Window replacement brand quality
March 18, 2021 11:21 AM Subscribe
Contractors for window replacement seem to have their favorite brands ... how do you choose?
We're replacing a bunch of double pane windows with failed seals. They are bottom of the barrel stuff put in sloppily by the prior owners. Window replacement companies that came by each seemed to have their one brand of window. Looking online, people on window repair forums rarely have nice things to say, but the comments are mostly old and I have no idea how seriously to take them. Are these really "builder grade" windows that will give me problems down the line? I've been most suspicious of the Alliance family, but the guy using them swears by them (they are some kind of cooperative of small manufacturers so maybe the different sellers really are different). ProVia's Endure seems regarded as a good middle of the road window if maybe a little overpriced. How do you find meaningful data to compare replacement window brand quality?
We're replacing a bunch of double pane windows with failed seals. They are bottom of the barrel stuff put in sloppily by the prior owners. Window replacement companies that came by each seemed to have their one brand of window. Looking online, people on window repair forums rarely have nice things to say, but the comments are mostly old and I have no idea how seriously to take them. Are these really "builder grade" windows that will give me problems down the line? I've been most suspicious of the Alliance family, but the guy using them swears by them (they are some kind of cooperative of small manufacturers so maybe the different sellers really are different). ProVia's Endure seems regarded as a good middle of the road window if maybe a little overpriced. How do you find meaningful data to compare replacement window brand quality?
The nice thing about Milgram windows is that 20 years after I got my windows put in, they developed condensation between the panes, and they came out and replaced them for free. FWIW.
posted by suelac at 12:13 PM on March 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by suelac at 12:13 PM on March 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
Depending on your climate you may also see some aluminum windows. If your climate is harsh, either regularly cold or hot, don't buy those as the exterior temperature transference is high, even if you got low-E glass or other upgraded glass options.
posted by The_Vegetables at 12:14 PM on March 18, 2021
posted by The_Vegetables at 12:14 PM on March 18, 2021
I just signed a contract to have our 9 main floor windows replaced. The brand recommended was ProVia Endure. The installer likes them because they strike a good balance between price and quality, and they are not the bottom rung of their offerings. He also likes working with them as the manufacturer. I got the impression that part of the reason brands like Marvin and Anderson are so much more expensive is all the marketing they do. I think those higher-end brands also do a lot of custom work and specialty windows.
posted by XtineHutch at 12:32 PM on March 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by XtineHutch at 12:32 PM on March 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
Consumer Reports shows a big difference in quality between their top rated vinyl window (91) and the bottom one (54) so they aren't just all the same.
When we remodelled, we used Anderson windows in the show-stopping locations (kitchen and living room) and Milgard vinyl in the rest. The Anderson windows were wood and they clearly slide much better in their tracks. The Milgard were fine, a big step up from the aluminum that we were replacing but not the same quality at Anderson.
posted by metahawk at 5:06 PM on March 18, 2021
When we remodelled, we used Anderson windows in the show-stopping locations (kitchen and living room) and Milgard vinyl in the rest. The Anderson windows were wood and they clearly slide much better in their tracks. The Milgard were fine, a big step up from the aluminum that we were replacing but not the same quality at Anderson.
posted by metahawk at 5:06 PM on March 18, 2021
I just read the freely available consumer reports content, and I've literally never heard of a brand new window that allowed water or wind to pass through the window part (frame, glass, whatever), and would not consider the info they found to be anything other than manufacturing defects, which you could test by spraying your new windows with a hose before install and should be returned. Window leaks almost always have to do with the installation and house framing, not the window itself when brand new.
I'd say that yes, some do slide differently, but the difference in cost is in the 10X range per window cost alone.
posted by The_Vegetables at 2:59 PM on March 20, 2021
I'd say that yes, some do slide differently, but the difference in cost is in the 10X range per window cost alone.
posted by The_Vegetables at 2:59 PM on March 20, 2021
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It makes no qualifications about glass, maintenance or internal workings, which are different between manufacturers, and so much so as to be almost incomparable.
Generally if you are going for higher quality than 'builder grade', then you are really only talking what the frame is made of, meaning wood or a wood-adjacent material like fiberglass and available in colors other than white and tan. And fancier frame designs (which is difficult to do with vinyl).
On that site you have linked, the main unique features are the different interior and exterior colors and finish options, different from basic windows you would buy at a big box store.
If you don't mind basic white with flat white frames and noticeable vinyl joints, then feel free to buy builder grade.
posted by The_Vegetables at 12:04 PM on March 18, 2021