Replacement Windows

[RUDisney]

I need 7 new windows on my second floor and one in my kitchen. The second floor will have double hung and the kitchen will either be 2 side by side casements or a double hung.

I've had Pella and Replacements by Anderson out to my house.

I have a quote from Anderson and Pella never followed up with one.

Should I be looking at other vendors? What do you recommend?

This is, a minimum, a 30-year investment into the house and I'd prefer not to regret our choice.

 

[_19disnA]

We used Replacement by Anderson at a prior house several years ago and found it an excellent product. Recommended them to some of our neighbors who also used them successfully. One of the things we found was that other companies (including Pella) are mostly selling 'new construction' type windows. If you use their product, you then have to hire carpenters & painters to repair the damage done to the interior walls/moldings resulting from installing their windows. None of the other window companies handle those interior repairs and act like that is your problem. Other companies are really not selling 'replacement' windows, but this was several years ago and can't speak to what might be offered by others today. Anderson made windows in all of the various sizes we needed and they measure every opening to insure exact fits. I had the impression they can make up any size required, but I would assume any company making custom windows would do the same.

Anderson windows slide in from the outside and there is no damage to the interior walls. That makes a BIG difference on the total cost of the project. At the very least, I would make sure to ask anyone quoting replacement windows about the issue of what (if any) interior damage there will be and who is responsible to return it to way it was. Other companies we quoted all indicated those repairs would be our responsibility, not theirs.

Anderson makes a quality product and you get what you pay for. There are probably also some local companies who advertise on TV and make flimsy 'replacement' windows, but part of what you are buying is a product that makes your home more energy efficient (i.e. better sealing, double-pane glass, etc.). If cheap replacement windows are no better then what you have today, not sure you gained anything. Anderson windows are also made of some sort of composite materials so the exterior will never need painting. I would NEVER get wood window exteriors since you will have a continuing maintenance project to repaint over the next several years. It you have a home that is more then one story, you would likely have to hire painters to do that every few years with their taller ladders.

The official name is 'Renewal by Anderson'.

 

[soccerdad72]

We went with Anderson as well - it's what our contractor recommended. We're really happy with them, but anything would have been better than the crappy windows our original homebuilder put in the house.

 

[Schneewittchen37]

Does Thompson Creek service your area? One of my old neighbors used to work for them as an installer. Nice windows. His crew did some work in our old neighborhood.

 

[mom2rb]

We used Advanced Window Products for our windows. We highly recommend them.

 

[MillauFr]

We just got two Andersen Windows. They are top quality but expensive. It was about $11k to replace two double casement windows in our bedrooms. I would have done more windows but the cost was high. But I agree you get what you pay for.

 

[RangerPooh]

I'm not sure the brand of windows that we just had installed, but we went through Window World. We had quotes from Lowes and Home Depot, but went with WW instead. The wait list was long for all vendors. We got on the list at the end of November and they were just installed two weeks ago. Said goodbye to 40 yo single pain and hello to beautiful double hung windows.

 

[donaldbuzz&minnie]

We used The Window Man in our area and bought Infinity windows by Marvin. We were very happy, both with the windows themselves and the
buying-through-installation process. I have no idea how that would work in another area, but we would definitely go with them again here.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

Marvin windows comes to mind

 

[DVC-Don]

We recently used Window World for our home here in central Florida. Our daughter also used Window World at her home in the Syracuse, NY area. Both happy.

 

[Darcy03231]

We used Harvey Windows through a local contractor and are very happy with them.

 

[tvguy]

Most of our windows are old fashioned single pane. I have 5 windows that are dual pane put in when we added on to our house, and remodel our bathrooms. They are all Milgard. They have a fabrication plant here and all have a lifetime warranty.
My neighbor just had Renewal by Anderson replace 5 windows in her house. At least here, Renewal by Anderson advertises heavily that THEIR employees do all the work. Nope. Other than the salesman, everyone they used on her project were independent contractor, not Renewal by Anderson employees. Renewal by Anderson also makes a big deal that their window frames are made of "fibrex" not vinyl, and that fibrex is stronger. My Milgard windows are all framed in aluminum, they will never crack or rust.

 

[xipotec]

We just got two Andersen Windows. They are top quality but expensive. It was about $11k to replace two double casement windows in our bedrooms. I would have done more windows but the cost was high. But I agree you get what you pay for

HOW MUCH??? For 2 windows??!?!!!!

 

[BayouQueen]

Another vote here for Anderson. We put them in about 10 years ago and should have done it much sooner. Our house stays way cooler in summer and much warmer in winter. They are also easy to clean. I love them. Expensive, yes, but really good.
I should add that these were actually a second window replacement. We did some less expensive vinyl windows on a few windows and they fell apart on us. So we wasted money there. When we decided to really go for it, we also went to the Pella showroom and there was no comparison in quality -- the Anderson Replacements were much, much better.

 

[MillauFr]

HOW MUCH??? For 2 windows??!?!!!!

$11,000. It was $15,000 but with all of the discounts they dropped the price down to $11,000. When they have to pay the installers $75 a hour it adds up fast.

 

[tvguy]

HOW MUCH??? For 2 windows??!?!!!!

This is my neighbor's house. She had the four 6 foot tall by 30 inch wide windows on the left and the kitchen window on the right, about 30" by 30" installed by Renewal by Anderson for $11,500. They are NOT cheap. She still has 7 single pane windows in the house, some day she hopes to have the money to replace them too. .

 

[MillauFr]

Another vote here for Anderson. We put them in about 10 years ago and should have done it much sooner. Our house stays way cooler in summer and much warmer in winter. They are also easy to clean. I love them. Expensive, yes, but really good.
I should add that these were actually a second window replacement. We did some less expensive vinyl windows on a few windows and they fell apart on us. So we wasted money there. When we decided to really go for it, we also went to the Pella showroom and there was no comparison in quality -- the Anderson Replacements were much, much better.

Ditto. The two upstairs double casement windows that I replaced were less than 20 years old. I didn't care how much the new ones cost. I wanted the best and didn't want to ever replace them again.

 

[DVCjj]

Replacement by Andersen. No, not cheap. But good windows.

 

[tvguy]

If you want new windows, our need new windows, go for it.
But a word of warning, we sure don't notice any difference in noise or temperature over the single pane windows they replaced.
And my mom had one of those energy audits done. A contractor approve by her utility company came out, took measurements of all the windows and THEN connected to her utility companies billing database to calculate how long it would take to recoup the cost of the windows in energy savings. 160 YEARS! The guy couldn't believe how little electricity she used in the summer, and how little natural gas for heat and hot water. So don't plan on seeing your investment back in your lifetime in energy savings. Mom was 80 at the time, so she passed on the windows.

 

[Chaoster]

Simonton Windows.