Home window replacement q's....
 

Marvin or Pella... Vinyl or Fiberglass?

We live in a modest home and it would be lipstick on a pig to spend $2,000 per window so I'm looking at these ranges and choices...

Fiberglass is about $150 more per window on average. I've heard the pitch from the salespeople about strength, etc.. is fiberglass really that much better?

Any real gotcha's or tips from those that have been there? I get 100 more questions for every one that is answered.

Thanks!

fiberglass? . . n'no, you want carbon fiber windows.

Seriously, IMO, the design will trump material used.

Every window is a compromise in some way, so just pick what looks right for your balance. ...which has the features you want at the right price. (keep in mind that the energy performance sucks on all - compared to a well insulated wall)

i agree with island.

depends on the application. if the house has old wooden double hung windows, there really isnt a better option than Marvin tilt-pacs. i got to where i could walk up to a window with a prybar, take it out, put in the new one in 45 minutes. great window, but they really need careful measuring.

Vinyl are fine, get the crank out type or the sliders that tilt in for cleaning. Get the low E option.
If you use spray foam for insulation use low expansion foam, try to tap into the vapor barrier using the red VB tape.
If your getting them installed watch them so they don't skip the VB step.

We re-windowed our house last year.

We went with a firm that gave us a mix of windows, both in construction materials and look. The energy savings have been excellent.

Years ago my house has original single pane aluminium sliders. Drafty as heck.

Me, being a cheap SOB, went to the home despot and ordered a bunch of retro-fit replacemet aluminium dual pane windows, average cost was around $175 each.
Took a whole afternoon to install them myself.

Then I bought a new vinyl 8' double-pane slider, prolly should have farmed that one out cause it was a struggle to do that myself, but I got it done in one day for $850. that thing was heavy!

I had 4 of those loovered "motor home" type of windows near the front entrance, bout 3' wide and 8' tall. Bought some box section double pane 6 over 6 windows for about $200 each. That took a whole day to install them because of the framing and mouldings etc.

Bottom line is I upgraded every window in my house (except for the one in the master bath) for less than the price of one of them top of the line fancy windows.

Now iffn I lived in Alaska or Wisconsin I might need the argon filled, fancy triple pane stuff but in So Cal what I got is more than good enough and it makes the house a whole lot more comfortable and quiet.

I looked into re-windowing our house about three years ago. I was quoted between $50K and $60K for all windows from Pella and Home Depot. Granted, I have a lot of windows and a couple large, oddly shaped windows, but I thought the quotes were way too much. They said the law requires tempered glass for all windows and sliding doors near the floor, which raises the cost significantly. This was using vinyl by the way.

I just got a quote for 18 windows and 1 french door in vinyl for $16,000. I had another quote for $22,000 for the same windows and door. I tried to compare the differance between fiberglass, vinyl and al clad but theres not a lot of info in the brochures or on the websites to make a educated guess as to whats better. Several of my neighbors have had the vinyl for a few years and report no problems with them. I guess its just a turkey shoot and I will just pick the low bid.
Jerry

I have done a lot of these in a previous life as a construction guy. Vinyl is fine. Price should be < $300 per window installed. Aluminum capping is extra if necessary. Insulation around the perimeter is important. You can spend a lot more if status and prestige is important to you of course.

Our vinyl windows...
 

5 years or so ago went replaced our original double-hung wood windows with vinyl clad double hung with the munton bars. They look like the originals, but operate correctly and keep the cold air out during the winter. Replacing the doors and windows really helped and I would get the fiberglass doors instead of the steel doors we have, but the vinyl windows are great.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1320706818.jpg

I did my house myself about 10 years ago with all new windows, crestline as I remember, casing and all. Wood with alum clad outside 2 pane gas filled low-e and love them. They look just like the guys above, tilt in so the wife can clean them all by herself!

Might be false economy if you air-condition your house.

Yep, mine tilt in and I clean them with Invisible Glass, then wax them with Rejex once or twice a year.

Chris, you know I'm the window guy around here. I sorta retired after 25 years of installing windows, patio doors and entry doors. I'll get to Dennis in a minute.

Vinyl is the standard now. Some are a little better than others. Out here in the West I like Milgard because they do come out on service calls w/o b!tch!ng about it. They make a fiberglass unit raw and factory painted. The FG box is 4.25 inches minimum so I can't use them very often because 2 x 4 framing doesn't give me any room to trim them out. They are double the cost of any window Dennis would use at his pricing.

There are other considerations. Retrofit windows usually end up being an odd size, not a "call out" size. Marvin, Andersen and the rest all charge huge to build other than catalog sizes. The vinyl and FG guys build to the 1/8 th inch at no extra cost.

Generally speaking, a dual pane LowE with argon is good enough. That will get you the equivalent of R4. The window people don't talk in "R" values because as Glenn said, windows are one of the poorer performers in your energy envelope.

Now to address this post. 300 is really low for an average cost installed by others. 400 to 450 is more like it. Sears, HD and Lowes will hit you much higher before trying to "close" the deal. I tear them a new ass on every estimate. And I don't offer AL trim because that just traps moisture and insects behind a false front. If you don't want to see any more painted wood, there are other ways.

PM me for details. I haven't talked to a R Gruppe guy since I dropped out. :)

Speaking from experience, DO NOT waste your time with a brand of window called "Penquin". They might be The Best and Finest Windows In All The Land; you'll pay double, maybe triple for them compared to more pedestrian offerings (Milgard, Pella, Anderson etc,) but first you'll sit through a hard sell that'll remind you of one of Dante's circles of hell.

I went with Pella, I'm working through the whole house in yearly batches, and I am very happy so far.

Pella makes a fantastic sliding glass door ("door wall" here in MI). Our vinyl replacement windows were made by a company called "Sunrise" in Monroe, MI and we're happy with them. My next-door neighbor and I installed them, he did the work and I held stuff.... Scaffolds make the work much easier, especially on the 2nd floor!

My house has aluminum framed impact glass. I don't know if this stuff would pass code where you are, but these vastly improve the security of your house. Miami-Dade county certified 5/8 inch thick laminated safety glass, they are certified to withstand the impact of a 3 foot section of 2X4 at 155 mph....without intrusion. VERY good sound insulation, very tough, very heavy- I have an impact glass slider leading to my lanai, standard 80 inches high, and it weighs around 200 pounds.

Good luck, make sure you pull a permit-

N

My house has aluminum framed impact glass. I don't know if this stuff would pass code where you are, but these vastly improve the security of your house. Miami-Dade county certified 5/8 inch thick laminated safety glass, they are certified to withstand the impact of a 3 foot section of 2X4 at 155 mph....without intrusion. VERY good sound insulation, very tough, very heavy- I have an impact glass slider leading to my lanai, standard 80 inches high, and it weighs around 200 pounds.

Good luck, make sure you pull a permit-

N

Aluminum frames don't work too well in the colder climes. The aluminum carries the cold right into the house, like the steel doors do. Our neighbor has older aluminum frame windows and they are terrible in MI. I'm sure they're good in FL, since they are more heat stable than vinyl.

Replaced with vinyl a few years ago and couldn't be happier. I was surprised by how cheap it was considering.