Hi,

I plan to replace about 24 windows this summer with vinyl replacement
windows. I have the following quotes for a 32"x45" double-hung window,
Low-E/Argon glass, full screen, colonial grid:

American Craftsman 9500 (Home Depot): $224
American Craftsman 8500 (Home Depot): $180
Reliabuilt 7000 (Lowes): $250
Pella Thermastar (through Lowes): $186

I also plan to check pricing with Harvey (this is in New England).

Does anyone have experience with the above brands? Any
recommendations? Any other brands I should check out? In all honesty,
most of the windows I've looked at so far look pretty similar to me,
with the exception of the tensioning mechanism.

Also, should I go for the Argon on all windows, or just those facing
the sun? Any help is appreciated.

American Craftsman are pretty terrible. I replaced all my windows (32) this
last fall/winter and they performed very poorly. Lots of drafts between
sash/frame, warped sashes, broken sash frames, etc....If I had it to do over
again, I definitely would not have purchased them. I bought some 8500 and
9500's....there's no difference betwee them.
"Ethan" wrote in message
om...
Hi,

I plan to replace about 24 windows this summer with vinyl replacement
windows. I have the following quotes for a 32"x45" double-hung window,
Low-E/Argon glass, full screen, colonial grid:

American Craftsman 9500 (Home Depot): $224
American Craftsman 8500 (Home Depot): $180
Reliabuilt 7000 (Lowes): $250
Pella Thermastar (through Lowes): $186

I also plan to check pricing with Harvey (this is in New England).

Does anyone have experience with the above brands? Any
recommendations? Any other brands I should check out? In all honesty,
most of the windows I've looked at so far look pretty similar to me,
with the exception of the tensioning mechanism.

Also, should I go for the Argon on all windows, or just those facing
the sun? Any help is appreciated.

Subject: Replacement Window quotes
From: (Ethan)
Date: 3/16/2004 12:56 PM Eastern Standard Time
Message-id:

Hi,

I plan to replace about 24 windows this summer with vinyl replacement
windows. I have the following quotes for a 32"x45" double-hung window,
Low-E/Argon glass, full screen, colonial grid:

American Craftsman 9500 (Home Depot): $224
American Craftsman 8500 (Home Depot): $180
Reliabuilt 7000 (Lowes): $250
Pella Thermastar (through Lowes): $186

I also plan to check pricing with Harvey (this is in New England).

Does anyone have experience with the above brands? Any
recommendations? Any other brands I should check out? In all honesty,
most of the windows I've looked at so far look pretty similar to me,
with the exception of the tensioning mechanism.

Also, should I go for the Argon on all windows, or just those facing
the sun? Any help is appreciated.









I am not sure about the prices ot he brands you have but those prices do seem
inline with the windows I sell if your price was for welded windows. Go for
the low-e argon on all your windows. It doesnt add that much to the cost. By
the way, Argin gas is usually included free of charge when you order low-e.

"Ethan" wrote in message
om...
Hi,

I plan to replace about 24 windows this summer with vinyl replacement
windows. I have the following quotes for a 32"x45" double-hung window,
Low-E/Argon glass, full screen, colonial grid:

American Craftsman 9500 (Home Depot): $224
American Craftsman 8500 (Home Depot): $180
Reliabuilt 7000 (Lowes): $250
Pella Thermastar (through Lowes): $186

I also plan to check pricing with Harvey (this is in New England).

Does anyone have experience with the above brands? Any
recommendations? Any other brands I should check out? In all honesty,
most of the windows I've looked at so far look pretty similar to me,
with the exception of the tensioning mechanism.

Also, should I go for the Argon on all windows, or just those facing
the sun? Any help is appreciated.



Harvey's windows will out shine them all.
price and construction.

average window $160
check-out there "slimline" windows for more glass and less frame.

[On 16 Mar 2004 09:56:09 -0800,
(Ethan) wrote:]

Any help is appreciated.

As the expert on this subject which I am definitely not,
my opinion is that you should also nose around for an
independent local window company.

As I have said in another thread, it seems that
installation is as important as the windows themselves, if
not more so. This is somewhat echoed by one of the
previous responses to your post.

The good thing about dealing with big companies like Lowes
is that they are likely to stand behind their warranties.

The bad thing is that they job out the installations based
largely on low bids.

Personally, I would rather deal with a local company that
has been around for awhile and that can give me some
references.

I have a dog. One of the many good things about having a
dog is taking him for walks. This gives me the chance to
look closely at the other houses around where I live.
Meet the owners, ask them questions, etc.

There is one woman up the street from me who seems to do
everything right. I don't know how she does it, but she
does. Her house could be in Sunset Magazine. This
specifically includes her windows -- which she had
installed several years ago by a local window company.

(Btw, I do not think the quotes you listed include
installation. Be careful.)

--
Harry

Thanks for the inputs. Guess I wasn't clear about the quotes I
showed...they were definetely not for installation, just material.

(Ethan) wrote in message . com...
Hi,

I plan to replace about 24 windows this summer with vinyl replacement
windows. I have the following quotes for a 32"x45" double-hung window,
Low-E/Argon glass, full screen, colonial grid:
snip

I'd suggest that you're excluding the better candidates- the NON-vinyl
(wood-framed) ones. In my experience, most all vinyl windows are
unmitigated crap compared to any decent wooden ones, and few of them
are likely to last 20 years. OTOH, if you're focused only on the
nickles, short-term ... it's your nickle.

The tilt-in retrofit window "innards" make care of "real" windows
simple.

John

I would check at Pella and Andersen. Andersen has particularly good
support. Someone crushed a sill and the lady at Andersen wanted to code off
the window glass so she could do it under warranty. I had to tell her 3
times it wasn't a flaw.... we crushed it and should pay for the part.

Pella support is a bit less organized but in the end they conme thru. The
Pella you see at Lowes is their low end. You might want to check at in your
yellow pages for both companies to get names of their local approved dealers
and installers.

I have to admit I wasn't thinking the Andersen windows in my house were
spectacular until I was at my parents house built at the same time with
typical builder wood windows. Boy do they suck. Always sticking no matter
how much silicone spray you use. Andersen never stick and close tightly.



"Ethan" wrote in message
om...
Hi,

I plan to replace about 24 windows this summer with vinyl replacement
windows. I have the following quotes for a 32"x45" double-hung window,
Low-E/Argon glass, full screen, colonial grid:

American Craftsman 9500 (Home Depot): $224
American Craftsman 8500 (Home Depot): $180
Reliabuilt 7000 (Lowes): $250
Pella Thermastar (through Lowes): $186

I also plan to check pricing with Harvey (this is in New England).

Does anyone have experience with the above brands? Any
recommendations? Any other brands I should check out? In all honesty,
most of the windows I've looked at so far look pretty similar to me,
with the exception of the tensioning mechanism.

Also, should I go for the Argon on all windows, or just those facing
the sun? Any help is appreciated.

Art wrote:

I would check at Pella and Andersen.

I have to admit I wasn't thinking the Andersen windows in my house were
spectacular until I was at my parents house built at the same time with
typical builder wood windows. Boy do they suck. Always sticking no matter
how much silicone spray you use. Andersen never stick and close tightly.

Any experience on how these stack up against Milgard?

Frank

From: "F.H."


Art wrote:

I would check at Pella and Andersen.

I have to admit I wasn't thinking the Andersen windows in my house were
spectacular until I was at my parents house built at the same time with
typical builder wood windows. Boy do they suck. Always sticking no matter
how much silicone spray you use. Andersen never stick and close tightly.

Any experience on how these stack up against Milgard?

Frank

I don't know about Milguard, but I can attest to Anderson, at least their
tilt-sash line. I replaced all my windows right down to completely re-framing
some sections of exterior walls to accomodate larger, more traditional Anderson
double-hung windows.

I was hoping for at least no additional heat loss, replacing builders special's
(single pane glass aluminum framed sliders, and some horrid single-hung (on the
front of the house only) at the rate of almost doubling the amount of glass I
once had.

My heat bills are 1/2 what they once were. No drafts, no noise, no sticking
windows, no condensation.

I didn't like their line of double-hung windows that don't tilt, the exposed
mechanicals or their boxy-look.

"HA HA Budys Here" wrote in message
...
From: "F.H."


Art wrote:

I would check at Pella and Andersen.

I have to admit I wasn't thinking the Andersen windows in my house were
spectacular until I was at my parents house built at the same time with
typical builder wood windows. Boy do they suck. Always sticking no
matter
how much silicone spray you use. Andersen never stick and close
tightly.

Any experience on how these stack up against Milgard?

Frank

I don't know about Milguard, but I can attest to Anderson, at least their
tilt-sash line. I replaced all my windows right down to completely
re-framing
some sections of exterior walls to accomodate larger, more traditional
Anderson
double-hung windows.

I was hoping for at least no additional heat loss, replacing builders
special's
(single pane glass aluminum framed sliders, and some horrid single-hung
(on the
front of the house only) at the rate of almost doubling the amount of
glass I
once had.

My heat bills are 1/2 what they once were. No drafts, no noise, no
sticking
windows, no condensation.

I didn't like their line of double-hung windows that don't tilt, the
exposed
mechanicals or their boxy-look.

I have the Naroline non tilt and would definitely prefer tilt windows if I
had had a choice.