About PORTALS
Welcome to PORTALS WOOD WINDOW & DOOR! My name is William R. Murphy, JR., known on the streets as Murph. I am the sole owner / artisan / master craftsman of PORTALS WOOD WINDOW & DOOR. As a craftsman and historical enthusiast I observe the condition of windows and doors literally wherever I go. While strolling with my family in Bay Area neighborhoods, I always notice wood windows and doors that are in need of care. In my experience, most windows and doors just need a little bit of love. They are 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 and door custom restoration tune up solves all of these issues and more. I also provide a custom jamb integrated compression bulb and Q-lon weather stripping to windows and doors that greatly reduce drafts, dust, and energy loss. I am one of two providers I know of that employ these specific custom jamb integrated weatherstripping systems in the entire Bay area.
I have worked in the construction industry for 20+ years, starting at age 20 in Brooklyn, NY. I was a young man from the Adirondak mountains now in New York City and survival quickly took over fun as the focus. Through a friend I was gifted an entry level position at a well respected high end architectural interior outfit in Manhattan, Faro, Inc. Starting there and during my career after moving to the Bay Area in '02, I climbed the trades ladder at the bottom from a laborer to apprentice carpenter to journeyman carpenter to master craftsman to installation foreman to job site supervisor to my current status as sole proprietor of my own successful small business. For the 6 years before going out on my own in 2013, I lead a field installation team that focused exclusively on the mastery and custom craftsmanship of historic wood window and entry door restoration and replacement. I now personally provide this top quality craftsmanship.
Through my work I seek to preserve the original integrity of historic architecture while at the same time bring older living spaces into the present with fully functional energy efficient wood windows and doors. Restoration and preservation of original historic building materials, especially in the case of the old rope and pulley double hung window, is of the utmost importance in this time where natural resources are rapidly depleting and historic architecture is being demolished. Restoration and preservation are always my primary goals, but unfortunately most windows and doors I see are unsalvageable. Extreme lack of maintenance and neglect forces replacement more than 90% of the time. When replacement is necessary, I use the highest quality wood window and door shop in the bay, John Staton, Inc., who in turn employs the highest quality replacement materials to match and preserve the look of the original architecture.
I truly admire the craftsmanship of old construction and the quality of historic building materials, and I take extremely great pride in my craft. I am licensed by the State of California, EPA Lead Certified, and I am fully bonded and insured. If you are thinking about new wood windows or doors, please give serious thought to restoring or replacing with historic wood replicas as opposed to inferior vinyl or aluminum inserts.
I look forward to sharing my craftsmanship with you!
~Murph NFA (~);}
I have worked in the construction industry for 20+ years, starting at age 20 in Brooklyn, NY. I was a young man from the Adirondak mountains now in New York City and survival quickly took over fun as the focus. Through a friend I was gifted an entry level position at a well respected high end architectural interior outfit in Manhattan, Faro, Inc. Starting there and during my career after moving to the Bay Area in '02, I climbed the trades ladder at the bottom from a laborer to apprentice carpenter to journeyman carpenter to master craftsman to installation foreman to job site supervisor to my current status as sole proprietor of my own successful small business. For the 6 years before going out on my own in 2013, I lead a field installation team that focused exclusively on the mastery and custom craftsmanship of historic wood window and entry door restoration and replacement. I now personally provide this top quality craftsmanship.
Through my work I seek to preserve the original integrity of historic architecture while at the same time bring older living spaces into the present with fully functional energy efficient wood windows and doors. Restoration and preservation of original historic building materials, especially in the case of the old rope and pulley double hung window, is of the utmost importance in this time where natural resources are rapidly depleting and historic architecture is being demolished. Restoration and preservation are always my primary goals, but unfortunately most windows and doors I see are unsalvageable. Extreme lack of maintenance and neglect forces replacement more than 90% of the time. When replacement is necessary, I use the highest quality wood window and door shop in the bay, John Staton, Inc., who in turn employs the highest quality replacement materials to match and preserve the look of the original architecture.
I truly admire the craftsmanship of old construction and the quality of historic building materials, and I take extremely great pride in my craft. I am licensed by the State of California, EPA Lead Certified, and I am fully bonded and insured. If you are thinking about new wood windows or doors, please give serious thought to restoring or replacing with historic wood replicas as opposed to inferior vinyl or aluminum inserts.
I look forward to sharing my craftsmanship with you!
~Murph NFA (~);}
Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's
greed. - Mahatma Gandhi 1869-1948
greed. - Mahatma Gandhi 1869-1948