Window City Pros knows windows

By Ken McEntee

Because it can be so difficult to find a home improvement contractor who is reliable, transparent and does quality work, it’s only natural, when you find such a company to ask, “What else do you do?”

That was the case for Chad Howman.

After Chad started his own successful bathroom renovation business in 2020, impressed customers began to ask whether he offered other ways to improve their homes.

It got him thinking.

Chad, who has been renovating homes for almost 30 years—since he was in his early teens—had spent 20 years in the replacement window business.

And he liked it. It was satisfying.

“It’s truly one of the only products that pays for itself inside and out,” he reasoned. “So I thought about getting back into the window business. But I wasn’t about to jump in with just any product. There already were a lot of replacement windows out there. If I was going to get involved, it would have to be something special that would really make an impact on the market.”

He found it.

Chad proudly says Window City Pros, the company he started with his wife, Stephanie, offers Ohio’s only replacement windows that provide energy savings rated comparably to triple-pane windows, but at lower-cost dual-pane prices. Pro Tech windows feature advanced “Heat Shield” technology, made with green building materials and an advanced insulating system that glazes the glass with tiny metal particles that reflect UV light while allowing visible light to pass through. The chamber between window panes is filled with argon gas to create the heat shield.

“You can normally expect to pay 25 to 35 percent extra to get the energy-saving benefits of triple-pane windows,” Chad reveals. “Because of our exclusive Pro Tech windows, you don’t need to.”

The story of Pro Tech is no tall tale.

But it does involve one of the world’s loftiest buildings.

“Most of the vinyl windows on the market right now, in order to be Energy Star rated, need to have a solar heat gain rating of .30 or below, and a U-factor of .30 or below,” Chad explained. “That describes the standard double-pain, low-E (emissivity, or emission of radiant energy) argon window that 99% of all replacement window companies are carrying right now.”

The Solar Heat Gain Coefficient rating is the measurement of how well the window blocks the sun’s heat. Similarly, the U-factor measures the passage of non-solar heat.

“I was looking for a window that would provide superior energy savings without driving up the cost to the homeowner,” Chad says. “I came across a company that put windows in the Empire State Building, in New York City.”

Around 2008, Chad says, energy prices were spiraling out of control—much like they are today. The owners of the Empire State Building hired a company to replace all of the skyscraper’s windows with .30/.30 double pane, low-E argon glass.

“Unfortunately they didn’t see the energy savings they had anticipated, and asked, ‘What do we do now?’” Chad says. “They thought the only option to improve the energy rating was an upgrade to triple pane windows that were rated at .20 on both solar heat gain and U-factor.”

Unfortunately, the triple pane windows were too heavy for the building.

“The architects and engineers said, ‘If we put all these triple pane windows in, this building’s going to come collapsing down.’”

Another manufacturer had a solution—dual-pane windows with the.20/.20 rating of their triple pane counterparts. The new windows on the Empire State Building paid for themselves—along with the earlier replacements—in four years, Chad says.

He was impressed.

“Those windows were only being offered for commercial-grade properties.” Chad says. “I reached out to the manufacturer and asked whether they could put the same glass into a vinyl window for houses. They said, ‘absolutely.’ I went to visit them and picked out the locks and latches and other design features and we created an exclusive residential product that nobody else is offering.”

Window City Pros’ Pro Tech windows are custom built to precise measurements, which ensures a tight, perfect fit, Chad promises.

With the success of the new window, Window City Pros now has Ohio locations in Medina, Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo.

“It’s a true family business,” Chad says. “My wife Stephanie handles all of the customer service and employee relations tasks. We have employees who work here with their spouses, siblings and cousins. It’s just like one big happy family around here.”

Getting started on the path toward lower energy bills and a more comfortable home is simple by scheduling a no-obligation consultation with Window City Pros, at 440-306-5444. You can learn more by visiting WindowCityPros.com.