Window Selection for New Home?

[Ed Barnes]

We are planning to start construction of a new home and shop building next spring. We live in south central Nebraska. According to NOAA, we are in the West North Central climate region. We have Andersen windows in our current home, which we built in 1980, and have been very pleased with them. I would like to seek recommendations from your collective expertise regarding current product lines from Andersen, Pella, Marvin or what you feel may be comparable or better quality windows. Are there quality control, customer service, or other issues with any of these manufacturers? If more information is needed to help formulate your response, ask away. Thanks in advance.

Ed

[Joel Goodman]

I also have had a good experience with Andersen windows. I have some older ones and recently revamped a section of the house using about 8 new Andersens. I only have experience with the casements and awnings but both are good and fairly priced. They also make custom sizes on some of these for a not crazy premium. Not wild about the look of their double hung windows -- seem plasticy. I'm sure there are higher end windows but at a higher price.

[Brian Elfert]

I like the Andersen windows on my house that was built in 2001. No drafts no matter how much the wind howls. My brother has some cheap builder grade windows on his house built in 1999. They leak air like crazy. The ironic thing is that my brother was working at Andersen Windows when the house was built or he started there shortly after the house was built. (He still works at Andersen.)

I have no experience with modern windows from the other manufacturers.

[Bruce Page]

We replaced all of our windows with Pella's several years ago. Been very happy with them.

[Matt Meiser]

We put in Andersen 400 series about 6-7 years ago to replace the Peachtree windows original to our house when it was built in 1991. Those rotted out in the bottom corners where the jambs met the sills. We did have a problem with the sliding door we put in at the same time--a pin on the latch fell out. I called Andersen and had an complete new latch mechanism, designed to eliminate the offending pin, in about 2 days at no charge.

Home Depot stocks select sizes of 400 series or at least did. We got lucky and the size of most of our windows was one they stocked. The cost was substantially lower than anything that had to be ordered. Our contractor couldn't come close to touching the price from his Andersen supplier and recommended that I supply the windows. Something you might consider during the design process. We just had to work with our HD's store manager to get them to order more than the 4 they stocked at any given time (which turned into a nightmare because he was a...well...er...anyway, he's no longer there and I'm willing to shop there again and I saw him not too long after stocking shelves somewhere else.)

If it wasn't for that, I would have gone with whichever was a better price between Pella and Andersen. When we were looking to build each builder had a preference between 1 of the 2, but most admitted it was pretty much a coin toss.

[Kevin W Johnson]

I know that there is/was (as of Jan 2011) a class action lawsuit against Pella involving the ProLine series windows. Supposedly they have "fixed" the design flaws, but the company has been less than willing to make good on all the bad windows from the stories I've read.

[Jim Becker]

We used Weathershield windows and are very pleased with them. Our general contractor prefers them over brands like Anderson, Pella and Marvin for both cost and customer service reasons.

[Bruce Volden]

First off , I'll be watching this thread. That said, I installed Pella's on my first home--they looked nice and functioned well. I did have an area on the bay window that started to "weather" prematurely in one corner. It fixed easily but at the price I had to pay for the window I wasn't happy. I have Anderson's on this house and they seem to be doing fine structurally--mechanically they SUCK. Anderson wants about $60.00 for replacement cranks, and they seem to break every year!!! I don't understand why, when windows cost so much, they can't incorporate something other than "pot metal" for the mechanics??? Anyway, both are clear (no fogging), easily cleaned, and out here in the sticks, not very bird friendly--BlueJays always running into them in the winter.

Bruce

[William Payer]

First off , I'll be watching this thread. That said, I installed Pella's on my first home--they looked nice and functioned well. I did have an area on the bay window that started to "weather" prematurely in one corner. It fixed easily but at the price I had to pay for the window I wasn't happy. I have Anderson's on this house and they seem to be doing fine structurally--mechanically they SUCK. Anderson wants about $60.00 for replacement cranks, and they seem to break every year!!! I don't understand why, when windows cost so much, they can't incorporate something other than "pot metal" for the mechanics??? Anyway, both are clear (no fogging), easily cleaned, and out here in the sticks, not very bird friendly--BlueJays always running into them in the winter.

Bruce

Bruce,

Did you try online? google Andersen window replacement parts and there is a link to the andersen on line part . I just checked and most casement handles are in the $10 area with a few at $20.

( If your casements are that hard to operate, have you cleaned the slides and mechanisms and used a silicone spray lube on them? Really makes a difference . They do need cleaning every 4-5 years to keep operating like new.

[William Payer]

Ed,

We have had Andersen casements in our home for about 22 years. We replaced the builders "deluxe" windows which were terrible . Andersens have been fine. Ours were affected by the glass seals issue , Andersen sent out a repairman and they were all fixed on site ( 19 years after the sale!) I am very satisfied with the Andersen products.

[Chuck Wintle]

just reading this topic regarding the various manufacturers windows. What makes one brand of window superior to another? Are the better ones constructed of wood or vinyl or both materials?

[Ed Barnes]

just reading this topic regarding the various manufacturers windows. What makes one brand of window superior to another? Are the better ones constructed of wood or vinyl or both materials?

Good question Chuck. We went with all wood when we built last time. They have held up well (31 yrs), but as I get older would like to go with a lower maintenance product. I just don't want to climb a ladder and repaint in a few years. Aluminum cladding looks nice, but with the potential for hail storms here, I am leaning toward vinyl cladding. Thoughts?

[Dave Lehnert]

Pella windows and doors in Cincinnati is in the process of closing down. Not sure if this has an effect on nationwide availability or not.

http://www.local12.com/news/local/st...W1QUmxbnw.cspx

[Matt Meiser]

Not likely. They have 10 other manufacturing plants. http://www.pella.com/about-us/careers/locations.aspx

[Kent A Bathurst]

Traditionally, Pella and Marvin are at the top of that list, in terms of overall quality and performance. I always knew Anderson for having the biggest advertising and promotion budget.

Dave - For virtually every company with multiple locations that supplies the housing industry, the times dictate consolidation. That's not the only door plant they have. I'm surprised they hadn't done this sooner.

Chuck - No one material is, per se, better than another. But - there are differences across the various criteria, and you need to evaluate them on those. R rating, maintenance, aesthetics, cost. And different things play to different applications.

Renovation work, for example: vinyl is generally less expensive for custom-sized windows than wood. But if you have an historical home in, say, New Bern, NC, you won't be putting anything other than wood in those [The historical society lynch mob will see to that].

Aluminum or vinyl [whether entirely or exterior-clad] means no painting. But, by the same token, if you are looking for red oak, even Scott Holmes can't give you stain and varnish advice on the interior of vinyl windows. Ocean-front means you likely don't want wood exteriors.

In extreme situations, heavy-duty aluminum windows will withstand Hurricane OMIGOD!! better than the others.

So "which is better?" prompts "who's askin'?".