Novato sits at the north end of Marin, far enough from the Golden Gate that the fog burns off early and summer afternoons get properly hot. Then the sun drops behind the hills and the temperature falls fast. Windows here take that swing every day from June into October, and old ones show it: seals give out, aluminum frames sweat on cool mornings, and west-facing rooms turn into ovens by four o'clock. A big share of the housing went up between the 1960s and 1980s, in neighborhoods like San Marin, Ignacio and Indian Valley, and plenty of those homes still have their original builder-grade sliders and single-hung windows.
We replace windows all over town, from one failing slider to a whole-house upgrade, and we repair windows that only need new glass or hardware. For the big, sun-facing openings common here, fiberglass windows hold up especially well, and many homeowners pair them with lower-cost vinyl on the shadier sides of the house. Call or send the form for a free estimate.
Keeping Heat Out on Novato's West Walls
The windows that cause the most grief in Novato face west and south. Afternoon sun pours through single-pane or early dual-pane glass, and the room keeps heating up long after the air outside starts to cool. The fix starts with the glass. Low-E coatings with a low Solar Heat Gain Coefficient reflect much of that heat while still letting daylight through, and the SHGC number on the energy label lets you compare one window to another. Frame color matters too. Dark vinyl on a west wall works hard in the heat, so we steer homeowners toward lighter colors there, or toward fiberglass, which stays stable in the sun. Upgrading only the worst rooms first is a common plan here, and it usually starts with the bedrooms. Homes up in the hills of north San Rafael deal with the same afternoon heat, and we handle them the same way.
Tract Homes, Hamilton and Bel Marin Keys
Novato's housing is more varied than people expect. The 1960s and '70s tract homes usually have standard-size openings, which makes them quick, affordable retrofit jobs: old units out, new vinyl in, often a day or two for the whole house. Over at Hamilton, where newer homes went up on the former Air Force base, the windows are younger, but some builder-grade units are already losing their seals. Down in Bel Marin Keys, homes on the lagoons take more moisture and wind off the water, so we pay extra attention to flashing and choose hardware that won't corrode. Whatever the neighborhood, we measure every opening ourselves before ordering, because a window built to the wrong size never seals right. We see the same mix of original sliders and tired seals in the older neighborhoods of Corte Madera.
Common Questions
Dual-pane glass with a low-E coating made for solar control, the kind with a low SHGC number on the label. It reflects much of the sun's heat while keeping the view and most of the daylight. For a bedroom that also faces a busy road like Novato Boulevard, ask about pairing it with laminated glass to quiet the traffic.
Yes, along with San Marin, Ignacio, Indian Valley, Black Point, Pointe Marin, Wildwood Glen and the rest of Novato. Homes on the water in Bel Marin Keys get frames and hardware chosen for damp air, and we bring the right materials for each part of town.