Low to medium grade window quotes

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indybryan
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Joined: Thu Nov 21, 2013 11:10 pm

Low to medium grade window quotes

#1 Post by indybryan »

Im replacing 4 windows in the 2nd story of my home. There is also some T 111 siding that I am replacing with Hardi or fiber board. ive had about 10 contractors through here so far and had 3 of them recommending Alside ultra maxx, 1 recommended a window called Target out of MO and Today windows from a company called American Door and window out of Evansville IN, yesterday a recommendation from a contractor said he couldn't recall the name but they are out of Ohio. They all want to talk about how much they trust the window, warranties specifications that are supposedly good but when I do the research you know what I find. So far the quotes are around $4000 including the siding work and resizing one of the holes. I will get them to break out the details and cost per window before signing anything

So I keep marching them through and after talking to them I feel good about a lot of them as installers but cant figure out why they are stuck on these windows and reluctant to give me a comparative estimate on a better window lets say Sunrise or Simonton or whatever. So I went to the Simonton site and put in my zip and they gave me a contractor in my area who installs their windows, he will be out monday. My wife wants me to go to home depot or Lowes and I warned her about the contractors they use not being the best and when I did actually call them they said they could not resize a hole which one of the windows will require. I don't think I want to use a big box because of the sketchy contractor possibility and I thought I read that the windows coming out of these stores are substandard or of a lower grade.

Anyway the 4 windows are originally casements. I was going to go to sliders so the the sash (or what ever you call it) in the middle of the windows is still verticle and will still match the rest of the casements in the house. I have read here about the limitations of sliders and im a little nervous about that although not one of the installers thinks the difference is enough to worry about. I guess the difference to me is all the cranks and hardware that has to be maintained in the casement against the weakness and air intrusion of the slider. I did have one company recommend an aluminum clad Eagle window I think he said the company is owned by Anderson. He recommended this window because he said it is a strong window and going to a relatively large 48x52 slider strength becomes an issue. He was one of the contractors that said he would get back to me with a comparison quote on a quality vinyl window. The Eagle Aluminum clad was the highest priced quote ive gotten so far He said that the vinyl window would be less than the Eagle


So am I going to have to go to each individual window company like I did with Simonton get an installer? Should I be asking these installers to give me a quote on the windows I prefer. I would really like to have a side by side quote comparing a low to medium grade against a higher grade window. as I go through this process Im getting that its going to be 4 to 5 hundred bucks more per window to make the jump from an ultra maxx to A Simonton 5500 or a good Okna or Sunrise . The thing is I get the feeling they don't even want to entertain the idea. Its like they want to put in and will stand behind their window.


My expectation going into this was I'd get a person in here that would and could do what ever I want that it would just be a matter of money. So all I want is a clear estimate comparing a quality window against a window of less quality but less expensive and that seems to be hard to find. Any tips on how I might do things differently and get the quotes I want? The one thing that seems to have worked is going to the window manufactures site entering my zip to find an installer they recommend.

This has been a weird experience. In the last couple years I have replaced a roof and a heat pump and on both jobs was able to find good contractors and quality products and am happy with the purchase. Im having a hard time finding confidence with this purchase it seems to be a very unwielding kind of out of control

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Windows on Washington
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Location: DC Metropolitan Area-Maryland/Virginia/DC

Re: Low to medium grade window quotes

#2 Post by Windows on Washington »

Bryan,

Sorry to hear of your difficulties getting a good quote that you feel comfortable. Based on the numbers you are looking at, I would like to think you could find a solid window.

Have you tried Soft-lite or Polaris?

Eagle is a very good window but will certainly come at a premium and the strength argument in bunk.

Sometimes you have to really search to find the right product and installer and seems like one of those times.

indybryan
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Nov 21, 2013 11:10 pm

Re: Low to medium grade window quotes

#3 Post by indybryan »

Thanks WOW. As I educate myself on this board I go back in the archives and find this

Alside wants us to sell their Sheffield window and are making it quite inviting.
We currently sell Alside siding and used to sell the Excalebur window. We stopped selling it because quite a few of our competiters sell it.
Great Lakes gives us a protected area and although it isn't a private label, it is pretty close. The reason we are thinking about the Sheffield is that I've never seen any competiters around us sell it. Alside offers us lots and lots of perks also. Great Lakes offers nothing.

So is it possible that im running into a situation where contractors are pushing products because of perks. I mean it just seemed odd that out of 6 or 7 quotes 3 or 4 were stuck on the alside Ultra maxx. If that's the case im cool with it I just want to know

Delaware Mike
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Re: Low to medium grade window quotes

#4 Post by Delaware Mike »

I purchase siding and building materials from my local Alside distributor. Nice folks work there, I'm just not a fan of their windows. In my opinion I, feel that their windows are designed, marketed, and sold upon low pricing and minimal cost to manufacture. We have local pick up truck contractors around my parts that install their windows for $300 a window and giant dealers that try to get around $750 a window for Alside's triple-glazed offerings. I prefer a vinyl window with the lowest U-factor to SHGC ratio for a particular area, higher DP rating, low air leakage numbers/triple-sash weather stripping, clean welds, tight manufacturing tolerances, foam filled extrusions, non-weeping/irrigation or pocket designed sills, and maximum viewable glass area by a well designed extrusion/window.

The Eagle display at one of Delaware's largest building supply/lumber yard's is the most amazing window display that I've ever seen. Their windows are just drop dead gorgeous. Unfortunately for me and my area, most of those windows are about double what my homeowner's are looking to spend just to purchase the window without installation.

masterext
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Re: Low to medium grade window quotes

#5 Post by masterext »

10 estimates ??? Thats a record. 3 or 4 is usually the norm around here, 10 just confuses the customer unless the customer only cares about the cheapest price while ignoring quality.

Alside have alot of design flaws in my opinion and a very undesirable high air leakage rate, particularly the sheffield and ultramaxx. The excalibur is very flimsy/ cheap looking in my opinion and used by contractors who care about cheapness and certainly not quality.
Look into soft lite.

uncle eddie
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Joined: Tue Sep 18, 2012 7:52 pm

Re: Low to medium grade window quotes

#6 Post by uncle eddie »

You must have had to go waaaay back to find that Bryan. There is nothing close to exclusivity with alside these days. They produce a window with cost factoring above quality or performance, and sell it to anyone and everyone regardless of their qualifications. Plygem is the same. Those two along with maybe simonton are the most common products around. In my experience I have seen quality decline on all three lines as they try to make them more cost effective, and their reputations have gone right with that.

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Windows on Washington
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Re: Low to medium grade window quotes

#7 Post by Windows on Washington »

Bryan,

I am sorry that is what you are stuck looking at. The Sheffield and UltraMaxx are not what I would consider premium and you can do much better.

Keep researching and you will find something that meets your standards and will serve your home well.

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HomeSealed
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Re: Low to medium grade window quotes

#8 Post by HomeSealed »

Bryan, I think you are running into so many contractors with the same product just because it is so prevalent in the market as explained above, and the main reason is price. IMO, you are dealing with companies that either don't meet the minimum standards required to buy a premium performer direct (volume, quality control, etc), or they are a company who wants to sell at a low price point, and either don't know or don't care much about performance and quality. Draw your own conclusions as to how that may relate to the quality of installation and service that you may get in return. That Alside product , as common as it is, is also sold as Window World, Preservation, Revere, AMI, and a few others that I can't remember off the top of my head...
Regarding how to find an installer for the product of your choice, you hit the nail on the head. Contact the manufacturer and ask for installers in your area that carry the product. Sunrise, Okna, and Softlite are probably my top three (in no particular order), but there are some other very good choices out there as well. On pricing, the largest factor is going to be the type of company that you deal with. A larger operation that offers more security will likely cost more than a small guy working from his home. In some cases, you'll find companies selling what I'd consider a low-end window for very high prices, and in fact, that is not uncommon at all.

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