Don’t do it.
But here’s the problem: those original windows? They’re drafty. They stick. And the average contractor wants to rip them out and slap in white vinyl. hope’s windows and doors wilmette
Original steel casement windows have incredibly slender frames. This lets in maximum light while maintaining the historic pattern. Hope’s replicates that exact look. When you stand across the street, your house still looks period-appropriate—not like a flipped condo. Don’t do it
This is where Hope’s comes in. Hope’s manufactures solid rolled-steel windows and doors . Not aluminum. Not vinyl. Steel. They stick
We all know the lake effect. One day it’s 50°F, the next it’s 10°F with wind off the water. Vinyl expands and contracts like crazy, leading to seal failures. Steel? It’s stable. Hope’s windows don’t warp. They don’t twist. They just operate smoothly—year after year.
Have one of those 1950s mid-century ranches in the Mallinckrodt neighborhood? Hope’s does minimalist steel doors (think 8-foot-tall pivot doors or narrow-sightline sliders) that turn a dark living room into a glass pavilion. A Real Wilmette Case Study (The “Before & After”) I recently talked to a homeowner on Maple Avenue who replaced 1940s steel casements that had rusted shut. Their fear: new windows would ruin the home’s character.
And your house will still look like a Wilmette house.