Murphy (Murph), sole owner. As a craftsman and historical enthusiast I observe the condition of windows and doors wherever I go. Whether it be strolling with my family or on job sites throughout East Bay Area neighborhoods, I continually notice wood windows and doors that are in need of care. In my experience, most windows and doors have been neglected for far too long and are in need of varying degrees of love.
Often nailed or painted shut, the ropes and weights are tangled or missing, glazing putty is cracked and failed, and weather-stripping is falling apart or non-existent. Entry doors also need to be adjusted to maintain their proper function and be energy efficient. A PORTALS window/door custom restoration tune up solves these issues and more.
Often nailed or painted shut, the ropes and weights are tangled or missing, glazing putty is cracked and failed, and weather-stripping is falling apart or non-existent. Entry doors also need to be adjusted to maintain their proper function and be energy efficient. A PORTALS window/door custom restoration tune up solves these issues and more.
Services
PORTALS offers on site estimates for projects in the IMMEDIATE EAST BAY ONLY. Weir talking Oakland, Berkeley, Albany, El Cerrito, Alameda, including the neighborhoods scattered throughout i.e. Rockridge-Piedmont-Montclair-Diamond District, etc. No services offered for Richmond, Pinole, Hercules, San Leandro, Hayward, Danville, San Ramon.
PORTALS offers on site estimates for projects in the IMMEDIATE EAST BAY ONLY. Weir talking Oakland, Berkeley, Albany, El Cerrito, Alameda, including the neighborhoods scattered throughout i.e. Rockridge-Piedmont-Montclair-Diamond District, etc. No services offered for Richmond, Pinole, Hercules, San Leandro, Hayward, Danville, San Ramon.
Murph was prompt, courteous and knows his stuff. He was also really great about not leaving any construction trash behind, and was respectful of my home in general. I will definitely call him again to replace other doors and windows in my home. Great work, Murph! The new windows are great, and my wife's discovery that our double hungs now open from both the top AND bottom was PRICELESS!
Reviews (9)
Lisa S.
Apr 07, 2021
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Young B.
Apr 03, 2021
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Murph was cool. He came to measure windows. I ultimately decided to go with different windows. Correction here- He recommended laminated glass which is two pieces of glass with a film between them. Looks good and good for blocking sound. I guess it had been a while, since I had talked to him before writing this review. I couldn't remember if he offered double pane (insulated glass that he's mentioning in response that has space between the glass).
Anyway--He lets you know his next availability straight away, which usually far into the future so you'll have to wait for his services
Anyway--He lets you know his next availability straight away, which usually far into the future so you'll have to wait for his services
David F.
Oct 30, 2020
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Murph replaced three large windows in the sunroom of our John Hudson Thomas house from the 1920s. They were in dire need of replacing and required repair of the sills. Murph overcame several challenging problems for us to have three beautiful, functional windows. His communication, tidiness, and dependability were absolutely top-notch. I highly recommend getting on his waiting list if you need windows or doors replaced with care and precision.
Andras K.
Nov 05, 2018
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Murph worked on the windows of our 1930s house in the East Bay area, doing excellent, careful work, repairing some, replacing some others. He is a very serious, highly skilled professional but also a fun guy to have around. He may not be cheap, but the work is really high quality, and as another reviewer noted, he even left the house cleaner than he had found it. Much recommended!
Eva W.
Oct 17, 2018
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Called Murph to see about replacing the big picture window and side windows of living room of late 1940's house. The original windows had been replaced with aluminum ones which were in very bad shape.
He recommended custom windows in the same style as the originals.
It took many months on his wait list, but worth the wait! He is a true craftsman! These windows are a work of art and it turned out to be less expensive than other options like Marvin or Windsor.
His set up kept the dust all contained in one area and at the end of the job things were cleaner than before he started. It was
He recommended custom windows in the same style as the originals.
It took many months on his wait list, but worth the wait! He is a true craftsman! These windows are a work of art and it turned out to be less expensive than other options like Marvin or Windsor.
His set up kept the dust all contained in one area and at the end of the job things were cleaner than before he started. It was
Laurence W.
Mar 19, 2017
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I lucked into finding Portals on Yelp after running into a bunch of other dead ends. Murph came by to take a look at both windows and doors on my 1916 craftsman-style home. He was passionate and opinionated, which isn't a bad thing in my book.
I'm still hesitant on the window work he recommended, but I engaged him on the door challenge (warped and weather-tested, I hadn't been able to open and close it for ~3 months). He arrived on the appointed day and time, and finished the job in 2 days. I appreciated that he texted me photos of his work as he was going through it. Builds
I'm still hesitant on the window work he recommended, but I engaged him on the door challenge (warped and weather-tested, I hadn't been able to open and close it for ~3 months). He arrived on the appointed day and time, and finished the job in 2 days. I appreciated that he texted me photos of his work as he was going through it. Builds
Megan K.
Sep 30, 2016
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I had been having a lot of trouble with my front door that would not lock and was warped. Murph took the time to come to my home and did a fix to my door that allowed me to feel safe and secure in my home again! He was very thorough, on time, and friendly. I would recommend him for any of your window or door needs!
Owen T.
Aug 17, 2016
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Rita M.
Nov 07, 2014
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Murph replaced 12 1970s aluminum windows with all new wood double-paned casements (what the windows were back in the 1920s). It took longer than the original time estimate, but it was because there was a lot of old damage under the windows done when people were installing the aluminum ones. He fixed all that damage as part of the original cost estimate! Every day my house was left cleaner than when he showed up (except for some of his work gear that he asked if he could leave in a corner and I said "sure"), and he was ok with working around there being a lot of stuff in the room -
