A Message From John Kolbaska, Owner: I may have gotten my professional start in home improvement when I turned 18 years old in 1995. But in truth, my remodeling roots run much deeper than that. What these $189-$249 contractors tend to omit are insulating your windows, which is the key step in the installation process. They won’t apply foam insulation, which helps seal and protect the window from drafts. They won’t use a high-quality caulk on the exterior and interior of the window. They won’t use flashing to protect the window from the elements like water that can leak into your home as well as the wall cavity, which could lead to wood rot and possibly mold. My grandfather was a carpenter. My father was, too. When I was 13, my dad strapped a toolbelt on me and said, “Son, it’s time to learn the family trade.” That day, I became a carpenter. I spent every summer working with my dad, helping out when I could. I earned $30 a day, which, let’s face it, was a pretty solid rate for a kid in the late ‘80s early ’90s. But it wasn’t the money I was drawn to. It was the work. See, a lot of guys “fall into” home improvement out of necessity or desperation. They have no passion for it. They simply learn it at a young age and end up doing it for the rest of their lives because that’s what they know. Home improvement has always been MY family’s business, too. But I didn’t “fall into” it… I fell in love with it. The very first time I was on the job site with my father, it just felt right. As if improving people’s homes was what I was born to do. On that day, I didn’t just decide to carry on the family tradition, I experienced a burning passion to do so. I’ve been in the remodeling business ever since. The Birth Of Windows & Doors By The Men With Tools I spent many, many years as a window and door installer for some of the best companies in the industry. In 2013, I made a decision to channel my experience and knowledge into creating my own company. A company which will honor my grandfather and father by operating on the values with which those incredible men instilled in me decades ago. Hence, I sat down and wrote out a list of core values for my new company. These tenets would be followed to a “T” on every single project to ensure that my customers received the best possible results, and that they would not have to worry about a single thing. Several hours later, I completed the list… and Windows & Doors By The Men With Tools was born. You can read Windows & Doors By The Men With Tools Tenets below. But here’s the bottom line: home-improvement isn’t just a job to me, it’s a passion that stretches back three generations—hardwired in my DNA. This is why, even with 25+ years of experience, I’m as hungry as ever to learn and grow. I attend dozens of industry events each year. I visit the factories where my products are made with an eagerness to know and to stay updated on all the latest manufacturer developments and installation specifications. Furthermore, as president of the Home Improvement Contractors Association of Staten Island, I keep my ear to the ground for the latest trends affecting contractors in the region. In a nutshell, I will always be a student of the craft. My ultimate goal is to continue the tradition of honesty, integrity, and excellence started by my forbears. I truly feel blessed to do something that I’m not only passionate about, but also, that I’m able to improve the quality of people’s homes, thus, improving the quality of their lives. So, when the time comes, I intend to pass the company on to my children in hopes that THEY will carry the torch. And I believe they will. This is because if there’s one thing I know, it’s that home improvement runs in the Kolbaska blood . Sincerely, John Kolbaska John Kolbaska Owner