.
The main bedroom showed the problem most clearly. A pair of 96 by 60 inch aluminum picture windows looked west over Puget Sound to the Olympic Mountains. It is the kind of view people buy a house for, and one of the two panes was so fogged it looked like a steamed-up mirror.
The bathroom had its own problem. Its 28 by 28 inch aluminum window had obscured glass and offered little in the way of fresh air or view.
Fixing these one at a time would only have added another layer of patchwork. The better plan was to start over and do everything the right way.
The Solution: Black Fiberglass Windows, Planned Opening by Opening
Every new window comes from the Infinity by Marvin fiberglass line. Fiberglass will not rot or warp the way old wood can, and it does not conduct heat the way aluminum does. One material solves both of the home’s old problems.
Many homeowners start out asking about vinyl, and it is a reasonable budget option. Fiberglass is the upgrade. Infinity’s Ultrex fiberglass expands and contracts at nearly the same rate as glass, so it stays stable through hot, dry summers and long, wet winters, and it holds dark finishes like the black used throughout this house.
Each opening got the style that fits it:
- Picture windows where the view is the whole point, including the main bedroom
- Double-hung windows for easy, familiar ventilation, including the bathroom
- Awning windows, which hinge at the top and can stay open in a light rain
- Sliding windows for simple side-to-side operation
- An Infinity by Marvin bi-fold door to open the house to the outdoors
The finish is black on black: black exterior, black interior and black hardware. Hi-Transparency screens on every window keep bugs out without dulling the view. And there are no grids anywhere. In a house built around a water view, nothing should be chopping the Olympics into squares.
Glass Chosen by Direction
Here is a detail most homeowners never hear about. Not every side of a house gets the same sun, so not every window should get the same glass.
- South- and west-facing windows: Cardinal LoE-366 with argon. These sides take the strongest afternoon sun. LoE-366 is designed to reject the sun’s heat without darkening the view, which keeps a west-facing bedroom comfortable on long summer evenings.
- North- and east-facing windows: Cardinal LoE-270 with argon. These sides get gentler light, so this coating lets in a little more daylight and more of the sun’s free warmth in winter.
Both use argon, a dense, inert gas sealed between the panes that slows heat moving through the glass.
Bigger Openings for Better Views
Several windows did not just get replaced. They got bigger. On many openings, the crew dropped the sill, lowering the bottom of the opening to bring more of the outdoors into the room.
The bathroom is a good example. The old 28 by 28 inch opening became 28 by 36 inches, eight inches taller. That extra height made room for a double-hung window with real ventilation and a view out over the garden toward the Sound.
A dropped opening takes more than ordering a bigger window. The wall below is cut down, reframed to the new size, and flashed so the larger opening is every bit as weathertight as the old one.
After
Before
Bathroom before and after. The opening was lowered from 28 by 28 to 28 by 36 inches for more fresh air and a view.
A Steel Header for the Bi-Fold Door
The bi-fold door took the most structural work on the job. A wide folding door needs a wide opening, and the wall above any opening carries weight from the structure overhead. Make the opening wider and that load has to span a longer distance.
Here, the answer was a steel header beam, installed along with heavy modification to the framing around the opening. Steel carries big loads across long spans in a shallower profile than a wood beam. It is the kind of structural work many replacement companies will not take on, and Signature handled it directly.
After
Before
Deck side before and after. A picture window and a separate door gave way to one five-panel Infinity by Marvin bi-fold door.
After
Before
Living room before and after. With the steel header carrying the load, the whole wall can now fold open to the deck.
For a closer look at what goes into a bi-fold opening, see our bi-fold door case study in Issaquah.
Full-Frame Installation: The Details That Matter
Every window went in as a full-frame installation to the AAMA 2400 nail fin standard. Full frame means the old units come out completely, frame and all, down to the rough opening. On a house with this many past repairs, that mattered. It let the crew see and correct what earlier work had left behind instead of covering it up.
AAMA 2400 is the industry’s standard practice for installing nail-fin windows in wood-frame walls. It ties each window into the home’s weather barrier so water has a planned way out, not a hidden way in. The installation is backed by a lifetime installation warranty from Signature, and the Infinity by Marvin windows and door carry a limited lifetime manufacturer’s warranty.
Outside, the windows are trimmed in 2 x 4 finger-jointed cedar. Cedar naturally resists moisture and rot, and finger-jointed stock stays straight and stable, so the trim lines stay crisp for years.
Inside, each window is finished with 1 x 4 real wood casing and 1 x 4 real wood liners for a clean reveal that looks like it was always part of the house.
None of this was a simple job. Access around the house was not easy, and after decades of patchwork, the crew could not assume anything about what they would find behind the old trim. Even so, the whole project was finished in five days, start to finish.
The Result: A Shoreline Home That Finally Matches Its View
The main bedroom says it best. Where a fogged pane once blurred half the view, two clean, black-framed picture windows now frame Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains, with LoE-366 glass keeping that west-facing wall comfortable.
From the street, the change is just as striking. The tired, mismatched windows are gone. Black Infinity by Marvin frames against fresh charcoal paint give this 1950s house a sharp, modern look that suits it.
Every window now opens the way it should. The bathroom gets fresh air and a view. And all the work that made it possible, the dropped sills, the steel header, the flashing details, is hidden behind clean trim.
One thing worth knowing before the reviews: this was not Amy and Darrick’s first project with Signature. The team had already worked with them at their previous home.
“We have chosen to work with Danny and his team at Signature Window & Door twice now. We love the quality of the windows and the help they provide in the design process all the way to the finished installation. We put in a 15′ folding door at our last home. It was a showstopper! Highly recommend them to bring your home back to life with beautiful windows that are built to last!”
Amy, Shoreline, WA | Google Review
Amy, Shoreline, WA | Google Review
“We have worked with Signature Window and Door replacement on two of our houses. The team is great and we love the Marvin products!”
Darrick, Shoreline, WA | Google Review
Darrick, Shoreline, WA | Google Review
When a family moves and calls the same company again, it tells you the first job held up. You can read more homeowner reviews here.
Shoreline Window Replacement FAQs
How long does a whole-house window replacement take?
This Shoreline whole-house window replacement took five days, start to finish, including several enlarged openings and a bi-fold door with a steel header. Timing for your home depends on the number of openings and how much structural work is involved.
Can a window opening be made bigger during replacement?
Yes. Lowering a sill or widening an opening is common when homeowners want more light, fresh air or view. It means reframing the wall, and for wider openings, installing a header sized for the new span. On this project, the bathroom window grew from 28 by 28 to 28 by 36 inches.
Why use different Low-E glass on different sides of the house?
Sun exposure changes with direction. South- and west-facing glass takes the most heat, so a coating like LoE-366 that rejects more solar heat keeps those rooms comfortable. North and east sides see gentler light, where LoE-270 lets in a little more daylight and winter warmth.
Are fiberglass windows better than vinyl?
For most Seattle-area homes, yes. Vinyl is a budget-friendly option, but fiberglass is stronger and more stable through temperature swings. Infinity by Marvin’s Ultrex fiberglass expands and contracts at nearly the same rate as glass, which helps seals and finishes last, and it is available in dark colors like black.
Can old aluminum windows be replaced with fiberglass?
Yes. In a full-frame replacement, the old aluminum window comes out completely, frame and all, and the new fiberglass window is installed and flashed into the wall’s weather barrier. That is how this Shoreline home’s 1970s aluminum windows, with their failed seals and fogged glass, were replaced.
Do black fiberglass windows suit an older home?
Yes. Black fiberglass frames can give an older home a crisp, modern look without fighting its character. On this 1950s Shoreline house, black Infinity by Marvin windows with black interiors and black hardware were paired with fresh charcoal paint, and no grids, so nothing breaks up the water view.
What does a whole-house window replacement cost?
It depends on the number and size of the windows, the product line, and any structural work like enlarged openings. Our Seattle window replacement cost guide is a good starting point, and a free consultation gets you an exact number for your home.
Is Your Home a Hodgepodge Too?
Step into that room now, and the change is obvious. The back wall opens up. The backyard reads as an extension of the living room instead of something on the far side of the glass. All the structural work, the new header, the fresh framing, is invisible. Only the result shows.
The grid-free glass keeps the view clean and uninterrupted. The full three-panel fold means the family can open the wall completely when the weather is good, then close it back up tight when the rain returns. Two spaces that always belonged together finally act like it.
Here is some context worth knowing before the review. Mike and Alix were not first-time customers. They had worked with Signature before.
If your house has a mix of old windows, fogged glass you cannot clean, windows painted shut, or a view you cannot fully see, a whole-house window replacement solves all of it at once, with one product line and one crew.
Signature Window & Door Replacement works with homeowners across Shoreline and North Seattle, including Richmond Beach, Broadview, Crown Hill, Ballard and Greenwood. Family owned since 1999. Call 253-887-7792 or schedule a free consultation to see what is possible for your home.