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The mid-century homes throughout Glenmont the ramblers in Georgian Forest, the split-levels in Greenwood Knolls, the Cape Cods in Glenmont Village were built between the late 1940s and 1960s. Even if windows were replaced once in the 1980s or 1990s, those units are now 30 to 40 years old. That’s at or past the end of their useful life, and you’re probably feeling it every time you get your utility bill.
The U.S. Department of Energy confirms that windows account for 25 to 30 percent of a home’s heating and cooling energy loss. In a home built in 1955 with original or once-replaced windows, that number sits at the high end of the range. Replacing them with ENERGY STAR-certified double-pane units can reduce your annual utility costs by up to 13 percent an average savings of around $510 a year, based on a 2025 This Old House survey.
And beyond the bills, there’s the comfort factor. Cold spots near the windows in January, condensation between the panes, frames that stick or won’t lock these aren’t just inconveniences. They’re signs that your home is working harder than it should. Montgomery County winters regularly push into the low 20s Fahrenheit, and the area gets about 43 inches of rain a year conditions that accelerate seal failure and frame deterioration in older windows. Getting ahead of it now protects your Glenmont home and your wallet.
We were founded in 1973 by Gordon Franks, who started painting homes to pay his way through the University of Maryland. More than 50 years later, Gordon is still personally involved responding to inquiries, writing contracts, and making sure the work meets the standard our company has built its reputation on.
That matters in Glenmont, where nearly half of all residents were born outside the United States and many are navigating the U.S. contractor market for the first time. Knowing you can reach the actual owner not a call center, not a rotating sales rep changes the dynamic. You get a straight answer from someone who has been doing this work in Montgomery County longer than most of Glenmont’s current homeowners have lived here.
We hold the Maryland MHIC license (#28145) required for all residential home improvement work in Glenmont and throughout the county. We’re also licensed in Washington, D.C. (#39937921) and Virginia (#2705077763) all three jurisdictions, all verifiable. With 300-plus recommendations on Washington D.C. Consumers’ Checkbook, the subscription-based regional review platform that Montgomery County homeowners actually use to vet contractors, the track record speaks for itself.
It starts with a conversation. Gordon or a member of our team will walk through your home, look at what you’re working with, and give you an honest read on which windows need replacing, which might be fine for now, and what the full scope looks like. There’s no pressure to do everything at once plenty of Glenmont homeowners start with the worst performers and add more over time as the budget allows.
Once you’ve decided to move forward, we take measurements and specify the right windows for your home. For most homes in Glenmont, that means insert or pocket replacement the new window goes into the existing frame opening without changing the rough opening size. Under Montgomery County’s Department of Permitting Services rules, this type of standard like-for-like replacement typically does not require a building permit, which means no permit delays and no added cost for the majority of projects. If your project involves structural changes to the opening, we handle permit coordination as part of the process.
Installation day is usually one day. Our professional crew can install 8 to 12 insert replacement windows in a single visit. For Glenmont homeowners who commute into D.C. on the Red Line and aren’t home during the day, that’s important the crew shows up when promised, works cleanly, and leaves the home the way we found it. If there’s trim work, carpentry, or painting needed around the new windows, we handle that too. No subcontractors to coordinate, no gaps in accountability.
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We install a range of window types suited to the homes throughout Glenmont double-hung windows, casement windows, picture windows, sliders, and more. Double-hung windows are the most common choice for the mid-century single-family homes in Georgian Forest and Glenmont Village, largely because they tilt in for easy cleaning from inside the home and fit the architectural character of those neighborhoods naturally.
Vinyl is the most common frame material, covering roughly 70 percent of all U.S. window replacements, and for good reason it doesn’t rot, doesn’t require painting, and holds up well against Montgomery County’s wet winters and humid summers. All windows we install are ENERGY STAR-certified, which matters beyond just performance. Through 2032, the federal Inflation Reduction Act’s Section 25C tax credit allows homeowners to claim 30 percent of material costs on qualifying windows, up to $600 per year. We ensure you receive the manufacturer’s certification statement needed to file IRS Form 5695.
One thing that sets us apart from window-only specialists is the scope of what we can handle in a single project. Older homes in Glenmont particularly the 1940s and 1950s stock often have painted-over frames, aging wood trim, and caulk lines that need attention when windows come out. Rather than leaving you to find a separate carpenter or painter, we handle the full scope. Windows, trim repair, carpentry, painting one contractor, one project, one point of contact if anything needs to be addressed.
For most window replacement projects in Glenmont, the answer is no. Because Glenmont is an unincorporated community, all permitting falls under Montgomery County’s Department of Permitting Services. Their rules are straightforward: if you’re doing a standard insert or pocket replacement meaning the new window goes into the same rough opening without changing its size no building permit is required. That applies to the vast majority of window replacement work in the single-family homes throughout Georgian Forest, Greenwood Knolls, and Glenmont Village.
Where a permit does come into play is if the project involves modifying the rough opening making it larger or smaller, or adding a new window where there wasn’t one before. That’s a structural change, and Montgomery County requires a permit for it. We’re familiar with the county’s permitting process and will tell you upfront whether your specific project triggers a permit requirement. If it does, we handle the coordination you don’t have to navigate the DPS process on your own.
The savings are real, but they depend on what you’re starting with. If you’re in a mid-century home in Glenmont a Georgian Forest rambler or a Glenmont Village Cape Cod with original or once-replaced windows you’re likely at the high end of the energy loss range. The U.S. Department of Energy puts window-related heating and cooling loss at 25 to 30 percent of a home’s total energy use. Replacing those windows with ENERGY STAR-certified double-pane units can cut that loss significantly.
A 2025 This Old House survey found that homeowners replacing old windows with energy-efficient models saved an average of $42.50 a month roughly $510 a year. Over a decade, that adds up to more than $5,000. And on top of the ongoing savings, qualifying windows are eligible for the federal Section 25C tax credit: 30 percent of material costs, up to $600 per year, through 2032. That credit alone can offset a meaningful portion of the project cost in the first year.
For most of the mid-century homes in Glenmont the ramblers, split-levels, and Cape Cods built between the late 1940s and 1960s vinyl double-hung windows are the most practical and cost-effective choice. Vinyl doesn’t rot, doesn’t require painting, and holds up well in Glenmont’s climate, which brings cold, wet winters and hot, humid summers. Double-hung windows in particular suit the architecture of these homes well and have the added benefit of tilting in for easy interior cleaning, which matters in a two-story split-level where exterior access to upper windows isn’t straightforward.
That said, the right window depends on the specific opening, the orientation of the window, and what you’re trying to accomplish. South- and west-facing windows benefit from Low-E glass coatings that reduce solar heat gain in the summer without sacrificing natural light. North-facing windows are more about thermal retention in winter. A proper site assessment which we conduct before any project accounts for all of this rather than applying a one-size answer to every opening in the house.
It can, and the data supports it. The 2025 Zonda Cost vs. Value Report puts the resale return on vinyl window replacement at 67 to 76 percent of project cost. On a home now selling at Glenmont’s current median of $612,000 up 8 percent year-over-year as of April 2025 that’s a meaningful number. New windows also remove the red flags that buyers and their agents use as negotiating leverage: fogged glass between panes, stuck or painted-shut sashes, rotted or deteriorating frames. These show up in home inspections and give buyers a reason to push the price down.
Beyond resale, there’s the equity protection argument. Glenmont home values have been rising steadily, and homeowners who’ve built significant equity have a real incentive to protect it through maintenance. A window that’s failing leaking air, leaking water, or simply past its functional life is a liability that compounds over time if left unaddressed. Replacing it now, while the market is strong and a federal tax credit is available, is a more straightforward decision than waiting until you’re under contract and facing a buyer’s inspector.
For most homes in Glenmont, window replacement is a one-day job. Our professional crew can install 8 to 12 insert replacement windows in a single visit so even a home with 10 windows throughout is typically done by end of day. Each individual window takes roughly 45 to 60 minutes for a standard insert replacement, and the crew works through the house systematically.
You don’t need to be present for the entire installation. We understand that many Glenmont homeowners commute into Washington, D.C. on the Red Line and aren’t home during business hours. The crew arrives when scheduled, works without needing constant supervision, and leaves the home clean. If you have specific concerns about access, security, or particular rooms in the house, those are worked out during the estimate and scheduling conversation before the crew ever shows up. Gordon Franks is reachable directly, so if something comes up on installation day, you’re not dealing with a call center.
In Maryland, any contractor doing residential home improvement work including window replacement is required to hold a Home Improvement Contractor (MHIC) license issued by the Maryland Department of Labor. That license number is public and searchable. For work in Glenmont specifically, you can verify any contractor’s MHIC number through the state’s online licensing database before you sign anything. This matters because unlicensed contractors aren’t just a legal risk they typically can’t pull permits when needed, and their work may void the manufacturer’s warranty on the windows themselves.
We hold MHIC license #28145, along with active licenses in Washington, D.C. (#39937921) and Virginia (#2705077763). All three are verifiable. Beyond licensing, we carry general liability and workers’ compensation insurance which protects you from liability if something goes wrong on your property during the job. With 300-plus recommendations on Washington D.C. Consumers’ Checkbook the subscription-based regional review platform, not a free-for-all site the track record is documented by homeowners across the Montgomery County area who have used the service themselves.
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