Window Replacement - What's in name?

Next time you go to the grocery store or the pharmacy, take a look at several of the products that end up in your cart and other shopper’s carts. Did you choose Coca-Cola or the store brand “Cola”. Are those Q-Tip’s or cotton swabs in that cart? Kleenex or tissues?
 
The real question is, how did you decide if the brand name or the generic version is better than the other? Or is it a “not bad for the price” kind of thing?
 
I can argue with my wife all day long that Mr. Cola is pretty much the same product as Coca-Cola, but according to her “Coke is just better”. So why is it when we see that generic store brand product, we might decide this is a good option and in some other instances we absolutely will only choose the brand name product? Could it be marketing? Brand recognition? Or is it truly a better product?
 
In my work as a home inspector now for quite a few years, the difference is enormous. There are things you see while you’re walking through a home that just scream, “WOW, this home was really taken care of by the owners!” But at a glance you can’t really tell if the flooring was purchased from Home Depot, Amazon or Temu. It’s that wow factor that really matters; time will only tell if it was the right choice or if it just looked the same.
 
On the other hand, it’s pretty hard to go up in an attic that has torn up & missing insulation, mouse droppings everywhere, and mold on the plywood to think the homeowners really took care of the house. The same goes for the crawlspace or basement. If there’s signs of moisture, mold or wet insulation, it’s probably going to raise some red flags and maybe some concerns over how well the entire home was really cared for. I saw this a lot in real estate “flips”, houses made to look good for the “wow factor” but the core problems were never addressed.
 
As a Home Inspector, my day would instantly get better when I saw a few things in homes. An all-white, heavy duty, reinforced vapor barrier in a crawlspace that has, “Clean Space” printed right on it, or an attic with fresh clean cellulose insulation installed and insulation rulers with “Dr. Energy Saver” printed on them. Those are the top brands names of home repair products, and the contractors that use them, and in this case, I can agree with my wife in saying “It’s just better.”
 
The top company in my area has always been Burke Home Services. I always felt good referring home buyers to them to help fix the concerns found in their home. That is actually the main reason I ended up working here at Burke. I was always proud to send clients to them, now I am the one helping the clients fix their homes the correct way with some of the most effective and reliable products available in the industry.
 
One of the exclusive brand name products that Burke Home Services uses is The CleanSpace Crawlspace Encapsulation System. The star of the show is the CleanSpace 20 mil thick liner itself. This is no ordinary painter’s plastic vapor barrier. This is a product specifically designed to fix crawlspace moisture problems for life. It’s more like an industrial strength pool liner than a vapor barrier. In fact, the slogan for CleanSpace is “Clean enough to eat off of”, and after seeing it installed, you may just try it.
 
TruSoft Cellulose insulation is another one of Burke’s exclusive products. TruSoft is an overall far better product for insulating attics than fiberglass. It has better insulation qualities, it’s fire resistant, helps deter mold growth, and is more environmentally friendly. It’s also a great choice for retrofitting insulation in existing walls because it can easily be densely packed into existing walls with minimal inconvenience to the homeowner.
 
When it comes to waterproofing, the Zoeller Sump Pumps, specifically the ones included in the TripleSafe sump pump system, are the very best in the industry, and the only choice when you want to keep your basement dry all the time. These products were developed and tested together in the most extreme environments imaginable to ensure you are getting the very best in durability and reliability to keep your basement dry when it matters most. Another thing to consider is the warranty. When Burke Home Services installs a Zoeller pump, it’s backed by a 5-year warranty, so you know exactly who to call if something goes wrong.
 
Burke Home Services has partnered with elite brands such as Contractor Nation, Deckorators, Zoeller and Vytex Windows to provide our customers with exclusive access to products that you can’t buy at the box stores. Any similar products you see are cheaper versions or outright knockoffs sold at a higher price to give the illusion of value. Most of the products we install are patented and exclusive to our dealer network. Most importantly, because of our partnerships, we have certifications to service and maintain these products in order to maximize the manufacturers’ warranties. 
 
In closing, there may not be a big enough difference between buying the big name and store brand while at the grocery store, especially when you can justify sacrificing flavor, options or durability for price savings. But when it comes to fixing your home, one of the biggest and most important investments you might make in your lifetime, spending a little more on brand names, and having a reliable well-established contractor who is authorized and certified to install them, is priceless.
 
Contractors like the team at Burke Home Services are the best in the area. There are more than a few reasons they have been in business for over 20 years, the partners they work with and products they choose to install are a big part of it, and the online reviews back it up.
 
This is why home improvement professionals like Burke are always two steps ahead of the competition. Often imitated but never duplicated, in this case, there is only one choice.
 

Joe Steo

Joe is one of the Home Comfort Specialists here at Burke Home Services. Prior to joining the Burke Home Services team, Joe operated as a licensed Home Inspector for over a decade. He has also been thoroughly trained and certified in energy efficiency and home comfort at Dr. Energy Saver in Seymour CT. These years of experience and training give him a unique perspective to help identify any existing or potential problems in your home and provide solutions to fix it right.