Renewal By Andersen Builds Dream Home

After purchasing and renovating their dream home on Christmas Lake in Santa Claus, Indiana, Ryan and Kathleen Flannagan discovered that the property came with the unexpected “gift” of outdated, leaky windows.

“When the rain would come,” says Ryan, “it was time to get the towels out. All throughout the house, these windows were leaking. The towels were out, the pots…it was definitely a sinking feeling, in a home that you had just purchased. We knew that there was really only one option—and that was replacing all the windows.”

Replacing a houseful of windows can be a daunting project for anyone—but when it’s a matter of not 15-30 windows, but more than 300 custom-sized openings, comprising entire walls of the structure…then you’re talking about a truly unique project that few replacement window companies could handle. 

The Flannagans were familiar with Andersen products, but were unsure if a job of this scope was even possible for anyone but a commercial-grade contractor. Nevertheless, Ryan gave Renewal by Andersen of Kentucky (Louisville) a call. “I knew this wasn’t a typical project,” he says, “[but] when I met with Tim [Helfrich], he had a very positive, can-do attitude… I’ve had plenty of experience with [contractors] who say ‘Oh, we can’t do that,’ or ‘Hmmm…that’s going to be a problem.’ But I never heard that once [from them].”

Not to say that it didn’t push Helfrich and team in new creative directions—“It was a big job,” he says. “A fun job, but a creative and engineering challenge. It took the work of some great people, including Troy Rubenzer and team, to establish the design pressure (DP) rating, and see if this would even be achievable.”

“Dusting of the code books has never been so rewarding,” laughs Rubenzer. “Projects like this one inspire me to dream big…and also show people that we truly are a custom window manufacturer. We were able to completely reimagine the space, and help Ryan and Kathleen complete the transformation of their dream home.”

The Flannagans agree. Says Ryan, “Every day, I’d come home from work, excited to see what they had accomplished. Of all of the home improvement projects I’ve taken on, our job with Renewal by Andersen—from start to finish—has been one of the, if not THE best, experiences we’ve ever done.”

By the Numbers: Quick Facts on the Santa Claus Project

• More than 300 windows removed
• 210 windows and 7 patio doors designed, manufactured, and installed
• 6 walls of windows installed—each 30’ wide by 10’ tall
• The most steel mulls ordered on a single residential project in Renewal by Andersen’s history
• A team of 4 installers completed the job in just 10 days!

Watch a video tour of the impressive project: