I need replacement windows

Tom Baugues

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2,790
Location
Lafayette, Indiana
I need to replace some windows in my home. The windows in the front room are right where we sit each evening to watch TV. I want a good solid window that will stop the cold winter air and reduce the hot sun in the summer. Can someone offer any real solid advise on which brand or type to look at? The current windows are wood and I think I want to keep that type. Is Low -E good enough? I'm in Indiana.
 
We got a sliding screen door and a window from Amerimax. They are real good quality. I have a door on the garage from Amerimax. That door is better than any of the doors we have on the house. I have a friend that just got a sliding glass door from them and they love it. In the winter, on real cold days, you couldn't feel any cold areas near the door. Felt just like the wall did. Probably was the best thing about that whole house. They don't do wood windows or doors tho, or we would have all the windows in this place replaced.

http://www.amerimaxwindows.com/
 
We had to replace ours when our house was 13 years old. I certainly wouldn't recommend Peachtree based on that. The jambs rotted out due to what I would consider to be poor design. The worst one we had to pull the siding below and replace sheeting.

We put in Anderson 400 series, full windows, not the replacement variety. Doing so would be more work but it was worth it IMHO to get a good solid window. We got real lucky in that most of our windows were a size that Home Depot stocked on the shelf every day.

in order to avoid dealing with the j-channel around the windows, our contractor recommended cutting the siding back 3" and then bent up a real nice frame with integral j-channel from aluminum coil stock. It really dressed things up and actually saved time.
 
Hi Tom,

A few years ago, we got "replacement windows" for our `40's era house. These are the kind where the old sashes are removed and a new frame fitted into the existing window frame. Was possibly the worst investment I ever made.

It wasn't that the old single pane windows were all that great. But there was so much air leaking in from the weight wells & framing around the window that they didn't make that much difference. Sure the window guy shoved some fiberglass into the void, but it was basically worthless.

Last year, I had to rebuild one of the dormers on the house. In the process, I re-replaced the window with a "new construction" window and sealed everything up properly. There is such a noticeable difference that I wish I'd saved the money on the replacements and done it right the first time.

I guess the take home message is that the type of window you use to replace in part depends on the age & construction of your house.

Hope this helps,
Matt
 
I can't recommend a manufacturer, but I can certainly recommend Low-E glass. When we lived in California we replaced an 8' sliding glass door with one made using Low-E glass. We also put a doggie door insert not made with Low-E glass in the opening of that same slider. It's common to get 100F+ for days on end where we lived in Riverside County. I was amazed at difference in heat you could feel coming thru the two kinds of glass. I think Low-E glass is certainly worth the investment.
 
Tom, my nephew sells Pella windows. If you are interested in hearing what he has to say, send me your phone number. Will pass it on to him. Don't know how territories work, but he will talk to you or know the person to send to talk with you. After their talk, you make the decision.
 
I worked in the replacement window business for over 10 years. I sold OMNI by Alside for 6 of those years. Triple glazed double low-e and argon filled. They were good windows not great, because the heavy vinyl frames were not welded. The still were guranteed to reduce energy use by 40% in writing. Never had a customer complain. The devil was in the details. If any window is not installed correctly, you might as well not spend the money to start with. That company stopped making that brand and the dealer I was working for had to find a new product.

He found these.

http://www.uniframewindow.com/

They were even better. I am currently replacing all my windows, one at a time with them. Triple glazed, double Low-e and Krypton filled. Like I said installation is critical.

Our company pulled 1000's of wooden windows out. Anderson, Pella, Eagle, Marvin. The big reason is that they are all wood with vinyl or metal cladding on the exterior. Moisture gets behind the clading and warmth, moisture and darkness spell mold and mildew and that means rot and most of them now are made not with solid continuous frame pieces but finger jointed glued up sections which as you know as wood workers. A joint even the best is less than solid wood.

The one brand to stay clear of for sure is the Pella Pro Line sold through big box stores for DIY'ers. There are some good vinyl windows sold at Big Box stores, but not many. Look for foam filled cores with steel or fiberglass reinforcing beams running through the inside of each frame member.

Pay particular attention to the meeting rail where the two sashes meet. There needs to be a deep interlock so and double or quadruple pile insulation.

I wish I could show you the 100's of windows (vinyl replacement too) that we pulled out to find that the big problem was they were sloppily installed.

I have even pulled out Schuco Vinyl (German Made, Heaviest in the industry) and reinstalled them for the customer the correct way and solved the problem. We only got paid for labor on that job but, left a happy customer that sent us tons of referals.

The company you deal with in that industry is everything. There are a ton of fly by nighters who operate out of the back of their pickups and your warranty lasts until his tail lights pass the stop sign at the end of the street.

They company I worked for in Iowa has a 100% customer satisfaction rating with the BBB in Iowa. They have been in the business 50+ years.

Since windows are are so important to the integrity of your house. You need to do your home work and don't listen to TV Ads. Pella and Anderson have huge advertising budgets. Problem is here in Iowa they are sold through lumber yards and they yards don't install. Most carpenters can install good new construction windows. Some can even do a good job on replacement windows.

Price should not be the determining factor.

Price - Service - Quality. Pick two.:D You cant' bet both with out paying for it.:D

OK, I am done with the soap box now. Next!!!:D
 
I'm new to window jargon and went thru the same research in recent weeks, and just placed an order for some windows from the Metal Industries "Xact" series 1550. MI also manufactures the "Cutting Edge" brand, and both are said to be very similar to the Simonton Prism line, which we also considered. We also got a demo of some pretty nice windows by Champion but they were only sold installed by their technicians and were beyond our budget. Self installation means lower costs, but it also leaves some risk of a poor installation, so I'll have to be careful...a work cohort with lots of window installation experience is going to give me a hand.

Pella and Anderson are very popular, and they have some quality lines, but it's also important to recognize that many of these window manufactures have several quality levels from builder's grade to premium stuff. The stock Pella and Anderson windows at homecenters are made to a low price point and aren't their top lines. Just like tools and saw blades, you can't always go on brand alone.
 
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