Window Replacement in West Des Moines

West Des Moines at a glance

West Des Moines is a city of 68,723 people (2020), mostly in Polk County with parts in Dallas, Warren and Madison counties. It's the third most populous city in the metro and the seventh in Iowa.

What that means for your windows

The city has an older core around historic Valley Junction and large newer neighborhoods to the west. Homes from the 1990s and 2000s often have builder-grade vinyl windows reaching the age where seals fail and glass fogs; see foggy glass and window repair. Valley Junction's older houses often have tall, narrow double-hungs and decorative trim worth keeping, so insert replacements or new sashes are popular there.

Large windows in newer homes

Great rooms with tall windows and transoms lose a lot of heat in winter and gain it in summer. Low-E glass makes them far more comfortable. Newer homes near Jordan Creek often have walk-out basements with patio doors and large lower-level windows that face the full afternoon sun.

From Valley Junction

On October 11, 1845, cattle farmer James Cunningham Jordan fired a gunshot near midnight to mark the area's opening to settlement. His home, the Jordan House, was a stop on the Underground Railroad, and John Brown visited more than once. The town grew as a rail junction and incorporated as Valley Junction in 1893. Older homes near the historic district may still have original wood windows, where storm windows or careful replacement keep the character; see double-hung windows.