Winter Installations

We live on the Great Plains, so Pella Omaha & Lincoln is ready for cold weather installations.

Mahlon Bowling is an Order Verifier for Pella Omaha. It’s his responsibility to go out to the job sites after the customer has chosen their windows and doors to make sure everything is ready to go for installation.

The process of window installation

Mahlon said as soon as the installers get to the residence, they introduce themselves to the homeowner. They won’t pull into the driveway until the owner has given them permission to do so. Installers all work out of pickup trucks with trailers. Before they park in the driveway, they put cardboard under the engine block in case of oil drips to insure they’re leaving the lightest footprint possible.

Crews are usually made up of two installers but larger jobs may require bigger crews of four to six.

No matter the size of the crew, Mahlon explained there will be one lead Pella Expert Installer for each job.

“When it’s time for installation day, your lead installer will do a walk-through with the customer in the beginning to see the scope of the work to be done. At the same time, the other installers will set up tools outside, lay drop cloths from the front door to every window or door they are replacing so their feet don’t touch the customers’ floors,” said Mahlon.

Winter months

He emphasized that these are all things that are standard operating procedure for Pella all year long.

But it’s during the winter that Pella’s efficiency installing replacement windows quickly closes the opening from the cold air. Pella installers always have everything ready to put back into the opening as soon as the old windows are removed. They will have the window set close to the opening. And once the old window is out and the opening has been prepped, the new window is installed immediately.

Mahlon said installers prep the window by first vacuuming out any dust and dirt in the opening. If there’s damage to the wood inside the framed opening, crews are ready to replace it. If there’s a water leak that’s caused damage, the installers will fix that as well. Then they put Pella flashing tape (which is waterproof) around the window and over the wood.

“They then set the window in the opening right away, get it shimmed in nice and plumb and level, spray foam around it from the inside and it’s weathered in,” he said.

Installers also shut any doors to the room they are working in to keep the rest of the house warm and limit the cold air to as small a space as possible.

Snow and low temperatures

If there’s a lot of snow on the ground around the outside of the house where crews are taking a window out, they will put a drop cloth under the window to catch debris that might fall. This helps ensure everything is cleaned up and that homeowners don’t have any unwelcome surprises when the snow melts.

“We use a caulking that’s rated for well below zero temperatures. Our spray foam and other sealants are all rated to be used in the winter time so they all perform like they should,” said Mahlon.

The Pella difference

“Pella puts out a good product. If there’s an issue down the road with the window itself or the installation, we stand behind the product and we are there for the customers. We work diligently to make them happy,” said Mahlon.

With Pella’s installation warranty and service agreement that covers the products and the installation – including labor – for up to 10 years, Pella of Omaha & Lincoln takes extra care to make sure every installation is done correctly (see pella.com/pellacare for details).