need replacement windows for home

[1 FMF]

what's a good window? Know any others beside therma-tite and pella?
Had a guy come show me therma-tite windows. Gave me the run down on those and a quote of $10k do install 17 windows.

what should I look for other than double pane, the Energy rating, and the glass coating? So far I'm figuring on vinyl windows unless there's another material I don't know about that's better. We currently have aluminum framed windows, which came with the house, and they're terrible.

 

[michaelc80]

Will you have any gas between the panes? (There's a joke there somewhere, but seriously).

Are you doing double hung or casement style?

If it's double hung make sure the windows are easy to clean. We have Marvin double hung windows in our home and they are a real struggle to tilt in and clean. You have to hold the track out and yank hard, get one side started then do the same on the next.

I also like storm windows for the added air space as well as the appearance (for our home anyway).

Ours are vinyl cladded on the outside, paint or stain on the inside. Other than the tilting issue they are very energy efficent and I'm pleased with them. They're LowE glass and I'm pretty sure they're filled with a gas between the glass panes (but not positive).

 

[Matt_S]

I think you're referring to Argon gas. From what I've heard, that's a waste of money. I can't cite any references unfortunately, but I understand that the Argon escapes from the window within a couple years and is replaced with regular air.

I'd say, look for double pane, low-e coating and make sure the frame is welded together. Some of the cheaper vinyl windows have frames that are mechanically fastened. Those will get rickety and leaky over the years. Also look for a good strong lock, preferably one that will cause the window to seal more tightly as it's fastened.

Between my parents and I (not to mention friends), we've had Wallside windows installed in three separate houses and have been very satisfied with all of them. I don't know if they're available in CT, but if they are, check them out. The factory offers a 35 year warranty. My parents just had to make a claim on a window that was fogging up. They had no trouble whatsoever with getting it fixed.

Finally, I've had just about the worst (and probably 2'nd worst, too) aluminum windows made. I know what you're talking about.

Edit: Also, Andersen makes a line of lower-cost replacement windows. I believe they're fiberglass or some sort of composite. The price is more in line with a premium vinyl window than their typical expensive wood windows. That might be worth checking out.

 

[The Critic]

quote:

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From what I've heard, that's a waste of money. I can't cite any references unfortunately, but I understand that the Argon escapes from the window within a couple years and is replaced with regular air.

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Just got a retrofit at our house with the Milgard windows. They work well, I can tell the difference in insulation. However, one of the windows was defective and took over 2 mo with customer service to resolve, but was partially our fault as we were quick picky in regards to the way they were planning to fix it, though nevertheless (however they were going to fix it), the lifetime warranty would still apply.

I think I do have the Argon gas in mine. If its sealed well, it shouldn't be a problem with leakage. Milgard has a lifetime warranty, so if the gas "escapes," they'll replace the window.

 

[brianl703]

I had Reliabilt windows from Lowe's installed. Big difference over the original windows.

 

[1sttruck]

Whatever you get pay attention to installation details, otherwise you could negate some of the benefits of new, fancy windows.

 

[tom slick]

I really like my Milgard windows.

 

[Amkeer]

Simonton would be the ticket. Thats what I am using in my house. Checked all the others out and really did not care for the construction of them. Some I compared to the Simonton; Pella, Marvin, Anderson, Jeld-Win and another but I forget. Solid vinyl will be your most energy efficient and that is Simonton.

http://www.simonton.com/Default.asp?bhcp=1

Price check! I am installing the windows and there are 32 in my home. The quote is $7500 for 7/8 insulated.

 

[Amkeer]

Oh another thing I used Kensington windows in my previous home which are similar to Simonton and I paid $3200 delivered including tax for 11 windows of which 4 were the size equivilent of 10. They originally wanted $15000 installed. It took me a day to remove old and put the new windows back in. You do the math!

 

[PandaBear]

What's so special about argon gas filling? Is it suppose to be more insulation or corrosion resistant?

 

[brianl703]

It's not hard to replace windows. Basically, remove the trim, pry the old window out (after removing the glass, of course), pop the new one in, seal the gap with insulation/door+window foam as needed, screw it into the framing, replace trim.

 

[Bret Chase]

it depends on what you want to spend really. Paradigm makes really nice affordable vinyl (~$100 each and up each) windows that are fully welded with low-E glass. I've installed several hundred of them and I prefer them over some significantly more expensive windows (read 100 windows for $75,000) that I've installed.

$58 a window buys you some seriously cheap windows.

as a an all around material for windows, vinyl is very hard to beat.. it'll never be a pretty as solid mahogany windows, buy you'll also not pay $1000 each for them either.

 

[Amkeer]

It becomes difficult when you don't know how to read a tape measure or are using a cheap 20-30 dollar level. The rest is downhill after that.

If you have good skills, patience and have a somewhat talented helper its a do-able task. Just follow directions!

 

[JHZR2]

seriously, replacement windows are SOOOO ugly.

If your home is more than 60 years old, you effectively ruin the look of a home with all but the absolute best, custom windows.

Our home has the original 1920s windows... no big deal, we keep the heat at 65, and to be honest, our 80 year old home cycles heat a lot less than my apartment, which has all of the best of the 1980s energy savings stuff (double pane windows, super insulated doors, etc). The house has small, non-noticable stormwindows.

Just something to consider... Im shopping for a home of my own, and it disgusts me at what some folks do to their older homes in the name of energy efficiency.

There is something to be said about having draft... seriosuly, regurgitated air, offgas from everything from carpet to your applicances, etc. is NOT good for your health, and to save $20 a year on energy bills may notbe the best investment.

JMH

 

[brianl703]

quote:

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There is something to be said about having draft

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That must have been what the drunks[1] who built the house I live in thought.

It's pretty bad when a gust of wind OUTSIDE moves a door INSIDE and all the windows are CLOSED..but that's happened here. They neglected to caulk the basement window..somehow the weatherstripping was totally missing from the front door...they didn't caulk where the dryer vent or the sump pump discharge pipe goes to the outside..and that's just what I've found (and fixed) so far.

Oh, the HVAC ducts run throught the attic and I'd not be surprised, given the crap workmanship I've seen here, if they leak like a **** sieve too.


[1]They left lots of beer cans inside the walls.
The house was built in 1995 and the builder is Richmond American.

 

[oilyriser]

The vinyl frames of the windows in the home where I live have started to warp inwards, so they longer seal against the gaskets when they are closed. These are the type that swing out around a vertical axis, using a crank. I had to silicone some of them closed, to prevent drafts.

 

[eljefino]

Anotehr vote for paradigm.

1sttruck was right about installation being key. Get a roll of r13 fiberglass and "shred" it then use a putty knife to jam it in all the cracks.

 

[1sttruck]

"They left lots of beer cans inside the walls.
The house was built in 1995 and the builder is Richmond American."

A fortune cookie fortune that I taped on my white board at work is something along the lines of 'life is a tragedy for those who feel and a comedy for those who think', so join Tom Hanks in one of the best laughing scenes ever, where the tub falls thru floor in 'Moneypit' :^)

After the guys built our place they must have moved out east. I tell people that cavemen built our place, although the cabinetmakers appeared to have been modern man. The driveway, rear patio, and grade around the house all slope towards the house, where water flowed into the garage during thunderstorms. Beer cans in the walls, old lunch wrappers in the crawl space, special ineffecient windows that were not only drafty, but allowed 1 inch of ice to form on the inside during cold snaps. Bathroom vents consisting of ducting pointing strait up, wired to a roof vent, which acted like condensation chambers during cold snaps and dripped water. The insulation guy must have gotten the inspector drunk before sign off as the insulation almost came up to the level of the 2x4s ofthe roof trusses, and then leveled off to no insulation in the corners. We had plagues of bugs crawling from the attic thru the all of the holes around fixtures and such, and in the crawl space we had mice, snakes, frogs, slugs, and carpenter ants. I used many, many cases of Greatstuff foam and caulking.

Just remember though, it's funny :^)

 

[brianl703]

It was pretty funny when I was testing the sump pump by pouring a bucket of water into it...

...and then the discharge pipe (which hadn't been cemented together!) came apart and started spraying water all over, as I quickly grabbed the cord for the sump pump and yanked it out of the wall. (At least this happened when I was there to do something about it, as opposed to it happening when I'm not at home).


As I cemented it together, wondering how much brain damage those fumes can cause to someone who works with it all the time, I noticed that the check valve in the discharge pipe had an arrow and a notation "THIS SIDE UP" on it.

It was pointing down.

Fixing that was kinda fun. I thought I could just loosen it and turn it. Wrong..it came apart and about 2 gallons of rank water come out of the pipe, and I was in it's path.

 

[oilyriser]

Hey.... at least you know the check valve works.