Gilkey Window Company Inc

The installation went well, the installers were on time and performed the work in an expeditious manner. Their "after job" cleaning routine was outstanding which included clean all the surrounding molding. The installers were able to retain the existing molding that surrounded the six windows which eliminated the need to replace it which saved their time with the installation We were certainly use Gilkey again for any future window or door needs

The first thing that impressed me about Gilkey was that they are indeed "no pressure". The other super-highly-Angie's-list-rated provider was all over me from the first step I took into their showroom. And their rep was very ungracious upon learning they were not awarded the work. The Gilkey rep was amazing in this passion for educating the consumer and the knowledge I gained was much appreciated. The process flowed quickly and professionally once the ink on the contract was dry. A long-tenured Gilkey supervisor came out to properly measure for the new windows. And he came back to check again taking photos. The Gilkey office people worked in lock-step with my townhome owner's association to exchange all the info required on both sides. The windows arrived in the projected time-frame and an appointment was made. Two installation crews came out and had the job done on one day. The installers were amazing in how quickly and efficiently they worked. They obviously took pride in their craft. And the supervisor stopped by to check mid-day. Clean up was immaculate. The new windows are great. The house feels amazingly more comfortable with obviously more even temperatures and much-improved insulation throughout.

Well, on the first install it went okay besides the fact he screens fit so poorly we couldn’t open our windows without bugs getting in and less than a year later the custom color on the high cost fiberglass windows and sills, started chipping away. They then reordered replacement windows and we waited for almost a year before I finally called and asked what was going on with them. I asked Todd in Service if he forgot about us, and he informed me and assured me, that the custom windows and sills had been in their warehouse for a long time. I asked how I knew they were still going to be in good condition after being there and banged around. Todd told me he was personally going to inspect them and they would be perfect. I asked what the heck happened and why did I need to do the follow up on this! I asked what the heck happened and how did we fall through the cracks??? Todd agreed it shouldn’t happened but yes we had slipped through the cracks. I insisted on a follow up call from Mike Gilkey and again no follow up call or visit, I was reassured I would be hearing from Mike Gilkey. This has been over eight months ago and I STILL HAVE YET TO HEAR back from Mike Gilkey or anyone at Gilkey Windows!!! I am a very patient person but this is RIDICULOUS. When the second set of windows were installed, the screens have small slits in them and I am so furious I can’t bear to call them to deal with it. To top it all off, now the windows are leaking from the side, top, and the bottom sill. I am outraged at the cost and terrible customer service. I WILL NEVER use this company again!!!!

Excellent to work with.

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It was put in on time. It was put in well but the service was not that good afterwards. They responded to calls and they did deliver on time but as for satisfaction, I would have to bring responsiveness down to a "B". The workers were very professional.

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Sales person was very professional and made all the right follow-up contacts.  The installation crew was also professional, answered all the questions, laid drop clothes where needed, cleaned up afterwards and gave us a list of final instructions.  A job well done in an industry that can be "questionable" at times.

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The process went very well.  I researched 6 companies and had bids from all six.  Prices ranged from $5300 to $10,000.00. The sales person from Gilkey and three other companies were all prompt and professional, Followed through on all questions. The sales person from a discount store acted like I was an inconvenience, not a customer. The install manager from Gilkey was also very prompt and professional when he came to confirm the measurement and the order
My decision to go with Gilkey was based on recommendations from friends, the fact that I could go to a showroom and see the doors, the installation was not outsourced, and the price.  I wanted to be sure that if there was a problem during installation I could directly call the company that took my money.  
I was given an 8 week delivery time.  The doors were ready in 4 weeks.  The installers were on time, completed the job in one day, cleaned up after themselves and made sure I was satisfied with the doors before they left. 
The doors have made it through a very tough winter.  I have not noticed any visible air or water leaks. 
So far I'm very pleased with my purchase and have gladly recommended Gilkey to others.  The challenge with replacing this type of door and/or windows is that you need to be engineer to fully understand the purchase.  All companies highlight the benefit of their product and try to up-sell on product/glass.  There is just no way to know if the extra cost is worthwhile.

Install went very well.  We love the windows. We have had the perfect weather to test these babies. We had 50 mph frigid winds recently and no leaks. Normally that kind of wind would wake me during the night. Slept right through. Today we woke to sub-zero temps and both my husband and I noticed how comfy the house was. Before we would have been aware of the temps outside. 
One of the reasons we went with Gilkey was they had basement windows, and they are great. The egress window is very cool. 
The only complaint I have is not with the windows, but with what happened with my order. Long story short, my window were supposed to be finished 8 to 10 weeks out. I called at 16 weeks (I was busy with my mom who had a stroke) wondering where my windows were. Turns out, our order did come in around scheduled lead time, but they dropped 2 of our windows which were reordered. No one told the person in charge of orders there.  They did respond quickly and professionally once this problem came to light. So I would recommend calling them at 10 weeks to make sure things are going right. Unfortunately, our install then had to be rescheduled 3 times because of weather (not Gilkey's fault).
In 2008 we had a few windows replaced by Feldco. Terrible, Terrible, Terrible! We had these windows replaced by Gilkey, as well as the original construction grade windows. The bottom finish on the outside of the Feldco windows was cheap and bendy. What a difference in craftmanship. Gilkey finished off the windows beautifully and professionally.
 I'll update my review in the summer once we have experienced opening and closing them more.

6/02/14 update: Love the windows! Function very well and smooth. Double hungs:top stays in place when you close the bottom half (the Feldco did not). The window stops that you use when you want to have the windows open a bit, but prevent further opening work great (Felco's I had to get something pointy to push the "button"). Patio door and screen open & close very smoothly.  All the windows are very well made. We had a hot, humid day recently and were able to just run the fan on the HVAC system and not the AC and kept the house very comfortable all day (we had done that previously, but eventually needed to put the AC on later in the day. I think the Gilkey windows definitely kept the heat out and coolness in). The basement windows are so sturdy.

I hope this helps people. It was very hard to find real info out there on actual windows not just the sales pitch. It's such a huge purchase and as you can see made a mistake initially with Feldco. 

Oh, one more thing. My daughter's cat messed with the screen on the patio door. I called Gilkey and they will replace the screening for free! Thank goodness. We also live on a golf course & already knew they would replace any window damaged by golf balls for free,

In spite of the very cold weather, the installation went very smoothly.  On the first day, Wesley and his team member removed the windows and worked on the inside to install and seal in 19 new windows.  On the second day, Wesley and another team member worked exclusively outdoors to finish the trim work on all windows.  They were very careful of the plantings surrounding the house and were very neat and clean about taking care of scraps and waste and disposing of these.

Jay the salesperson is very knowledgeable. I learned more about windows from him than I ever knew. They were very good with communication and very clear with price and process.

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I love my Gilkey windows! I expected much higher cost and I expected to be told that I couldn't get windows exactly the size of the existing windows. Instead, the price was very reasonable and I got the windows I wanted. I really appreciated the estimator's guidance on ways to cut down on the cost without giving up the look I wanted. I told them how important a quick installation was because I had to get the windows in before my exterior could be painted and we were running into Sept/Oct. They came through just in time and were very good at communicating the process. The installers were terrific. They arrived on time, were very careful to protect my furniture from construction dust and cleaned up wonderfully. Too bad I don't need any more windows!

We were promised the order in 8 to 10 weeks and 8 weeks later after placing the order with saleman Don, we received a call from install supervisor John that our order was in and we scheduled a date convenient to us for delivery and installation. On July 30th and 31st Peter and Andy were the Gilkey workmen at our home responsible for the installation. They did an amazing job installing all the windows and sliding doors and front doors. Their workmanship was complimented by our builidng department in Lake Zurich which supervised the job due to the requirements of permits in LZ. We have been extremely happy with the windows and doors and can tell that the house is sealed better than it was previously by the noise reduction we have experienced. We are looking forward to a definite savings this winter on our heating bills due to the windows and doors excellent construction.
From sales to service, Gilkey has provided us with an outstanding product and we only wish we had gotten new windows and doors 5 years ago!
Our salesman Don met with us in May...no pressure and explained the varierty of windows and doors offered bu Gilkey. Our install supervisor John was responsive in returning calls with our questions and saw to it that we were happy with our windows and doors installation. Peter and Andy, our workmen, worked long hours and were conscientious in cleaning up after  the debris from removing and installing our windows and doors.
Would I recommend Gilkey...most definitely!

Their pricing was reasonable. Everybody was courteous. They showed up on time. They took care of whatever cleanup they had to. They left everything just the way as when they first came.

Price:  4 out of 5
My wife and I were looking to replace our 50+ year old windows on our home and called for quotes from 3 different companies in our area.  Gilkey, Sears, and Four Seasons.  Of the 3, Gilkey's price was in the middle of the 3.  Four Seasons gave us the lowest quote, but we were apprehensive when some of the info we received from the sales person didn't match up from things we had read online or had heard from other people.  Plus Four Seasons is only the installer and does not make their own windows (neither is Sears), and we liked that Gilkey was both the installer and the manufacturer.  We decided against Sears solely on price.  Their quote was significantly higher (more than $3500 higher) than both Gilkey and Four Seasons, so they were eliminated based on price alone.  So, the decision was to go with Gilkey, even though they weren't the cheapest, but sometimes cheap does not equal better.
Sales: 4 out of 5
Of the 3 salesmen who visited our home, all 3 were extremely nice, professional, and gave great demonstrations.  I was also impressed that none of the sales people bashed the other companies we told we were receiving quotes from.  They were respectful of the competition and were not pushy.  Strangely, Sears offering the highest quote by a huge margin left us with the least amount of literature to read over.  Both Gilkey and Four Seasons left us a folder filled with a lot of info about their products.
If I was rating my salesperson immediately after he walked out of the door, I would have most likely given him a 5 out of 5 rating, but when we were ready to sign on the dotted line and commit to buying the windows, we discovered that one feature that was demoed to us and offered by the other companies, was omitted from our invoice.  The feature were the white plastic grids that are inside of the glass giving it that "little house on the prairie look".  Now, this wasn't a deal breaker, and it wasn't anything we needed, but still, we had been on the assumption that this would be included.  Both my wife and I specifically remember that the one and only option the sales person gave us during his initial sales pitch was either full or half screens for the double hung windows.  I am certain he never mentioned that the plastic grids were a fairly costly upgrade and not included in the initial quote, despite the fact that the window he demoed had them in.
Another small complaint is when the sales guy was here taking our down payment, I specifically remember asking him if this would be the last time we would see him and he said no, he would either come on the day of installation or followup afterwards.  Today is 5/23/13, almost 3 weeks after installation and we haven't heard from him.
One last thing, as a plus, the sales guy accurately estimated the time in which we would receive the installation.  We had hoped to have it done within 4 weeks and he said that usually its 6 to 8 weeks but they were running under and that we should be able to have it done in 4, and sure enough, 4 weeks later, they were being installed.
Neither the lack of the plastic grids in the windows or a followup are deal breakers, but it soiled our opinion of our sales guy.  He wasn't as forthcoming as he seemed thus the 4 out of 5 rating.
Installation:  4 out of 5
On installation day, two Gilkey installers (one didn't speak English and the other had a thick eastern European accent) came to our house around the time they promised and proceeded with the installation.  They started around 9am and finished almost exactly at 4pm.  The installers did a great job of keeping our house clean.  They installed plastic partitions in every room they were working in that kept dirt and debris to a minimum.  They also cleaned up their entire mess outside when they were done.  overall, the installation went very well, and once again, 2 minor things caused me to lower my overall rating down to a 4 out of 5.
Although I was perfectly happy with the installation, I felt that the installers started rushing things towards the end.  One aspect that we specifically remember the sales guy telling us about was how they use low expansion foam to seal the gaps in between the new windows and the wooden window frame.  Although I'm sure they used the correct product, they got a little sloppy on two windows in the bedroom and the foam spilled out onto the wall and we had to cut it off with a razor blade.  It didn't cause any damage, but was just disappointing.  
Also, when the installers were done, I literally had to catch them at the truck and ask if they could wait a moment for me to walk around the house to inspect the installation.  I can't saw for certain if they would have actually left, but there was definitely a strong sense of urgency for them to leave at the very end.
Finally, on one of the windows, there was a bracket on the interior wooden trim piece for blinds that we were planning on reinstalling.  Rather than take 1 minute to unscrew this bracket to properly caulk the entire perimeter of the window, they caulked right over it.  Pretty minor, but still, this is yet another sign of rushing and otherwise good installation.
In the end, I'd still say the installers did a good job.  The windows looked great, they didn't make a mess in my home, and they cleaned up everything on the outside.  They also had to custom make aluminum exterior trim on the outside which all looks very well done.  Had they just taken probably an extra 15-20 minutes and not rushed the last minute details, I would have gladly given a 5 out of 5 rating.
The Windows Themselves: 5 out of 5
I'm not really sure how you can accurately rate a window, a mere 3 weeks after having them installed, but so far we are very happy.  The windows look great, and work as promised.  Going from 50+ year old windows with cracks and a couple that didn't even open, to brand new quality windows is awesome.  
I had a neighbor who is a general contractor come over and he looked at them and was immediately impressed with the windows.  He said he could clearly see that these were a big step up from general contractor grade windows you would see in new construction homes.  My parents have a house that was built in 2007 and they had custom Pella windows and they both agree that the Gilkey windows just "feel" nicer than their windows.
I am looking forward to this window to see how much they improve on keeping the house warm and if I really see a decrease in heating costs.  Overall, I am very happy with the windows and don't anticipate having a problem in the coming years.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, we are still very happy we went with Gilkey.  People make mistakes, and installers want to get home after a long day's worth of work, so the rush at the end of the installation was only a temporary inconvenience, still, this was a $6200 upgrade to our house which was a lot of money for us and I think we have a right to expect a little more attention to detail.  I mentioned before, but I'll say again, its been almost 3 weeks to the day of installation and we haven't received one followup call from our sales guy or even a customer service employee asking how things went.  While I wouldn't say any of my complaints were serious, it would have been nice to at least provide them with our thoughts.
The windows look great, and as I mentioned before, I am looking forward to seeing what kind of impact they have on heating the house this winter.  
I would definitely recommend Gilkey to someone else, but I would add that you can't assume that everything will go 100% perfectly.

See above.

Gilkey was a great company to work with. They explained all our window options and were honest. The install of our windows went smoothly and the the installers were polite, professional and cleaned up really well. We are looking forward to installing Gilkey windows in the entire house later this year.