Simonton v/s American Craftsman Vinyl Replacement Windows

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ketchikan
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Joined: Sun Apr 15, 2012 12:26 pm

Simonton v/s American Craftsman Vinyl Replacement Windows

#1 Post by ketchikan »

Consumer Report rates the 9500 American Craftsman as a CR Best Buy and available at Home Depot, so I made an appointment with HD to have an estimate. The estimator only talked to me about Simonton, a brand I never heard of before, and would not quote me the American Craftsman I wanted. To get rid of him I agreed to the double hung 6100 Simonton, which he quoted at $6,500 for 12 windows. The 6500 Series were double that, $13,000.

How do the Simonton windows compare to the American Craftsman made by Andersen? I have 2 days to cancel the 6100 Series deal. Thanks!

masterext
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Re: Simonton v/s American Craftsman Vinyl Replacement Windows

#2 Post by masterext »

American Craftsman is total junk and any professional would second that. it utilizes a low grade vinyl and is engineered to meet minimum standards. anything by american craftsman/ silverline is for rental properties or house flippers.
i would never take anything consumer reports seriously. they rate windows that are available in hardware stores and fail to ever rate higher end products.
as for the simonton 6500, its definitely better than american craftsman and a good mid grade window. my problem with HD is their installers; they sub everything out and pay their installers the industry minimum which usually means you are not going to get a quality install.
further, low end contractors are going to offer low end windows such as MI, viwinco,alside, and pella.
at the price home depot quoted you, i would first take a look at some higher quality vinyl names such as Okna, soft lite, Sunrise, or gorell. these brands are engineered very well and are much more energy efficient than anything home depot or lowes offers. Plus, they are all very nice looking windows and are designed to last decades. the price on these brands may pleasantly surprise you.
depending on where you are located ( what city ? ), these brands should be available.

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HomeSealed
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Location: Milwaukee, Madison, SE Wisconsin

Re: Simonton v/s American Craftsman Vinyl Replacement Windows

#3 Post by HomeSealed »

Consumer reports only rates windows that are widely available, and they are generally rated by people that know absolutely nothing about windows. If you want objective information about what is a good quality window, there are independently tested thermal and structural ratings for every product. U value combined with SHGC (depending on your climate) are the more important thermal ratings, and air infiltration and design pressure are the structural ratings that indicate how well the product is designed and built. None of the products sold at the box stores are stellar in any of those areas. The Simonton 6500 is the only product that I'd even consider, although you can likely find a better performer in the same range...
and that is just product...
Installation is half of the equation in window replacement, and the box stores and "bargain" companies (think $189) all pay their installers substantially less than the going rate.
The fact that you've posted here tells me that you are taking this project seriously and want to insure that you are purchasing a good product for a good price. Regardless of what your final choice may be, I'd highly suggest canceling that contract so that you can take some more time to do research. :wink:

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Windows on Washington
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Re: Simonton v/s American Craftsman Vinyl Replacement Windows

#4 Post by Windows on Washington »

+1 to both sets of the previous comments.

CR is not a proper evaluation tool.

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toddinmn
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Re: Simonton v/s American Craftsman Vinyl Replacement Windows

#5 Post by toddinmn »

More than a few ''low-end'' contractors here offered and praised MI and Alside not to long ago.

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TheWindowNerd
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Re: Simonton v/s American Craftsman Vinyl Replacement Windows

#6 Post by TheWindowNerd »

I agree with the other pros.
I would suggest that you cancel the contract.
Contact an independent pro that serves your area.
What area is that?
Good luck with everything.

masterext
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Re: Simonton v/s American Craftsman Vinyl Replacement Windows

#7 Post by masterext »

toddinmn wrote:More than a few ''low-end'' contractors here offered and praised MI and Alside not to long ago.
im sure they were'nt regulars and i'm sure they were'nt contractors who take what they do seriously. the pro's here would never recommend such garbage to a home owner.

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toddinmn
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Re: Simonton v/s American Craftsman Vinyl Replacement Windows

#8 Post by toddinmn »

It's all in the archives.

masterext
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Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2010 11:14 am
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Re: Simonton v/s American Craftsman Vinyl Replacement Windows

#9 Post by masterext »

the only alside window worth a look is the 8000 series.

ketchikan
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Re: Simonton v/s American Craftsman Vinyl Replacement Windows

#10 Post by ketchikan »

Thanks for the replies. I am in Houston, TX, and I do want a good quality product, but I can only spend around $6,500 for 12 windows. If you know of someon reputable in this area, please give the company name to contact them.

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HomeSealed
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Re: Simonton v/s American Craftsman Vinyl Replacement Windows

#11 Post by HomeSealed »

Randy @ Ultra is your man. You can fin him on this thread: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4934 . Great guy... I don't know how pricing works down in Houston, but I guarantee that you won't find a better guy or a better value.

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