Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire New house question - Windows - Pella? Andersen? Others?

the best thing i can think of, is the fewer the windows the better. the more on the southside the better (compared to east, west, and North).

lot's of clones out there, i think. we have old-fashioned single pane stuff, but have added storms. they make a big difference.

lot's of hard=sell, and advertising in the window replacement industry, imho.

Milgard are good windows without breaking the bank

Marvin.

'nuther reason for Marvin. You'll probably only have to paint or stain once if you pick the right color.

I didn't read the whole thread, so pardon me if it is repetitive. I built my house going on 2 years ago. With windows, I went with vinyl, not metal, and I only put in sliding windows where mandated by building code here in W TX. I only wound up with 4 sliding windows, 1 in each bedroom. All the rest are not. I don't dare if you have a $1000 bedroom window, if it slides, it will leak, be drafty, etc.

I am now in my second house with Pella's and am once again pleased. Both houses loaded with glass as we are on acreage and have to be able to look at it. The place in Idaho has Marvin and they seem to be fine too.

Anderson s have a 20yr warranty! have them in my home and i installed windows for a living for 10yrs. seen them all and like Anderson the best. Clint

is quality and price related in any way, or is it mostly about salesmanship?

i'm thinking of building a retirement home. what's the best value for the buck at today's energy prices??

Marvin ....

Your over hang seems a little extreme, unless it is high above the windows. We are quite a bit south of you, our overhang is 24" and works great, sun in winter, no sun in summer.

One issue with vinyl, they can get a little old (plastic) and be a bear with the screens going in and out. If you are leaving the screens on full time, might not be a problem.

Sycamore

Marvin, triple pane, argon filled, low-E glass. Casement for best seal, but the double hungs are easier for window treatments (drapes/curtains) and are still better than most. While Pella and Andersen are also better than most IMHO, Marvin is better than either. Factory and "local" reps are top drawer. As long as you stay away from the foo-foo stuff and the round-tops, they are not much more money than a much lesser grade window. I put them in the house we built in '94 and they are still there . . . in N.E Nebraska.

Andersons--at least the higher end ones. Pella's are good, but not as good as Anderson.

Marvins are a good bang for the buck.



Casey

Yeah, it's a lot, but there's reasons for it.. It'll be over a 20'X40' deck. And that area gets a LOT of sun, so the overhang will fully protect the S side of the house and help keep heat down.. Plus, if it's raining yet we still want to be outside, we can just back into the overhang protection and stay dry.. It will be standard height for a roof, but will still allow sun in Nov/Dec/Jan before it begins to block it out.. I have an 8' overhang on this place (front 'porch' area, completely open - not screened) and it's da bomb during hot summer months.. Always stays cool under there and during summer rains it stays dry.. Helps keep the windows etc., from deterioration from sun also..

I'll be going to a Pella showroom this weekend, unless the 1-foot snowfall we're supposed to get makes the nightmare traffic even MORE of a nightmare.. The Marvin showroom's only open M-F so I'll take the wifeypoo on Wednesday when she's not working..

My sister had Andersens installed when they built in 2001.. Mainly due to the fact that the plant is only 35 miles away so they figured repair/replacement should be a snap.. To date, they've had zero issues.

As far as sliding windows go - no thanks.. Parents had a few of those in their place and they were a genuine pita..

Thanks to all..

Seems like the top three are Marvin, Andersen, Pella.. We'll go from there..

Good overhangs will protect your windows. When I worked in the residential window industry a lot of window problems/issues were related to short overhangs on houses. Wood dry rot issues occurred primarily on first floor windows in two story homes, north elevations having the most problems. In a two story house the first floor windows typically have very little protection from exposure to elements, there is just not enough roof overhang to keep the window from getting wet everytime it rains. Ranch style homes have much fewer windows issues than most two story houses. Back in the early 1980's all window companies were mandated to begin using less toxic substances to treat their milled wood parts, this increased dry rot issues throughout the wood window industry.

The 8' overhang on the three sides of my place in Idaho is wonderful. Keeps the sun out, the snow out and allows us to enjoy either while sitting outside. The house stays very cool in the summer, most of the deck and house paint remains near new too. The north side has a 2' eve. The previous owner/builder commented that many thought he was nuts for going so long on the overhang. If I were to build again I would do it again.

I just replaced our bedroom windows a couple months ago, the originals were wood casements, and the wood had swelled up over the years to the point that I was repeatedly replacing operators and some times of the year the windows were very difficult to close.

I don't recall the brand we went with, they are vinyl casement and were reasonably priced for custom sized windows. We went from hard to close drafty windows to smoothly operating no draft windows. I'd never go with a wood casement again.

I don't know about any other brands but milgard windows are what i used. Their service is second to none in my mind. the e glass is the way to go. i have had them for about 15yrs. 2 have failed and within the week that i called the problem in they replaced them.

larry

ps how's your bike running

Capitol Glass /Northerm Windows, are what i put in my shop this past fall (3 panes w/gas) over a r-6 !! lifetime warrenty on the seal to boot ...2 EMPD seals and closeing hardware like that sub u got there...i have yet to find a better window , when it's cold and blowing http://www.glassonweb.com/news/index/9458/

Redneck you Packer Quacker. Any of the brands you mentioned are good. What it is going to come down to is price and service where your house is. The window manufacturer will warrant the windows. Just make sure the installation is to spec. At one time I worked as the Materials/Purchasing Manager for a large millwork company in the TC area. I also implemented an ERP system at Marvin Windows in Warroad, MN. I spent a good deal of time in the plant and can tell you their Quality Control is top notch. BTW, I would stick with casement and awnings. They cost more initially but provide a much better seal and performance in the long run.

There is alot of parity out there when it comes to the upper end of windows. You need to shop for features you want and need rather than brand, most of all the brands mentioned are good. I like:

1 Air Space- This is the space between the inside and out sid epanes of glass. The more airspace the higher the R value.Some guys like triple glazed windows, I like double glazed with alot of air space.

2 Therm-Break- Vinyl or aluminum clad windows are great from a maintenance stand point but the out side vinyl or aluminum conducts the cold into the room if there iisn't a non-conductive material like wood to "break" it

3 Low E- In sunny environs it saves on solar temp gain and carpet and drapery fading

4 Type of hardware used- Locks, cranks, openers

5 Warranty- A biggie but assure the windows are installed per the instructions for any future warranty claim

6 Proximity of the dealer- I like to be able to look the guy in the eye I give my $$ to.