When my wife and I purchased our fixer-up home three years ago here in Brampton, ON, we knew we had a lot of work to do. She agreed to this house, in part, because I promised her we’d accomplish one small project each season (so, four each year) until the house was exactly how we wanted it. It’s been a long three years. But, the house is shaping up to be one of the best decisions we’ve ever made.
The time we’ve spent planning, organizing, creating, and contracting local companies to help us with small renovations has brought us closer. Some of our projects have been DIY ideas she found on Pinterest. For all you guys out there with ladies like mine who obsess over this site—there really are some great home project ideas on there and I’ve surprised myself with how much enjoyment I’ve gotten out of them. For example, we’ve resurfaced counters, made unsightly dressers look antique (who knew—chalk paint really is every bit as transformative as our wives tell us it is…), covered walls with texture wallpaper, added crown molding, had our windows upgraded (thanks to the pros at Brock Doors and Windows), and peeled back carpet to find hardwood floors worth bringing back to life.
So, this spring, our small project is to have our entry door replaced. I have to admit, I’m a bit relieved this project involves someone else’s labor. All we had to do was come together, make a decision, and pass the torch to our favourite experts at Brock.
Easier said than done. This project—of all the projects—presented a near-impasse. I wanted a single door, wood, a traditional window in the upper center, with a turn knob handle. She wanted the exact opposite: a vinyl set of double doors with no windows, coupled with sidelite windows, and lever handles.
To keep this short, a lot of “discussions” were had. Finally, we found a compromise: vinyl, double doors with sidelite windows and centered top-to-bottom windows, with turn knobs. That’s right, I settled for the knobs, held my ground (sort of) about needing windows in the doors (she, then, trumped me by suddenly wanting 80% of the door to be glass).
The truth is, I’m glad she got mostly her way for this small project; the double doors are going to be great. Plus, all that added glass and sidelite windows will bring a lot of natural light into our small entryway, so the space will—as my wife pointed out—appear much larger. And, the vinyl is much more affordable and can mimic the look and texture of real wood very well.
All in all, I’m happy. Mostly, I love seeing my wife excited about our next Brampton entry door replacement project with Brock Doors and Windows. Like I said, this home has been the best thing we’ve ever chosen to take on together. If you’re in the market for an upgrade and live in this area (and you want to see your wife excited and happy), give them a call.
Brock Doors and Windows Ltd. | 278 Orenda Road | Brampton, ON, L6T 4X6 | (905) 791-2850