When Lauren Utsch works on a home design project, she always knows where she’ll go for windows: Elite Window Solutions.
“They are a custom window fabrication company right here in our hometown,” said Utsch, of Lauren Christopher Designs in Midlothian. “I trust him, his team, and their product. I know he will go above and beyond to make my clients happy.”
Every Elite window is custom crafted out of a shop at 1720 Douthit Ct. in Powhatan County, just a few miles west of Westchester Commons. They are individually designed by Andrew Stockton, who founded Elite Window Solutions 15 years ago after more than 35 years of business as Stockton Construction specializing in custom homes.
Sheer frustration with national window brands inspired Stockton to craft his own.
“We used to buy directly from national manufacturers, and they would find reasons not to honor their warranties,” said Stockton, who studied architectural engineering. “Quality was not up to our standards, and the ratings did not meet Energy Star. We knew we could do better.”
Every Elite product is made and sold from a 3,500-square-foot building off Anderson Highway, and marketed throughout Virginia and North Carolina. “Suppliers tell us we're the most efficient window and door manufacturer per square foot in the country,” Stockton says. “Most of the major manufacturers work out of 100,000-square-foot spaces.”
Elite windows are vinyl and come in every shape and size: double-hung, slider, casement, awning, picture, and special shapes including hub and spoke, half round, colonial, full round, colonial hexagon and triangle. Various grid patterns are offered.
Utsch encourages her clients to visit Elite’s showroom and meet Stockton. “He always has great ideas and works through any design challenges with us,” she says. “He is always up for the challenge of creating a design to fit any space.”
“We listen to our customers better than anyone, and we give them what they’re asking for,” Stockton says. “People tell us they’ve been told it can’t be done, and we figure out how to do it. When a builder comes to me, I never say ‘no.’ It’s always, ‘How can I deliver what he’s asking for?’”
Builders concur. Danny Sowers of River City Custom Homes says Stockton is “always willing to listen to us and bring options to the table that we may not have seen before.”
A major focus is black exterior trim. “We’re doing half of our homes in black windows,” said Isabelle Hesch, an Elite sales coordinator.
Utsch agrees the trend is very popular now. “Black window exteriors can really change the look of a house,” she said. “They really drive the modern look.”
Many customers choose a black exterior finish but a white interior finish to avoid detracting from window treatments, Utsch added.
Elite also is known for glass doors, and patio doors are a big seller, said Hesch. Other Elite products include entry doors, insulated vinyl siding, railings and gutters.
All Elite windows are energy efficient – double and triple “low-E” (low-emitting) and filled with argon gas to make them resistant to thermal transference of outside heat and cold. All meet 2025 Energy Star requirements.
For the future, Stockton wants to add automation and robotics, and innovate products. “We’re looking into invisible glass,” he said. “We’re getting into European styling, more modern windows, and interior walls made of glass.”
http://www.elitewindowsolutionsllc.com/
Window-buying tips
When should windows be replaced? Elite advises homeowners to evaluate their current windows to gauge appearance, draftiness, air quality, condensation, operation, cracking or other damage, energy costs, maintenance costs, and the impact on home resale value.
Lifetime warranties: Elite Window Solutions stands behind its limited lifetime warranty on glass components and glass breakage, on exterior finishes in all colors installed by Elite, and on accessories including locks, lifts, hinges, and handles and roller screens.
Benefits of Elite products: These include easy maintenance (vinyl cleans with soap and water) and cost-effectiveness (wood or fiberglass windows cost more than vinyl). Elite windows also are built to withstand rain, sleet and snow, and won’t crack, chip or peel.
Color options: Frost White, Sand Beige and Onyx Black for interior and exterior. Other exterior finishes come in Bronze, Brown, Brushed Silver, Garnet, Hunter Green and Clay. For hardware: Bronze, White, Antique Brass, Brass, Matte Black, Satin Nickel and Satin Chrome.