Which window brand do you trust?

[Lamb]

If you need to replace windows in your home, which brand do you trust? Which is too costly, which is the best bargain, etc...?

 

[Frankj]

Speaking from extensive experience in maintenance of windows, both new home installs and retrofits: There are two major brands I have found superior for several reasons including longevity and repair as well as thermal efficiency and those are Pella and Anderson.

Both have their advantages and seem to shift back and forth over the years in my view as to which is best, but currently (at the time I finally retired) I give the fiberglass framed Anderson the #1 and the Pella the #2, rated on ease of maintenance with both neck to neck in quality.

They're no where near the cheapest, but not the most expensive either. If you're planning to stay in the house long they will save the cost of early failure and another replacement, if you're planning on selling soon you might look at some cheaper brands.

Pay extra if you have to, but get thermal panes (insulated glazing, about all that is made nowadays) that are inert gas filled for both thermal properties and longevity before they eventually fail and fog over inside. I don't know why this but I have observed it this way over long periods of time.


Whatever you do, get highly experienced installation, the vast number of problems I have seen over the past 40 or so years are the result of being poorly installed. Even the best will give trouble if not installed perfectly.

 

[Lamb]

Speaking from extensive experience in maintenance of windows, both new home installs and retrofits: There are two major brands I have found superior for several reasons including longevity and repair as well as thermal efficiency and those are Pella and Anderson.

Both have their advantages and seem to shift back and forth over the years in my view as to which is best, but currently (at the time I finally retired) I give the fiberglass framed Anderson the #1 and the Pella the #2, rated on ease of maintenance with both neck to neck in quality.

They're no where near the cheapest, but not the most expensive either. If you're planning to stay in the house long they will save the cost of early failure and another replacement, if you're planning on selling soon you might look at some cheaper brands.

Pay extra if you have to, but get thermal panes (insulated glazing, about all that is made nowadays) that are inert gas filled for both thermal properties and longevity before they eventually fail and fog over inside. I don't know why this but I have observed it this way over long periods of time.


Whatever you do, get highly experienced installation, the vast number of problems I have seen over the past 40 or so years are the result of being poorly installed. Even the best will give trouble if not installed perfectly.

Thank you! I appreciate this explanation and assessment.

We are undecided how long we want to remain in this house. It's a 2-story and when my husband retires, I'd like a ranch house (with basement for tornadoes), but he really wants to stay. We need a main floor shower (already have toilet/sink) and main floor laundry. We actually have the space to build into the 3rd bay of our garage, but he doesn't want to do that.

Our current windows are the originals from 1991 and are builder grade single pane and I can't stand them. We have, oh I forget, maybe 22 windows to replace? So it won't be a cheap job.

 

[Frankj]

Thank you! I appreciate this explanation and assessment.

We are undecided how long we want to remain in this house. It's a 2-story and when my husband retires, I'd like a ranch house (with basement for tornadoes), but he really wants to stay. We need a main floor shower (already have toilet/sink) and main floor laundry. We actually have the space to build into the 3rd bay of our garage, but he doesn't want to do that.

Our current windows are the originals from 1991 and are builder grade single pane and I can't stand them. We have, oh I forget, maybe 22 windows to replace? So it won't be a cheap job.

I don't know if Anderson has the equivalent but there is a 'construction grade' Pella available. Still has Pella quality but lacks some of the high end features like internal blinds and such (which I do not like for a number of reasons) and removable second or third pane inserts that allow removing them if needed and increase the insulation factor.

They're still not cheap but are something you can rely on for a long time.

Someone else may know of different brands to consider as well, those are just the ones I know are available everywhere and that I've had experience with over a long time.

 

[tango]

Thank you! I appreciate this explanation and assessment.

We are undecided how long we want to remain in this house. It's a 2-story and when my husband retires, I'd like a ranch house (with basement for tornadoes), but he really wants to stay. We need a main floor shower (already have toilet/sink) and main floor laundry. We actually have the space to build into the 3rd bay of our garage, but he doesn't want to do that.

Our current windows are the originals from 1991 and are builder grade single pane and I can't stand them. We have, oh I forget, maybe 22 windows to replace? So it won't be a cheap job.

Only 22 windows? Easy job

Last time I had windows replaced there were 31 of them, with a number that we didn't replace. Sadly I can attest to Frankj's comments about installation quality - I think we might as well have had a monkey do our installation. The guy who put them in cut every corner imaginable and then some.

I'm looking at replacing the three we skipped last time and our options locally aren't hugely inspiring. One is the company who put the last lot in (the windows are OK, but getting them to honor their warranty when some failed was like pulling teeth), and the other is one I've heard all sorts of bad things about, and the windows they use (Alside) don't get great reviews from what I can see.

 

[Lamb]

I have one window that has a crack in it and I used some glue to try to seal it up in the meantime. I thought about getting a handyman to replace it, but now after reading this thread I'll go with the pros who do it every day.

 

[tango]

I have one window that has a crack in it and I used some glue to try to seal it up in the meantime. I thought about getting a handyman to replace it, but now after reading this thread I'll go with the pros who do it every day.

I think a lot would depend on just how much is being replaced. If it's about opening the frame to replace the sealed unit a handyman might do a good job of it, or at least a good enough job of it. It's just a question of whether you want a quick fix to get you through a cold snap or a fix that will last the next 20 years.

Sometimes the simple solutions work. I have a cracked single-pane window that's on the list to be replaced at some point. To get over the small gap in the glass I put electrical tape on it. It's an original window, the wood frame is partly rotted, and the whole lot needs to be replaced, so it's a bigger job than just removing a frame and inserting a new frame. For that one I might just do the work myself - it's a basement window so doesn't need to open and close, so all I need is a sealed unit and I can make a frame myself. At a push I can probably do the job with just two glass panels - chances are it will be good enough for a basement window.

 

[Lamb]

I think a lot would depend on just how much is being replaced. If it's about opening the frame to replace the sealed unit a handyman might do a good job of it, or at least a good enough job of it. It's just a question of whether you want a quick fix to get you through a cold snap or a fix that will last the next 20 years.

Sometimes the simple solutions work. I have a cracked single-pane window that's on the list to be replaced at some point. To get over the small gap in the glass I put electrical tape on it. It's an original window, the wood frame is partly rotted, and the whole lot needs to be replaced, so it's a bigger job than just removing a frame and inserting a new frame. For that one I might just do the work myself - it's a basement window so doesn't need to open and close, so all I need is a sealed unit and I can make a frame myself. At a push I can probably do the job with just two glass panels - chances are it will be good enough for a basement window.

I just want it one and done.

 

[tango]

I just want it one and done.

That's usually my preferred way, assuming the budget to do it properly is there. I don't usually care for quick fixes, unless it's a situation where I can't get it done properly for some time and really need an improvement as fast as possible.

 

[hotrhymez]

As long as I can see through their windows clearly then I guess theyre pretty cool...lol

 

[Lamb]

As long as I can see through their windows clearly then I guess theyre pretty cool...lol

That's one way to look at it!

 

[tango]

As long as I can see through their windows clearly then I guess theyre pretty cool...lol

A problem I had was that my windows were cool, literally. The guy who fitted them didn't bother to seal around them so I had nice new double-glazed, argon-filled windows but the cold wind just blew around them. When I figured what he'd done I used a tube of sealant and solved the problem myself. I could literally feel the difference in the room within half an hour.