PETERS CUSTOM HOMES

Luxury Windows for Custom Homes

PRODUCT LIBRARY · WINDOWS

TYPICAL PACKAGE: $180,000 - $650,000 INSTALLED ON A 6,000-9,000 SQ FT RESIDENCE

This is the pillar reference for every window decision in a private residence — written from what we specify, install, and are called back about, not from manufacturer literature. It is deliberately brand-neutral: the material, glass, and detailing decisions below determine outcomes far more than the name on the sticker.

Read it before your first design meeting. Homeowners who arrive understanding sightlines, glazing packages, and the difference between true and simulated divided lites make faster decisions and spend their window budget where they will experience it every day.

Why window selection matters more than any other product decision

Windows are the only product in a house that simultaneously carry architectural expression, structural openings, thermal performance, water management, acoustic isolation, and daily mechanical use. A cabinet that disappoints can be refinished. A window that disappoints is a demolition project involving trim, drywall, stucco or masonry, flashing, and paint — which is why window selection belongs in design development, alongside the floor plan, and not in a later allowance conversation.

Openings also set the proportion of the elevation. The difference between a residence that reads as custom and one that reads as builder-grade is usually sightline width, mullion pattern, glass-to-frame ratio, and how the units are set into the wall assembly. Those are specification decisions made months before anyone stands in the room.

Finally, windows are among the longest-lead items on the schedule. On a luxury residence in Charlotte we generally expect twelve to thirty weeks from released order to delivery depending on the manufacturer, material, and finish. A late window decision does not delay windows; it delays the entire dry-in sequence and every trade behind it.

Energy efficiency: what the numbers on the sticker actually mean

Three NFRC values govern real performance. U-factor measures how readily heat passes through the whole assembly — lower is better, and in the Carolina climate a well-specified unit generally lands between 0.24 and 0.30. Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) measures how much solar energy the glass admits; in a cooling-dominated climate like Charlotte, a lower SHGC on west and south exposures reduces afternoon load meaningfully. Visible Transmittance describes how much daylight comes through, and it is the number homeowners feel most.

The right answer is rarely one glass package for the whole house. We routinely specify different coatings by elevation: a lower SHGC on the western rear wall of glass, a higher visible transmittance on north-facing rooms that would otherwise read gray, and occasionally a different package again on a conservatory or pool-facing opening.

Air infiltration ratings matter as much as glass. A unit rated at 0.05 cfm/ft² or better, installed with a properly detailed sill pan and continuous air seal, outperforms a superior glass package installed carelessly. Energy performance is the product of specification and workmanship, and workmanship is the half that never appears on a brochure.

Frame materials: clad-wood, aluminum, steel, fiberglass, and vinyl

Clad-wood is the default for traditional, European, and transitional architecture. A wood interior can be stained or painted to match millwork, while an extruded aluminum exterior needs no refinishing. Extruded cladding — as opposed to thinner roll-formed cladding — holds corners crisply and resists the chalking that becomes visible after a decade of Carolina sun. Clad-wood units carry the widest range of hardware, divided-lite, and factory-finish options.

Thermally broken steel produces the narrowest sightlines available and defines the modern and industrial vocabulary: black frames, minimal profiles, large fixed panes. It is also the most expensive material per square foot, frequently two to three times a comparable clad-wood unit, and it requires disciplined sill detailing to manage condensation in humid shoulder seasons.

Thermally broken aluminum sits between the two. It spans large openings with slim profiles at materially lower cost than steel, which makes it the practical choice for expansive rear elevations and multi-panel sliding walls measured in tens of feet. Fiberglass is dimensionally stable, low maintenance, and strong value in the upper-middle tier, though it offers a narrower aesthetic range. Vinyl has no place in a luxury residence: the profiles are heavy, the color range is limited, and thermal movement eventually shows at the joints.

Glass packages: coatings, gas fills, laminates, and specialty glazing

Nearly every unit we install is double-glazed with a low-emissivity coating and argon fill. Low-E coatings are not interchangeable — manufacturers offer multiple coating families that trade solar control against daylight, and the correct selection depends on orientation and the surrounding tree canopy. Triple glazing is available and improves both U-factor and acoustics, but it adds weight, cost, and sometimes visible tint; in this climate we specify it selectively rather than universally.

Laminated glass — two panes bonded by an interlayer — is worth specifying anywhere sound, safety, or UV control matters: street-facing bedrooms, pool enclosures, and rooms containing art or textiles. It also holds together when broken, which is the reason it appears in most impact-rated assemblies.

Specialty options include tempered glass at required safety locations, obscure or acid-etched glass for baths, simulated divided lites with interior and exterior bars plus a spacer, and integrated blinds within the sealed unit. Each adds cost and lead time, which is why the glass schedule should be finalized with the window order rather than revisited during framing.

Sound control and acoustic glazing

Acoustic performance is measured in STC or OITC ratings. A standard insulated unit lands around STC 28 to 32; laminated acoustic glazing with dissimilar pane thicknesses and a wider airspace can reach the low 40s. On a homesite near a collector road, a flight path, or an active club, this is the single upgrade homeowners notice every day.

Dissimilar glass thickness matters more than total thickness. Two identical panes resonate together; pairing, for example, a 3mm pane with a 6mm laminated pane disrupts that resonance and delivers a larger acoustic improvement than simply making both panes thicker.

Acoustic glazing is also only as good as the perimeter. Compression-seal casements and tilt-turns outperform sliders acoustically, and a foam-filled or properly backer-rodded and sealed rough opening prevents flanking paths that would otherwise undo the glass upgrade entirely.

Window styles and operating types

Casements swing outward on a crank and seal by compression, which makes them the strongest performers for air and water infiltration. Awnings function similarly and can remain open in light rain. Double-hung units are the traditional vocabulary of Georgian, Colonial, and Southern architecture and remain the correct answer where historical proportion matters, even though they seal by friction rather than compression.

Fixed units deliver the largest uninterrupted glass and the lowest cost per square foot, and a well-designed elevation typically pairs large fixed panes with a small number of operable units placed for cross-ventilation rather than making everything operable.

For openings to terraces and loggias, the choices are multi-slide, lift-and-slide, bi-fold, and pivot. Lift-and-slide hardware seals far better than a standard roller slider and handles heavier panels; bi-folds open the entire aperture but stack visible panel edges. Tilt-turns, common in European systems, offer both a ventilation position and a full inswing for cleaning.

Modern versus traditional architecture

Modern architecture asks windows to disappear. That means minimal sightlines, flush or recessed exterior detailing, corner glass, and consistent frame color inside and out. Steel and thermally broken aluminum deliver this most convincingly; a clad-wood unit dressed in black will still read heavier at the meeting rails.

Traditional and European architecture asks windows to participate in the composition. Divided lites, true or simulated, provide the rhythm; sill and brickmould profiles provide the shadow line; and putty-profile interior sash provides the period detail. Here a clad-wood unit with extruded cladding and a properly proportioned mullion pattern outperforms a modern system, no matter how expensive that system may be.

Transitional homes — the majority of what is built in Myers Park, Marvin, and Weddington today — often mix the two intentionally: a traditional street elevation in clad-wood with divided lites, and a rear elevation in aluminum or steel that opens the living spaces to the pool terrace. That mix is a deliberate design decision and should be drawn, not improvised on site.

Installation quality: where most window failures actually originate

Nearly every window problem we are asked to diagnose in an existing home is an installation failure rather than a product failure. Water enters at the sill because there is no sloped, back-dammed pan; at the head because the flashing laps behind the weather barrier in the wrong order; or at the jambs because the sealant joint was tooled against a dusty substrate.

Our standard sequence is: sloped sill pan with end dams, sill sealed at the corners, unit set in a continuous bead, jambs and head flashed shingle-style over the weather-resistive barrier, low-expansion foam or backer rod and sealant at the perimeter, and an interior air seal. In masonry and stucco assemblies we add through-wall flashing and weeps, because those claddings hold water rather than shed it.

We also require that the units be set plumb, level, and square within tight tolerance and that operation be checked before the opening is closed in. A casement that binds after drywall is almost always a unit that was racked at installation.

Long-term durability in the Carolina climate

Charlotte combines high summer humidity, intense UV, freeze-thaw cycling in winter, and driving rain from the southwest. Those conditions punish finishes and sealants faster than a temperate climate. Factory-applied finishes — particularly AAMA 2605-class coatings on aluminum and extruded cladding — hold color and gloss far longer than field-applied paint.

The insulated glass seal is the component with the most predictable service life. A quality unit with a warm-edge spacer and a dual seal should hold for two decades or more; failures show as internal fogging and are typically covered under the glass warranty for a defined term.

Interior wood requires attention in rooms with high moisture: baths, kitchens, and pool-adjacent spaces. Where humidity is a certainty, an all-aluminum, fiberglass, or clad interior avoids the finish maintenance that a stained wood interior will eventually require.

Window warranties: reading past the headline number

Headline warranty terms are less informative than their structure. Ask three questions: what is the term on the insulated glass seal, what is the term on the frame and finish, and is labor included or is coverage limited to parts. Many premium warranties cover glass for ten to twenty years, components for ten, and labor for a much shorter window — often two years.

Transferability matters for resale. Some manufacturers allow one transfer to a subsequent owner, sometimes with a shortened remaining term; others void coverage entirely on sale.

Coverage is also conditional on installation. Nearly every manufacturer excludes damage arising from improper installation, which is one more reason the flashing sequence and installer certification belong in the specification rather than left to the field.

Maintenance expectations by material

Aluminum-clad and fiberglass exteriors need little more than an annual rinse and inspection of perimeter sealant joints. Steel benefits from the same rinse plus attention to hardware lubrication and any coating chips, which should be touched up promptly in a humid climate.

Interior wood should be inspected every few years and refinished where sun exposure has faded or checked the surface — typically on southern and western exposures first. Weatherstripping is a wear item on operable units and is inexpensive to replace on a schedule rather than after a draft appears.

Hardware deserves annual attention: crank operators, multipoint locks, and lift-and-slide gear all last longer with light lubrication and periodic adjustment. On large sliding walls, we schedule a track cleaning and roller inspection each year, because debris in a track is the leading cause of premature roller failure.

Choosing the right manufacturer

Manufacturer selection should follow the architecture, not precede it. Begin with the elevation drawings and the required sightline, then identify which manufacturers build that sightline in the material and finish the design requires, at spans the openings demand. Only then compare price.

Beyond the product, evaluate the local channel. Lead time, delivery accuracy, availability of replacement parts, and the responsiveness of the regional service representative matter enormously across a two-year build and a thirty-year ownership. A superior window supported by an unresponsive dealer is a worse outcome than a very good window supported well.

In practice most luxury residences use two manufacturers, or two product lines from a single manufacturer: one that handles the traditional street elevation convincingly and one that handles the modern rear wall of glass. The guides below cover the manufacturers we work with most frequently in the Charlotte market and what each does best.

A window is the only product in a house you look through every day and cannot replace without opening the wall. It deserves the first conversation, not the last.

PETERS CUSTOM HOMES

MANUFACTURER GUIDES

The Manufacturers We Specify Most

Each guide covers product lines, materials, where the manufacturer performs best, and the specification details worth confirming before an order is released. No manufacturer sponsors these pages.

Pella

BROAD LINE - WOOD, FIBERGLASS, ALUMINUM

One of the broadest product ranges in the market, spanning fiberglass and clad-wood into the Architect and Reserve lines used on traditional and transitional residences.

Marvin

CLAD-WOOD AND MODERN SYSTEMS

A benchmark for clad-wood craftsmanship with unusually strong custom sizing, plus the Modern and Ultimate lines used for contemporary sightlines and large openings.

Andersen

WIDE RANGE - E-SERIES AND A-SERIES

The E-Series brings aluminum-clad wood with an extensive custom color and shape program, making Andersen a frequent choice where exterior color must match precisely.

Loewen

DOUGLAS FIR CRAFTSMANSHIP

Douglas fir construction and heavy extruded cladding place Loewen among the most substantial clad-wood windows available, suited to large openings and demanding elevations.

Kolbe

CUSTOM ENGINEERING AND VISTALUXE

Known for engineering unusual openings and for the VistaLuxe line, Kolbe handles contemporary sightlines and non-standard geometry with unusual willingness.

Lincoln

VALUE-FORWARD CLAD-WOOD

A quieter, family-owned clad-wood manufacturer offering strong custom capability and dependable performance at a lower price point than the marquee brands.

FREQUENTLY ASKED

Window Questions

How much should I budget for windows in a luxury custom home?

On a 6,000 to 9,000 square foot residence in the Charlotte area, the window and exterior door package generally runs $180,000 to $650,000 installed. Clad-wood packages sit toward the lower half of that range, thermally broken aluminum in the middle, and steel systems at the top. Large multi-panel sliding walls move the number quickly.

What is the lead time on luxury windows?

Expect roughly twelve to thirty weeks from released order to delivery depending on manufacturer, material, and finish. Custom colors, steel systems, and oversized units sit at the long end. Because windows gate the dry-in sequence, we release the order during design development rather than after framing.

Are triple-pane windows worth it in Charlotte?

Selectively. Charlotte is a cooling-dominated climate, so a well-chosen low-E coating and argon fill in a double-glazed unit captures most of the available energy benefit. Triple glazing earns its cost primarily where acoustics matter — near a busy road or flight path — and there laminated acoustic glazing is often the better value.

Should the whole house use the same window manufacturer?

Not necessarily. Many residences pair a clad-wood manufacturer for traditional street elevations with an aluminum or steel system for the rear wall of glass. What matters is that the transition is drawn deliberately and that sightlines, finish color, and hardware read as one coherent decision.

What matters most: the window or the installation?

Installation. Most window problems in existing homes trace to sill pans, flashing sequence, or perimeter sealing rather than to the unit itself. A mid-tier window installed correctly will outperform a premium window installed poorly, and most manufacturer warranties exclude damage caused by improper installation.

Deeper Into the Resource Center

GLAZING & OPENINGS

Luxury Windows and Doors

Windows and doors set the architectural character of a residence and carry more performance responsibility than any other product category. This guide explains the material families, glazing choices, and cost ranges we work within.

Andersen Windows

Kolbe Windows

Discuss Your Window Specification With the Founder

Nicholas Peters personally reviews the window package on every residence the firm builds — before the order is released.

LIMITED TO 8–10 PRIVATE RESIDENCES PER YEAR