Windows
Replacement windows installed with the opening properly flashed, insulated, and squared, so the unit performs the way the label claims.
What we do and how
Quick Answer
Sentinel Home Solutions is a veteran owned contractor providing window replacement services across the South Carolina Upstate from its base in 151 Glenwood Ln, Gray Court, SC 29645. Replacement windows installed with the opening properly flashed, insulated, and squared, so the unit performs the way the label claims. Typical duration is 1 – 3 days, work is quoted from a written line-item scope, and the initial site assessment is free.
A window is only as good as the hole it sits in. Most of the drafty, leaking, and fogged windows we are called out to look at were decent units installed badly: no sill pan, foam packed into the jamb until the frame bowed, or flashing tape run in the wrong order so water is directed into the wall instead of out of it. We open the opening up, repair the rot we find before covering it, set a sloped sill pan, shim the unit square so the sashes actually lock, and flash shingle-style from the bottom up. Then we tell you the U-factor and SHGC of what we installed rather than just handing you a brand name.
Line Items
A window is only as good as the hole it sits in. We price the opening, not just the unit.
Most window complaints are installation, not product
The drafty, leaking, and fogged windows we get called out to inspect were usually decent units installed badly. Because everything that matters is hidden behind trim within an hour of the unit going in, it is the easiest place in the trade to cut corners and the hardest for a homeowner to verify.
What We Find Most Often
No sill pan
Without a sloped pan beneath the unit, any water that does get past the exterior seal has nowhere to go except into the framing below.
Foam packed into the jamb
High-expansion foam forced into the perimeter bows the frame inward. The sashes stop meeting the lock, and the homeowner is told the window is defective.
Flashing tape run top-down
Applied in the wrong order, the tape directs water behind the layer below it. Correct sequence is bottom upward so every layer laps over the one beneath.
Inserts set over rot
A pocket replacement installed on a spongy sill hides the damage behind new vinyl. The rot keeps going, and the next repair is framing work.
How a window replacement project runs
Every stage is documented. You are never guessing what happened on a day you were not home.
Probe every opening
We check each sill and jamb for rot, check the frame for square, and note exposure. This is what determines insert versus full-frame, opening by opening.
Measure and specify
Each opening measured individually, with the frame material and glass package specified by exposure. You get the actual U-factor and SHGC numbers, not just a series name.
Fixed per-opening pricing
Priced per opening with a stated unit price for sill or jamb repair, so rot discovered on install day is already accounted for.
Remove and inspect
The old unit comes out and the opening is inspected bare. Any rot is cut out and rebuilt with treated material before anything new is set.
Pan, set, and shim square
Sloped sill pan first, then the unit shimmed plumb, level, and square so the sashes operate and lock without force. Low-expansion foam only.
Flash bottom-up
Flashing tape applied in the correct shingle-style sequence, with a drip cap at the head so water sheds over the assembly rather than behind it.
Trim, seal, and demonstrate
Interior and exterior trim finished, then we open, close, and lock every window with you and confirm operation before we leave.
Window types and glass
In South Carolina, solar heat gain matters more than insulating value. The number to watch is SHGC on west and south exposures.
Vinyl frames
The value choice, and perfectly appropriate here. Quality varies by wall thickness and welded corners, so the specific line matters more than the brand name.
Fiberglass frames
Very stable across the temperature swings of a South Carolina summer, holds paint, and carries a longer service life than vinyl at a higher cost.
Aluminum-clad wood
Wood interior with a weather-resistant exterior cladding. The best interior appearance and the highest cost of the three.
Low-E double pane, low SHGC
The right default glass package for this climate. Target roughly 0.25 or lower SHGC on west and south facing openings and a U-factor near 0.30.
Triple pane
Rarely cost effective in South Carolina. The money returns more when spent on glass coatings and correct installation than on a third pane.
What determines the price of your windows
Windows are priced per opening rather than per house, which is why the count matters less than what each opening requires. These are the variables that move your number.
Why We Do Not List Prices
A price on a website is a guess about a house nobody has looked at. We would rather tell you what moves the number, then measure your house and put a fixed figure in writing. The assessment is free and there is no obligation attached to it.
What Moves Your Number
- 01
- An insert reuses the existing frame and costs less. Full-frame replaces everything to the rough opening and is the only correct choice when the sill or jamb is compromised.
- 02
- Vinyl, fiberglass, and aluminum-clad wood occupy distinct price tiers. Vinyl performs well in this climate for most homes; the premium materials buy longevity and appearance, not comfort.
- 03
- Standard double-hung openings price very differently from large picture units, sliding patio doors, or specialty shapes. The mix drives the total more than the raw count.
- 04
- Low-E coatings and double versus triple pane affect both cost and summer heat gain. In South Carolina the coating usually matters more than the pane count.
- 05
- Rot is common under older windows and is not visible until the unit comes out. A per-opening repair price stated up front prevents a mid-job surprise.
- 06
- A sill pan and flashing tape at every opening is what keeps water out of the wall. It is invisible after trim goes on, which is exactly why cheaper installs skip it.
- 07
- How the opening is finished inside and out is separate from the window itself, and is frequently excluded from a low quote and billed later.
Insert versus full-frame replacement
Frame material
Number and size of openings
Glass package
Hidden rot at sills and jambs
Flashing and sill pan installation
Interior and exterior trim finishing
Your written scope carries a fixed line-item price. If something is not on the scope, it is not in the price, and we tell you that before you sign.
What is included, and what is not
Included In Scope
- Removal and disposal of existing units
- Inspection of each opening with the unit out
- Sloped sill pan at every opening
- Shimming to plumb, level, and square
- Low-expansion foam insulation at the perimeter
- Flashing tape applied bottom-up
- Drip cap at the head where required
- Interior and exterior trim finishing
- Operation and lock verification on every unit
- Stated U-factor and SHGC on your paperwork
Not Included
- Sill or jamb rot repair beyond the stated allowance, priced per opening up front
- Framing modification to change an opening size, quoted separately
- Interior painting of new trim, unless specified
- Window treatments, blinds, and hardware
- Egress modifications required by code changes, quoted after review
Exclusions are listed on your written scope with pricing attached where they are likely to come up, so a discovery is never a negotiation.
Accountability
Workmanship
Written, transferable
Material
Manufacturer, registered by us
Glass Seal
Per manufacturer terms
Operation
Verified at handover
Windows questions we get asked
If your question is not here, ask it on the intake form below and we will answer it directly rather than sending a brochure.
How long does a window installation take?
Roughly one to two hours per opening for an insert and three to five for a full-frame replacement. A typical twelve window house is two to three days, and we only have one opening out of the wall at a time.
Do I have to replace every window at once?
No, and if the budget is tight we would rather you do fewer openings correctly than every opening cheaply. We prioritize any opening with rot or active intrusion, then west and south exposures, then anything that will not lock.
How do I compare your quote to another one?
Check three things: whether it is insert or full-frame, the actual U-factor and SHGC of the glass, and whether interior trim finishing is included. Two quotes that both say replacement windows can describe very different work.
Will new windows make my house quieter?
Noticeably, if you are coming from single pane or failed units, mostly because the new units actually seal. If noise is the primary goal, laminated glass does more than adding a third pane.
Roofing
Replacement, repair, storm response
02Exteriors
Siding, trim, soffit, gutters
04Solar & Batteries
Panels, storage, and roof integration
05HVAC
Install, replace, service, maintain
06Standby Generators
Whole-home backup, installed and tested
07Custom Home Building
New homes built on your lot
08Remodeling & Additions
Kitchens, baths, additions, renovation
Window assessment request
Window pricing is per opening, so a rough count gets you a much closer number. An exact count is not required.
Broken Or Unsecured Sash
A window that will not close or lock is a security and safety issue. Call and we will prioritize getting the opening secured.
(864) 593-8773Get it looked at
before it spreads.
Tell us what the house is doing and we will come look at it. The assessment is free, the findings come to you in writing, and there is no obligation attached to either one.