When you step into Grove Homes’ newest custom home you may have a hard time believing you’re in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and not the scenic French countryside. Nestled on the south side of Blue Mountain, a covered entryway sets the stage for the 4,388-square-foot French Country Farm house featuring a mountain stone façade and wisteria-draped pergola.
The centerpiece of the home’s open floor plan is the family room, where a two-story stone fireplace joins seamlessly with the wooded exterior through a stunning wall of windows. With 75 windows throughout the home, natural sunlight and breathtaking views are never in short supply.
Bill Grove, President of Grove Homes, personally selected many of the building materials that went into the project, including the windows, which were manufactured by MI Windows and Doors (MI), headquartered in Gratz, PA.
“MI Windows and Doors makes quality products with lots of options, and options are definitely necessary when you’re building a custom home,” stated Grove. “Nobody wants a custom home that looks like every other home on the street.”
This home features an assortment of MI’s 9000 Series windows, including 9555 double-hung and picture windows, 9770 casement windows, and 9660 awning windows. All the MI windows used on this project feature argon-enhanced,
Low-E glass and the Duralite® warm-edge spacer system. This insulated glass package provides outstanding thermal performance that helps lower the home’s energy costs by reducing solar heat gain and stabilizing interior glass temperatures.
The 9555 double-hung windows used throughout most of the home’s living spaces feature a U-value of 0.31, R-value of 3.23, and Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) of 0.26. The 9770 casement windows, used floor-to-ceiling in the home’s gathering room provide even better thermal ratings—0.24 U-Value, 4.17 R-value, and 0.23 SHGC—making it an ENERGY STAR®-qualified window in all regions of the country.
“Energy efficiency was an important factor in selecting the materials for this home,” said Grove. “Today’s homeowners expect their windows to be energy efficient, and MI Windows and Doors’ products fit the bill.”
Grove subcontracted the window installation work to Deer Ridge Construction, a local specialty contractor from Millerstown, PA. According to Amos Esh, owner of Deer Ridge Construction, “MI windows are easy to install and they operate smoothly. My crews enjoy installing MI‘s products for those reasons.”
MI’s 9000 Series windows offer a number of advantages to installers. The standard integral mounting fin on the 9555 double-hung window features pre-punched holes that make it quick and easy to install, while the casement and awning windows come standard with an integral J-channel, easing the installation of a home’s exterior siding.
Every window in this new home also features 5/8-inch flat grids between the glass, a unique feature that adds style to the home without compromising usability and functionality. Grids between the glass won’t break the budget and are easier to clean compared to other window grid options.
Grove broke ground on this unique home in February 2014 and completed it only four months later, just in time to be featured in the 2014 Street of Dreams Builder Showcase (formally known as the Harrisburg Home-A-Rama). It was one of only seven pre-built homes on display in the desirable Estates at
Autumn Oaks community, consisting of 95 premier, 1+ acre wooded home sites.
“Being a part of the 2014 Street of Dreams in the Estates at Autumn Oaks was an honor,” said Groves. “We tried our best to create a home that blended with the wooded surroundings, and I think we succeeded. The stone façade and custom landscaping make it look like it’s been here for years, and the MI windows were a perfect accent to the interior and exterior style of the home.”
