Arched Lift and Slide Doors

 This current work in progress is heading to Norwalk, Connecticut.  The private residence will soon receive 5 sets of triple lift and slide doors.  These doors consist of painted aluminum exteriors with eucalyptus interiors.  The measurements are 108" x 105" with 2 fixed outside panels and an operable center unit.  Upon delivery the doors will be installed in arched openings to showcase their unique appearance. 

It's Time to SHIP!

The preparation for shipment to downtown Chicago is underway.  This particular delivery will include 2 large direct set window units and 4 large lift and slide doors.  The project is in the final stages and included a total of 86 units (both doors and windows) of varying sizes. 

When crating these units for delivery we are very careful to ensure our product arrives in the same condition it left the shop.  The units are each individually framed and wrapped - then securely placed in the truck.  Upon completion - they aren't going anywhere!

Happy 2011!






Hope everyone enjoyed a healthy and happy holiday.  We are back to business after a short break and would like to share a few photos of just what we are up to.  To the left, is a beautiful custom door that stands 112" tall.  This will make quite an entrance in the southeastern Michigan home it will adorn.  It is constructed of quarter-sawn Sapele and will have bronze tinted glass upon completion.









The triple panel lift and slide shown to the right expands 20 ft. wide by 9 ft. tall.  It is constructed of Sapele with a dark bronze aluminum clad exterior.  This large door wall has 2 moving panels while 1 will remain fixed.  It also has an all wood low profile sill for a less noticeable transition from the interior
to the exterior. 

Happy Holidays from Grabill

With the holidays upon us, we would like to extend our sincere gratitude to our good friends, customers, and those of you who are new to us.  There could be no time more fitting to say "thank you" for making our business possible.  We would like to wish you a holiday season and new year that is overflowing with all the good things in life!

Enjoy this time with your families and we look forward to working with you in 2011.

Tammy, Teresa, Elizabeth, Mickey and the staff of Grabill Windows and Doors



10 Years and Counting

Dan Mento has been overseeing the shop at Grabill for nearly a decade.   He is the first to arrive and the last to leave each and every day.  Dan is the go-to-guy for any production related questions and takes great pride in seeing a job through from start to finish.  He is not only a skilled craftsmen in making windows and doors, he also makes acoustic and electric guitars and long bows.  One day he had the idea he wanted to make a guitar.....SO HE DID!  That is just how he operates, a vision can become reality in very little time - and that is a great attribute to have.  Outside of his second home at Grabill, Dan is an avid outdoorsman with with a great love of hunting.  He's been a board member of the North Macomb Sportsmens Club for 16 years and has traveled to Montana, Nebraska and Newfoundland, Canada hunting deer, antelope and caribou. You can be sure of one thing - whatever Dan is doing  - he is giving it his all!! 

Product Info: Sinker Cypress Windows and Doors

The vacation home shown above incorporates both, sinker cypress windows and doors, into its stylish architecture.   This beautiful location overlooks the Lake Michigan Shore in Wisconsin and was the design of Michigan architects Richard J. Bos, AIA and Barbara J. Bos, PA.  Grabill Windows and Doors was selected to obtain old growth/recovered wood to use in window and door products for this project.  It was then crucial to find just the right lumber. Grabill's President, Greg Grabill, traveled to Les Gueydan Lumber in New Orleans to select wood for the project.  The ancient sinker cypress logs that were selected had been recovered from rivers and swamps in both Louisiana and Florida.  This wood was likely cut in the 1800's from virgin forests that were over 600 years old.  The timber is very dense with tight growth rings that increase the woods durability to that of teak.  When the logs sink in the rivers or swamps they are preserved as they age and with a little drying time they become an eco-friendly green building lumber of choice.  Upon Grabills receipt of the shipment of lumber, the project team started to sticker the wood.   Although it had been drying for several years in Louisiana, the northern air was less humid.  After another 5 months of drying in Michigan, the vacation homes windows were under construction.  The first floor of the house contained 72 single hung windows and 29 transoms.  The second floor had 96 windows that included casements in both operable and fixed, transoms, arched, round and oval units.  Grabill also provided 13 doors ranging from panel doors, to 10 lite double doors, to 4 lite singles entries.   This project really encompassed a wide range of the craftsmanship and design abilities Grabill Windows and Doors can provide their clients.  With the current interest in sustainable and energy efficient windows and doors, this particular product is certainly worth looking in to. 

For more information on Grabill Windows and Doors please visit http://www.grabillwindow.com/ 

Product Info: Aluminum Clad Direct Set Windows

Grabill’s custom aluminum clad window systems have the ability to fully integrate fixed and operable windows, as well as doors, into a single frame detail.  Where an operable unit is not desired, our massive window frames can support large expanses of glass that are perfect for great room windows or commercial use. Grabill's aluminum clad units offer narrow site lines and can be easily incorporated into an industrial or living space. This design flexibility allows the designer to take advantage of grand views and incorporate multiple units integrated with operable windows and doors using a common mullion. The direct set windows allow for bent glass and butt glaze corners and are also available in all-wood or bronze clad.  Grabill products offer higher energy efficiency than typical aluminum systems and the wood interior window frames offer expanded design choices.