Window Replacement in Minnetonka, MN
Minnetonka was built in two waves, the 1950s and the 1980s, and the windows from both are due at the same time.
Owner-run. The owner has personally installed more than 10,000 windows over 24 years in Minnesota. Licensed residential contractor, MN Lic. BC809328. EPA Lead-Safe Certified firm.
Two building waves, two kinds of windows
Minnetonka's population more than doubled in the 1950s, from 11,896 in 1950 to 25,037 in 1960, and the city had a second surge in the 1980s, which is its single largest building decade at 24.1 percent of all housing. The median home was built in 1981. Of the city's 24,760 housing units, 16.7 percent are from the 1950s, 11.7 percent from the 1960s, 15 percent from the 1970s, 24.1 percent from the 1980s, 12 percent from the 1990s, 5.8 percent from the 2000s and 7.3 percent from the 2010s. Just under half, 48.3 percent, predate 1980. About 72 percent of homes are owner-occupied.
The 1950s homes have the original wood double-hung story: weight-and-pulley sashes, storm windows outside, paint that has sealed some sashes shut, and rot at the sill after 70 winters. Because they were built before 1978, the paint may contain lead, and any work that disturbs it falls under the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule. The Window Guys is an EPA Lead-Safe Certified firm with certified renovators, so containment and cleanup are standard on every pre-1978 job.
The 1960s and 1970s homes carry first-generation aluminum sliders and early wood casements, single-pane or early double-pane, and they are the coldest windows in the city. The 1980s homes, the biggest group, have builder-grade wood or early vinyl with fogged glass from failed seals and soft wood at the sash bottoms. The 1990s units are a few years further down the same path.
The 1990s and 2000s homes, about 18 percent of the city combined, are the youngest group and the easiest to fix. Their builder-grade vinyl is reaching 20 to 30 years and shows fogged glass and balances that no longer hold the sash up, but the frames are generally sound and an insert usually does the job.
What Minnetonka actually is, and is not
Despite the name, Minnetonka is not a lakeshore town. The city includes only the eastern tip of Lake Minnetonka around Grays Bay; most of the lake's shoreline lies in other cities. Minnetonka is a large, established suburb with Glen Lake as a named neighborhood and lake within its borders, the Ridgedale Center area at its commercial heart, Cargill's headquarters, and the Charles H. Burwell House on the National Register. I-494 runs through the middle of the city, I-394 and US-12 form the northern edge, US-169 the eastern edge, and Minnetonka Boulevard is the main east-west street.
We work throughout Hennepin County, and in Minnetonka that means the older postwar neighborhoods and the 1980s streets alike, whether your children attend Minnetonka, Hopkins or Wayzata schools.
Ridgedale Library, the Hennepin County Library headquarters, sits in the same commercial district, and the neighborhoods that surround it hold a lot of the city's 1950s and 1980s homes.
Minnetonka's permit rule
The city's Building Permits page says a building permit is required for "work to a permanent weather resistant surface (siding, roofing, windows)." Window replacement in Minnetonka needs a permit, and the city processes permits through the LOGIS ePermits system. Our office files the application under license BC809328, provides the documentation the city asks for, and schedules the inspection. You are not involved in the paperwork unless you want to be.
Replacement windows in Minnesota also have to meet the state energy code's maximum U-factor of 0.32. Every ProVia window we install meets that number, and we supply the product documentation with the permit so the inspector has it in hand at the final.
Full-frame or insert: the Minnetonka answer is usually both
Full-frame replacement removes the entire window, including the frame and sill, and rebuilds the opening with new flashing, insulation and trim. Insert replacement keeps the existing frame and sets a new unit inside it. In a 1950s Minnetonka home with original wood windows and a sill that has been absorbing water for seven decades, full-frame is almost always the correct repair. In a 1980s home where the frames are still square and dry, an insert can give you a new window without touching siding or interior trim.
Many Minnetonka homes were built in one era and added onto in another, so it is common to recommend full-frame on the original section and inserts on the newer one. We look at every opening during the in-home visit and tell you which method fits each window and why.
The one thing we never do is fit an insert into a rotted frame just because it is quicker. That hides the problem for a few years and then costs more to fix.
Owner-run, ProVia, and trim done by our crews
The Window Guys is owner-run. The owner has personally installed more than 10,000 windows over 24 years, and he still measures every job. We are based in East Bethel, about an hour from Minnetonka via US-169 and I-494, and we serve nine counties.
ProVia is our main window line. Andersen and Marvin are available when a project calls for them. Our crews handle exterior aluminum wrapping and interior wood trim, jamb, casing and stops, which on a full-frame job in a 1950s home is the difference between a window that looks replaced and one that looks like it was always there.
Start with our Quick Price tool to get a working number without a sales visit. Then we come out, measure and give you a firm proposal. Most Minnetonka homes take one to two days; full-frame with new interior trim throughout takes longer. Call (612) 408-0569 or email rbarton@windowguysmn.com with questions.
During the in-home visit we measure every opening to the eighth of an inch, photograph the existing conditions and go over the options with you room by room. The windows are then built to those measurements, and installation is scheduled once they arrive. On installation day the crew protects floors and furniture, works one opening at a time, and hauls away the old windows and debris, so you are left with clean, finished openings and nothing to dispose of.
Minnetonka window questions we hear most
Does Minnetonka require a permit for replacement windows?
Yes. The city requires a building permit for work to a permanent weather resistant surface, and it names windows along with siding and roofing. Permits go through LOGIS ePermits, and our office handles the filing and the inspection.
What about lead paint in a 1950s Minnetonka home?
Homes built before 1978 may have lead-based paint, and that includes nearly half of Minnetonka. The Window Guys is an EPA Lead-Safe Certified firm with certified renovators. We contain the work area, control dust and clean to the federal standard as part of every pre-1978 job.
Are the aluminum sliders in my 1970s Minnetonka home worth replacing?
Yes. First-generation aluminum frames conduct cold directly into the house, which is why they frost and sweat in winter, and the single-pane or early double-pane glass does little to help. Replacing them is one of the most noticeable comfort upgrades an older home can get.
How long does a typical Minnetonka window job take?
One to two days for most homes. Full-frame replacement with new interior jamb, casing and stops on every window takes longer, and we set that schedule with you before ordering.
Ready to price your Minnetonka windows?
Get a real number online first, then book an in-home visit when you are ready. No pressure and no sales games.
Also serving nearby: Plymouth, Eden Prairie, Edina, Chanhassen.