Excel Windows
Double-Hung Windows
The classic Chicagoland window. Both sashes tilt in for easy cleaning, and they seal tight against the cold.
Soft-Lite Elements
Our flagship vinyl, and the one we put in most south-suburb homes. The cutaway is worth a look — the frame is filled, not hollow, and there's no steel running through the middle of the window.
- .01 CFM air infiltration against the .30 CFM industry standard — the tightest number in the lineup
- Comfort-Foam R5 — polyurethane fills the frame and sash cavities a typical vinyl window leaves hollow
- K-Beam Kevlar meeting rail instead of steel — rigid without conducting cold through the center
- Metal-free Warm-Edge Super Spacer at the glass edge, where sealed units fail first
- ILTIS invisible tilt hardware — no surface latches breaking the sightline
- Independently certified U-0.19 · VT 0.40 · condensation rating 57 in double-hung
Soft-Lite Classic Plus
The value line, and the one to look at when the finish matters as much as the physics. Same AAMA Gold Label construction as Elements, with four glass packages so the glass can be tuned to the elevation rather than the whole house getting one spec.
- Four glass packages — Low-E double-pane (U-0.29) up to Solar Ultra Low-E triple-pane (U-0.23)
- AAMA Gold Label
- Lifetime limited product warranty, transferable once to the next owner; optional glass-breakage rider
- Woodgrain interiors — Brazilian, Medium Oak, Cherry, Light Oak
- FlexScreen — a PVC-coated spring-steel screen that hides in the pocket, with no rigid frame to bend
Double-hung windows are the ones most people picture when they think of a window — two sashes, one over the other, both sliding up and down. They fit almost any style of house, and the tilt-in sashes make cleaning the outside glass something you can do from inside.
We've been installing them in south-suburb homes since 1982. We measure each opening, install clean, and seal it right so you're not feeling a draft come February.
It's also the style with the most moving parts, which is where the difference between a good double-hung and a cheap one shows up. Two sashes that travel have to stay where you put them, seal against each other in the middle, and keep sliding after twenty Chicago winters. Most of what we look at on a consultation is that hardware, not the glass.
Three parts decide it. The balance is what holds a sash open at any height — a worn one is the single most common complaint we hear about old double-hungs, and a window that won't stay open is a window nobody opens. The meeting rail in the middle needs reinforcement, and most makers use steel, which conducts cold straight through the center of the window. And the spacer at the edge of the glass is where sealed units fail first, giving you that permanent fog no amount of cleaning touches. The comparison below shows how the lines we carry handle each one.
None of that is a reason to buy the most expensive window in the truck. Plenty of south-suburb homes are well served by our mid-tier line, and we'll say so. What we won't do is quote you an unrated balance and a steel rail and let you find out the difference in year six.
ProVia Endure
A heavier-duty vinyl when you want more frame colors, woodgrain interiors and glass packages than the Soft-Lite range covers.
- Graphite-infused foam frame — U-factor as low as 0.17
- ComforTech warm-edge glazing
- Lifetime Limited product warranty covering vinyl, hardware and the sealed glass unit including breakage
- Transferable to one subsequent owner
Sierra Pacific & Pella
Real wood and clad-wood, for when the interior look matters as much as the performance — a wood interior you can stain to match existing trim, with a clad exterior that never needs painting. Often the right call on an older home where a vinyl interior would look wrong.
- Sierra Pacific H3 — 30-year clad coating, 20-year glass
- Pella Lifestyle — limited lifetime wood and clad, 20-year non-laminated glass
- Stainable wood interiors; factory-finished clad exteriors
Worth knowing
What we install vs. a standard replacement double-hung
Every double-hung looks about the same in a showroom. These are the parts that differ, and they're the parts you can't see once it's in the wall.
| Feature | What we install | A standard replacement window |
|---|---|---|
| Frame cavity | Filled with polyurethane foam, so the frame insulates instead of being a hole in the wall | Hollow — roughly the insulating value of the air inside it |
| Meeting rail (the bar in the middle) | Kevlar-enhanced K-Beam — rigid, and it doesn't conduct cold across the center of the window | Steel reinforcement, which is strong but carries cold straight through |
| Glass edge spacer | Metal-free foam spacer — a warmer edge and a seal that lasts longer | Metal spacer at the perimeter, the usual origin of fogged glass |
| Balance system | AAMA Class 3 heavy-duty, Teflon-coated | Often unrated — the reason old sashes won't stay up |
| Air infiltration | .01 CFM on the Elements line | .30 CFM is the industry standard for passing |
We'll walk you through which of these actually matter for your house. On a tight, newer home some of it is overkill — and we would rather tell you that than sell it to you.
Let's talk about your project.
How it works
- 1
Free consultation
We come out, measure, and bring real samples — including a cutaway so you can see the frame and the meeting rail rather than take our word for it. You get a clear written proposal. No pressure and no same-day-only pricing.
- 2
Final measure & order
Every window is built to your exact openings, so we measure a second time before anything is ordered. Figure six to eight weeks from first call to install day on most projects.
- 3
Install day
Same crews, job after job. Most whole-home double-hung jobs run one to two days. We're an EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm, which is what governs how we contain and clean up dust on any home built before 1978.
- 4
Walk-through & after
We clean up, walk the job with you, and show you how the tilt-in works before we leave. If you ever need us back on warranty, there's no service fee just to get us to the door.
Let's talk about your project.
BRANDS WE INSTALL
Last updated — we keep product specs and warranty terms on this page current with what we actually install.
Double-Hung Windows — common questions
Reviewed August 2026
Why double-hung over a slider or casement?
Double-hung is the most versatile — it suits most home styles, both sashes tilt in for cleaning, and there's no crank or moving arm to maintain. A casement seals tighter because it clamps shut against the frame, so if a room is your worst one for draft, we may point you there instead. We'll tell you honestly if another style fits your opening better.
Will new windows really cut my heating bill?
Old single-pane or failed double-pane windows leak a lot of heat, and modern sealed units with a foam-filled frame make a real difference on a Chicago winter. What we won't do is put a percentage on it. Your savings depend on your furnace, your insulation and how bad the windows are now — we'll talk specifics for your home, not vague promises.
Why do my old windows fog up between the panes?
That's a failed seal on the sealed glass unit, and it almost always starts at the edge where the spacer holds the two panes apart. Once moisture is in there it can't be cleaned out — the unit has to be replaced. A metal-free foam spacer is specifically meant to slow that failure down, which is why we care about a part nobody ever asks to see.
Will the sashes stay up on their own?
They should, and that's the balance system's whole job. It's the most common failure on an old double-hung — the balance wears out and the sash slides shut. The Soft-Lite line uses an AAMA Class 3 balance, which is the heavy-duty rating, so it holds the sash wherever you leave it.
Can the same window match different rooms?
Yes. We can keep one look across the house or vary sizes and grilles room to room. You can also mix glass packages — a room that bakes on the west side can take a different package than a shaded north wall, at the same exterior look. We sort that out at the consultation.
Are these Energy Star windows?
Certain configurations qualify, and it depends on the glass package you choose rather than the window line itself. Excel is an Energy Star Partner, and we'll tell you exactly which configurations qualify before you sign anything — we're not going to put a blanket sticker on it.
How long does the install take?
Most whole-home double-hung jobs run one to two days, weather depending. A handful of openings is usually a single day. From your first call to install day is normally six to eight weeks, because the windows are built to your measurements. We give you a real timeline up front.
My house is older — is there anything special about that?
Yes, and it's worth asking. Homes built before 1978 can have lead paint around the openings, and disturbing it is regulated. Excel is an EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm, certificate NAT-42606-4, so the containment and cleanup are done to that standard. It's a fair question to ask any contractor working on an older home.
What's the warranty?
Two separate warranties, and it's worth knowing which is which. The manufacturer warrants the product — that runs from 20 years to Lifetime depending on the line, and the Soft-Lite product warranty lasts as long as you own the home and can transfer once to the next owner. Excel warrants the labor for five years. There's also no service fee just to get us to the door on a warranty visit, which isn't true everywhere. The specifics are written into your contract — read them, and ask us anything.
Will the same crew be on my job?
Yes. We send the same crews job after job — low turnover, same faces from start to finish.
Ready When You Are
Let's talk about your double-hung windows.
A free, no-pressure in-home consultation. We bring the product samples, measure what we need to measure, and leave you with a clear written proposal — not a sales pitch.
