Replacement house windows - which brand and type?

tensleep

tensleep

Addicted Member
Ok all you home diyers,

I have to start updating/upgrading my 30 year old house. As energy prices rise and my equipment ages, I want to stay ahead of the curve. My home is well insulated, but the windows, doors, ac ductwork and hvac system all need attention. Everything still works well, but has gotten old and leaky.

First up are probably the windows and ductwork. They are relatively inexpensive repairs and I can do most of the labor. Specifically, I have 3 large windows and a door that face due west. The seals in the windows have long since leaked any (if there ever was any present) gas into the atmosphere. The windows not only serve no insulating purpose, they are impossible to clean.

So, I want gas charged windows. Consider that my budget is MidFi, rather than HiFi. Who makes good windows and what should I look for?
 
Up here we use triple glazed windows. Expensive as hell but pay for themselves eventually. Using a commercial spray foam insulation is well worth it as well. Fills up every nook and cranny.
 
Four or five years ago I bought replacement windows for our house - 30 windows - from a local independent building supply place. The brand was Krestmark, made in Texas somewhere. They are double pane, gas-filled, low e, tinted, Energy Star rated. We've been happy with them.

Edit: Just checked, they're made in Dallas.
 
qpagoda said:
Four or five years ago I bought replacement windows for our house - 30 windows - from a local independent building supply place. The brand was Krestmark, made in Texas somewhere. They are double pane, gas-filled, low e, tinted, Energy Star rated. We've been happy with them.

Edit: Just checked, they're made in Dallas.
Click to expand...

I will DEFINITELY get in touch with these people. I may save shipping, etc.

EDIT: It looks like these guys do vinyl. I have a great deal of wood in the house and wanted to stick with that. I will have to call them and check out installing vinyl, but trimming out with wood.
 
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tensleep said:
I will DEFINITELY get in touch with these people. I may save shipping, etc.

EDIT: It looks like these guys do vinyl. I have a great deal of wood in the house and wanted to stick with that. I will have to call them and check out installing vinyl, but trimming out with wood.
Click to expand...

Mine are aluminum framed. Wish now that I had bought the vinyl instead.
 
I've always been happy with Anderson, but not sure if they're considered 'midfi' or 'hifi' on pricing. You probably want low e glass for those West windows.
 
I'm a big fan of Marvin clad windows. I try and specify them for all of my residential projects. You won't go wrong with Andersen 400 series, either, if you have stock sized openings. Both have very nice interior wood and hardware. Go for argon gas filled Low E glass.
 
Ohighway said:
I've always been happy with Anderson, but not sure if they're considered 'midfi' or 'hifi' on pricing. You probably want low e glass for those West windows.
Click to expand...

2526 said:
I'm a big fan of Marvin clad windows. I try and specify them for all of my residential projects. You won't go wrong with Andersen 400 series, either, if you have stock sized openings. Both have very nice interior wood and hardware. Go for argon gas filled Low E glass.
Click to expand...

Definitely going with argon. Talk to me about Low E vs. window film.
 
How big are the windows? My own personal experience is that vinyl sucks for big double hung windows. At least the ones the prior owner had installed. They are about 77"x34" and make creaking and cracking noises when the wind blows. I've been replacing the original windows upstairs with Andersen Woodwright 400 replacements. Wood interior/clad exterior. Trying to maintain the historic/original look of the house (1870's Italianate Victorian). Custom made and not cheap though, by my standards. They don't make all the noise the vinyl ones do when windy and much quieter overall (I don't think the vinyl ones were sealed well when installed, which probably accounts for noise leakage).

Now for the bad. I was having problems with the upper and lower sashes lining up and sealing with the new Andersen windows. I thought the frame was racked and reinstalled, but nothing helped. Finally measured criss cross corner to corner and it turned out 6 out of 7 of the upper sashes were not square. Fought for a couple months with the company on the issue. Them saying I didn't install them correctly. Me saying it doesn't matter if the sash isn't square. The second Andersen rep that came out confirmed what I was saying and I finally got new upper sashes.

These were 3 separate orders over a span of a year. So it's not like they all came from the same batch. I still have 6 more to replace upstairs and now I'm hesitant with that brand.

On a good note. They look good and work well if manufactured correctly.....ha.
 
I recently replaced every single window and glass door in a two story home. I learned a lot.

First, there are approximately 3,000 companies manufacturing new windows in the US. 99% of them only sell to contractors and professional window installation companies, so you've never heard of their names. The very few companies that you know, such as Marvin, Anderson, Pella, etc., are the companies that market directly to consumers through flyers, ads, etc.. So, just because a window company might not be a recognizable name doesn't mean they're not legit.

If you want to live in the house for a long time to come, don't buy wood exterior windows. You have two other choices, aluminum or vinyl. Your choice depends primarily on the potential resale value of your home, and cost. Vinyl is much, much less expensive. However, (just as an example for discussion), if you live in a $500,000 home, vinyl windows would not be a good choice. It's not what potential buyers would expect to find.

You can do vinyl interior and vinyl exterior. There are very attractive wood grain interior colors available.

If you do aluminum exterior, then stainable real wood interior is available. This is a very attractive option, but will be the most expensive.

Argon filled, dual pane, low E reflective glass is becoming a standard for all quality windows. Even though it doesn't get below zero where you live, it will still help block sun and help with AC bills.

Get estimates from several different window companies, and, as always, do your homework before you choose.
 
These are going to be three vertical picture windows. I couldn't get measurements last night - my 16 year old son needed some help. Thanks for all of the replies and keep 'em coming - I am learning fast.
 
Are you planning on installing them yourself? If so, let me know how that goes because if it's not very difficult, I might do that with my windows.
 
If you know what shims are for, and you know how to use a level, then it's not terribly difficult. Two-man job though, for sure.
 
I went with all fiberglass/Ultrex Marvin Infinity replacement windows in my place. They've only been in a month, give or take, so I can't really comment on long term durability. They have lifetime warranty, for what it's worth, double-hung, tilt in sashes for easy cleaning, and all the low e, argon fill, dual pane, etc., energy efficiency stuff.

The ones I had put in are replacement windows. Yes, I've said that twice but in my initial foray I wasn't clear in my understanding of the distinction between replacement windows and new construction windows so I present this hopefully in clarification of that. I watched the guy put some of them in, didn't look too hard if you know what you're doing. If you're talking new construction windows there's a lot more work that way due to full tear out of the old, almost certainly adjacent siding work/rework, interior trim out/finishing, etc. etc.

I will say that even though these seem like very nice windows the ones I got are generic in appearance...no wood, no wood grain, just smooth finish. Low/no maintenance and better efficiency for a long time were my primary goals. If I had a super nice upscale house then the choice may have been something with wood interior finished to match the decor/other trim or at least faux wood grain sort of thing.
 
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tensleep said:
Ok all you home diyers,

I have to start updating/upgrading my 30 year old house. As energy prices rise and my equipment ages, I want to stay ahead of the curve. My home is well insulated, but the windows, doors, ac ductwork and hvac system all need attention. Everything still works well, but has gotten old and leaky.

First up are probably the windows and ductwork. They are relatively inexpensive repairs and I can do most of the labor. Specifically, I have 3 large windows and a door that face due west. The seals in the windows have long since leaked any (if there ever was any present) gas into the atmosphere. The windows not only serve no insulating purpose, they are impossible to clean.

So, I want gas charged windows. Consider that my budget is MidFi, rather than HiFi. Who makes good windows and what should I look for?
Click to expand...


So I agree it might be time to replace the windows. I have not done the ducts at my house yet. Let me know if you've found something for this. I got my windows from a small company in Dallas called Conservation Construction of Dallas. I'm not sure they are the biggest but they did take care of me. Here is their website if you are interested https://conservationconstructionofdallas.com/windows/ . That being said I am not endorsing this company it's just a recommendation. The replacement windows in my house have really been a lifesaver-- mostly because my previous windows were all foggy because the glass had been broken and I could never get them clean. If you are like me and this drives you nuts. New windows offer a clean view outside which is what I liked.
 
The house we are buying is being built right now. It has all Milgard windows. Lifetime guarantee.
 
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