Optimum Windows And Doors Northbrook =link= -
Susan chose —double-hung with foam-filled frames and a composite reinforcement that prevents warping. For her patio door, she selected a Soft-Lite sliding glass door with a fiberglass-reinforced sill, designed to withstand Northbrook’s freeze-thaw cycles.
On a biting January morning in Northbrook, Illinois, Susan Mikos poured her coffee and did something she’d avoided for five winters: she stood next to her living room window without shivering. The draft was gone. The thin layer of frost that used to creep along the sill like a silent intruder had vanished. The change wasn’t magic—it was the result of a careful decision she’d made the previous fall, a decision that led her to a modest showroom off Skokie Boulevard called Optimum Windows and Doors . optimum windows and doors northbrook
“I thought all windows were the same,” Susan admits. “I almost bought from a big-box store. But then my neighbor, a retired architect, said: ‘Don’t buy a window. Invest in an assembly —frame, glass, gas fill, and installation. Go see Optimum in Northbrook.’” Susan chose —double-hung with foam-filled frames and a
Optimum specializes in from premium manufacturers like Soft-Lite, Sunrise, and Provia. For Northbrook’s climate—humid summers, brutal winters, and dramatic temperature swings—these windows offer a U-factor below 0.22 (standard double-pane is around 0.30). Lower U-factor means less heat escapes. For Susan, that translated to an estimated 25% reduction in her heating bill. The Optimum Process: Precision Over Pressure Unlike high-pressure sales outfits, Optimum’s approach is consultative. In Northbrook, where homes range from 1960s colonials to new-construction moderns, each project requires custom measurements. Optimum’s team uses digital laser tools to measure to the 1/16th of an inch. The draft was gone
When Optimum’s lead installer, Mike Cerone, ran the test on Susan’s house, the results were sobering: her home’s air changes per hour (ACH) was 0.85—far above the recommended 0.35 for energy efficiency. “You’re heating the outdoors,” Mike told her. “But we can fix that.”
Moreover, Optimum maintains a permanent display center in Northbrook where you can feel the difference between double-pane and triple-pane glass using a heat lamp demo. They encourage customers to close themselves inside a test room with their premium windows—then open a standard competitor’s unit next to it. The contrast is unmistakable. Susan’s quiet revolution wasn’t just about lower bills or fewer drafts. It was about reclaiming her home’s comfort. “I used to avoid the living room in January,” she says. “Now it’s my favorite spot. My coffee stays hot for an hour, and the only thing I hear is the wind—not the furnace kicking on every ten minutes.”
Susan’s story begins like that of many Northbrook homeowners. Her house, a charming but aging split-level built in 1978, had original single-pane aluminum windows. In summer, the AC ran endlessly. In winter, she could feel cold air rolling off the glass like a waterfall. Worse, the master bedroom’s sliding patio door had become so stubborn that she needed both hands and a hip-check to open it.