Let's talk Windows and doors :)

[Deleted]

What kind do you have? Vinal, composite, double hung, gliders, French, sliding? What do you like about them, what do you wish was different? What is worth paying for and what not? 

[nlt]

We went with Anderson, double hung windows from Home Depot when we built 6 years ago.  I did wait and order them when they had a 15% off sale    I have not had one problem with them at all, actually love them.  When we closed in a back porch at the end of our build I went with cheaper double hung windows from a local building supply place and have already replaced 2 of those windows.  I think they lost their seal bc they were condensating on the inside. We were at the end of our build and the fear of the unknown and costs made us go with the cheaper version, in hindsight, we should have spend the extra money on the better windows. 


I would also also go with real wood interior doors if I had it to do over again, once again the extra $$ per door is nothing compared to wanting to replace them all now. My house is loud because we don't have any carpet, so the real doors would absorb noise better, than the ones I have now.

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

I have Anderson double hung windows (8 over 8) through most of the house.  Over the sink and in the 9 knee to ceiling windows in the family room, I have crank-out windows.  I much prefer the double hung.  I can open the double hung windows just a smidge in the winter for fresh air or to keep out rain.  The crank-outs open a smidge, but the entire height of the window (6,7 feet?) so not nearly as useful.  They are also subject to getting caught by the wind and rattled.  

I have a steel steel front door which we rarely use but it does seem to seal out the heat and cold in the front of the house.  The back door is half window which is helpful to see who is at the door.  

Interior doors are all solid wood 6 panel doors.  They close off light and sound well and sound "solid" when closed.  

[mroped]

Sealing the windows and doors with expandable foam works but is a finicky thing. With the vinyl windows especialy, when the foam expands can push onto the jamb so you gotta be very careful with that.  Much easier to stuff them with fiberglass.
As far as your sliding door, it is probably time to replace the sliding mechanism. The bushings get worn out and rattle or push the doors in the wrong way. 
You could take the model number of the door and order the parts. You'll find the number on the glass in one of the corners.

It seems that everyone loves their Andersen's so we will have to look into that.

Personaly, I don't have much experience with Windows and doors so on that chapter I'm somewhat at a loss.
We planed on using Marvin Integrity but with what they want for some Windows and the doors you could probably build another house!
On our house we used Pella and I'm not sure why we didn't look into that yet!

[Lizard Queen]

The replacement windows we got are Andersen vinyl clad wood--both doublehung and the crank out kind (the name of which escapes me at the moment). We did a lot of research beforehand, and decided we definitely didn't want vinyl windows. The new slider we got is also Andersen. No complaints on any of them so far. I do wish I could get a garden window from them in the size that I need. (Kinda have my heart set on a garden window over the kitchen sink.)

[chiver78]

if you have the $ to spare in your budget, go with Power for as much as you can. they offer lifetime guarantee, and as an example - they did not have to replace any materials after the big hurricane that wiped out a lot of Long Island/Long Beach Island. my BIL used to work for them, and the samples I saw were excellent. when I get around to doing my windows, I'll be going that route.

(he left b/c he didn't like being on the road all the time as a sales guy. he has nothing bad to say about the company or the products)

[Deleted]

We've got Pella in both this house and the one we sold last year. We had wood on the inside on the old house- not worth it, IMO. More expensive and the HGTV types were not impressed. (House down the street, same layout with cheaper but more up-to-date finishes, sold in 3 days. Ours took 2 months.)

This house we have aluminum and it looks fine. We knew when we bought the house that some needed to be replaced due to condensation between panes (house was 20 years old). We did 5 last year and will do some more this year. Top of this year's list is one where I found carpenter ants in the wood frame. The exterminator took care of that, but I still want to replace the frame.

[Deleted]

Chiver is power a name brand or are you talking a type of window?

[chiver78]

Power is a company, I think national. Power Home Remodeling Group

sorry the reply took so long, I got distracted with a couple other threads.

[bean29]

We have crank out casements. I would not buy them again. The house we picked had casements In the design and I hesitated to change. I had wanted double hungs that flip inside for cleaning and am very sorry I did not go after what I wanted.

We have a solid aluminum front door with half height side panels on either side.  I do not like the fact that people can walk up to the door and just peer into my house.  My Mom recently replaced a solid wood front and back door with three little windows at the top.  She asked us about what kind of door to replace it with.  I told her to get a 1/2 panel window with obscured glass that she could see out of but the person on the other side can't see in.  She went back and forth b/c it really did cost a bit more, but DH and I were firm in the "do it, it is worth the extra $$".  Once it was installed, she told me over and over again how happy she was with it.

In our basement (We have a partial exposure with a full door, 5 steps or so down).  We have 4 windows and a door with a half light window.  There are 4 windows in the basement.  1 in each bedroom and two in the family room.  The builder called the windows slide by's?  they look like sideways single hung windows.  I would not put them in again.  In our last house we had casements in the basement and cranking them out was a problem if the landscaping was planted too close to the window.  The slide by's leak or at least the did before we finished the basement and kind of corrected some of the grading.  The casements never leaked. 

Keep your window plans designs with the part #s on them, and my windows had paper stickers on them to help you identify them.  You are not supposed to remove them.  I somehow learned this, and did not remove them all.  I had to order one replacement under warranty and they told me to use the paper stickers to easily describe/identify the size and type of window.  I got it without an issue, filed out the form on-line and they sent the replacement, we didn't have to send the old one back to them (glass was fogged). I can't remember the brand right now. 

I am pretty sure one of my neighbors built their house and designed the basement for future build out without having the builder install the windows (closed the openings with framing).   I think they then called the window company and reported their windows upstairs were leaking and got free replacements, which they then installed in the basement.

I think this is the case b/c a year or two after the subdivision was build up a boat load of windows was delivered to her house and I asked her if her windows were leaking (naively concerned my own might start leaking).  She acted kind of weird, and said yeah, they failed, but was very non-descriptive about what the problem was.  The neighbors up and down the street later confirmed that her brother was a carpenter that worked for our builder and he came back during the building down turn and finished her basement. 

[bcdfgh]

Questions for anyone - how often do you clean the outside side of your windows? Like my neighbors, I've never done it. I only clean the insides.  What are the benefits from double hung over single hung window? The only thing I can think of is being able to tilt a double hung for cleaning.

[kittensaver]

I realize this is a very personal perspective, but I also think it is a "bigger picture" something you should think about.

I shopped for replacement windows for my entire house three years ago. I didn't see a whole lot of difference between the established brands (I ended up picking an American company with a manufacturing plant in my State), BUT materials used do indeed make a difference.

Specifically, vinyl windows off-gas chemicals for an extended period of time (like, years )  . NOT GOOD if you are a baby, child, small animal or anyone of any age with chemical sensitivities or a compromised immune system. Breathing that stuff can make you sick (or sicker).

Same with many chemicals used in manufacturing w-to-w carpet, drywall, bead board/backer board, traditional paints (although the industry has become MUCH better about offering low and no-VOC paints), and many, many types of sealants and finishes for plumbing, electrical, furniture, walls and floors.

If you are not selective about your choices, you can wind up literally breathing/swimming in a vat of nasty industrial chemicals. And you have to live with it for YEARS until it finally stops off-gassing.

Just something to think seriously about. However, as always - JMHO. YMMV.

PS: I got Milgard windows made of fiberglass. It was the most inert material I could find (wood needed to be sealed with a chemical finish). Aluminum would have been my other choice but I live close to the beach and would sooner than later face corrosion of the aluminum.

 

[bean29]

I was thinking about this further at lunch and I went to look what Consumer Reports says.

Double Hung:

Recommended wood windows:

Andersen 400  Series 2 $310

Pella ProLine 450 Series 1 $300

Weather Shield Endura Shiled 3 It says "among double hung windows that are recommended this is the only one to ace the rain-resistance tests and wind resistance was impressive.  The Wood is clad in fiberglass so you won't have to paint it."  $430

Recommended Vinyl windows:

Simonton Pro-Finish Contractor  $260

Reliabilt 3900 Series (Lowe's) $280

American Craftsman by Andersen 70 series (Home Depot) $170 Least expensive window tested

Reliabilt 3201 (Lowe's) $190

I don't think I can do a link b/c you need a user id and PW.  If you want to actually see the reviews, you will prolly have to go to the library.

The recommended Casements are mostly the same brand/series as the double hung ones:

Wood:

Andersen 400 Series 2

Pella ProLine 450 Series 1

Vinyl:

American Craftsman by Andersen 70 Series (Home Depot)

ThermaStar by Pella 20 Series (Lowes)

From their window buying tips page:  (Remember this is RE:  Replacement vs. new construction).

Forget what the ads say. Saving money on your energy bill is not the reason to replace your windows--it could take decades to recoup the $8,000 to $24,000 you'll spend on new windows and installation. Energy Star-qualified windows can lower your energy bills by 7 to 15 percent. That's only $27 to $111 a year for a 2,000-square-foot single-story home with storm windows or double-pane windows, $126 to $465 if your home has just single-pane windows, according to Energy Star

Double-hung windows

A popular choice, the lower inside sash slides up and an upper outside sash slides down, improving air circulation and making full screens ideal. Double-hung are easy to clean since you can tilt the sash on any of the tested windows. They're also a smart choice if you plan to install a window air conditioner, though most now have a fairly high trim on the sill that may require significant shimming to stabilize the air conditioner. Some double-hung we tested are better at keeping out cold air or water. That's important if you live in a chilly, windy area (hello Chicago!) or if home is the Florida panhandle or other rainy region.

Casement-style windows


 Providing an unobstructed view, casement windows are hinged on one side, like a door, and a crank lets you open them outward. When fully open casements allow for good ventilation and easy cleaning. They're usually more airtight than double-hung because the sash locks against the frame to close. The casements we tested excelled at keeping out cold air and rain and can be used in any area of the country. Note that window air conditioners cannot be installed in casement windows.

www.consumerreports.org/cro/home-windows/buying-guide.htm

ETA:  when I looked at this info I realized my windows are Simonton.  My house is 11 years old, the windows had a 10 year materials warranty.  We only had one Therompane fog, and that was replaced under warranty.  I know some of the neighbors had the Sliding Doors and some windows replaced under warranty. 

Given the long payback for energy efficiency noted in CR's analysis, I think you should weigh cost and quality overall.  You will have lots of places to make decisions, and given the noted low profile of your lot, you have to budget for grading the lot and probably some retaining walls.  This will probably make the difference between keeping water out of your house and having your basement have water intrusion.

Now that our subdivision is 10 years old we are beginning to see a number of the houses turn over.  When our subdivision was maybe 2 years mostly complete we had a major storm and the power was out for the weekend.  No power meant no sub pumps running w/o a generator.  Interestingly most of the houses that got water in the basement during that storm, are the ones that have been sold.  I am wondering if some of these homeowners had not yet done their landscaping  or regraded their lots to pitch the water away from the foundation at that point, but even after they fixed it they never mentally recovered.  I encourage you two to not let your budget get out of control always going for the "best".

My DH insisted on finishing the landscaping the fist fall we were there.  Our foundation was dug in November or December, house was complete July 15.  We had the seed planted in September/October of that year.  They kind of recommended you wait until after you went through a freeze thaw cycle to plant the grass/pour driveway - DH said that would result in too much dirt getting tracked into the house.

DH and I built our house with the attitude that we thought it was our forever house, but it may not be.  We really had a lot of extras, but overall feel they were worth the $$.  Last fall, our neighbors sold their house to which they did very few upgrades and they really got top $$.  That is really a reality check for us.  We don't think we could live with painted woodwork and vinyl floors, but if this might not be your forever home, keep in mind that those upgrades are not going to necessarily return their cost to you upon sale.

[Deleted]

Thanks so much guys! As alwas giving me so much to think about. I really appreciate the feedback!

[tskeeter]

May 3, 2016 7:09:19 GMT -5 deminmaine said:

I agree with that. I used fiberglass insulation to seal the voids at mine too. I think some people like the foam because it is a somewhat impervious seal that also helps further stabilize the window, but it has it's downsides.

And yeah, of course in my case one of the doors has the moisture barrier in the glass compromised, so I may be better off just replacing the door (if I can). One of those PITA chores I have just put off so far.....

Marvin and Pella are both very good names, but I have no experience with either. Of course Anderson is sort of the industry standard workhorse, so you will hear a lot of people having experience with those.

In our case Anderson was an upgrade from something called Wenco. My wife and I looked at their display model, and not only did it look cheap, it didn't even open and close well!!! That was one of the easiest decisions we made, even though it was a costly one. Can't imagine how much it saved over the years though.

Dem, rather than replacing your door, just replace the glass.  We had this done with a dual pane window where the seal had failed.  Was surprisingly inexpensive 10 years ago.  I think $50 for a 18 by 18 inch window, measured, fabricated, and installed.

[tskeeter]

May 2, 2016 19:06:13 GMT -5 oped said:

What kind do you have? Vinal, composite, double hung, gliders, French, sliding? What do you like about them, what do you wish was different? What is worth paying for and what not? 

No good answer to your question.  So much of a nice looking window is matching the architecture of the building with Windows and doors.  And, it's about the feel you want.  If you want a formal feel, I like French doors.  Sliding patio doors seem more casual.  Another factor to consider might be security.  I think it is easier to secure sliding doors than French doors.

What brand?  It depends.  If you buy a national brand, such as Pella, Anderson, etc. (all very good Windows), your cost will include a substantial amount of freight unless you live close to the plant.  There may be an equally good window that is made much closer to your home.  One way to figure out who these companies might be, start checking construction sites in your area in the price range of your home to see what brands they are using.  Contractors will be using cost effective, appropriate quality Windows readily available in your area.

[CCL]

We were very happy with Pella, as well. Double-hung tilt-ins are much easier to clean if you have a two-story since it can be done from inside.

If the only issue you have is condensation, then replacing the glass is a good option. Sometimes it is covered under manufacturer's warranty.