Blinds in Glass

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Fenstermacher
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Joined: Fri Feb 17, 2012 7:38 pm

Blinds in Glass

#1 Post by Fenstermacher »

My wife is adamant that our replacement windows for the kitchen will have blinds behind glass.
Today I got a quote on a Pella Designer combination unit. Here are the specs:
Rough opening: 38 3/4 x 87 1/4. Frame depth 7 1/4"
Three wide fixed center with flanker casements.
triple pane low-E with argon
exterior aluminum clad wood, interior unfinished pine
mini-blinds
fixed screen
base model hardware
$2300 from Lowes.

This is a north window. The Pella unit is not Energy Star. Supposedly, double pane without low-E or argon are not available from Lowes. Climate is Willamette Valley, Oregon

Here are a couple photos:
http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/10/window2d.jpg

http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/5822/window1i.jpg

Any suggestions on the reasonableness of the quote, or for an alternative window source?
Thanks!

masterext
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Re: Blinds in Glass

#2 Post by masterext »

i strongly suggest looking at Sunrise windows. they have a nice internal blind feature and its probably going to be more energy efficient than the pella.

EcoStar Remodeling
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Re: Blinds in Glass

#3 Post by EcoStar Remodeling »

You won't be able to get argon gas in any window with internal mini-blinds. Some manufacturers do offer a hard-coat LoE. Not as good on summer solar gain but nice in the winter.

Fenstermacher
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Joined: Fri Feb 17, 2012 7:38 pm

Re: Blinds in Glass

#4 Post by Fenstermacher »

EcoStar Remodeling wrote:You won't be able to get argon gas in any window with internal mini-blinds. Some manufacturers do offer a hard-coat LoE. Not as good on summer solar gain but nice in the winter.
I believe that with Pella, the argon is between the outer and mid pane. The blinds are between the mid and inner pane. That space is at atmospheric pressure.

EcoStar Remodeling
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Re: Blinds in Glass

#5 Post by EcoStar Remodeling »

Not in a sealed IGU. What you are refering to is in essence a double pane with a glass storm window that contains the blinds.

Fenstermacher
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Re: Blinds in Glass

#6 Post by Fenstermacher »

masterext wrote:i strongly suggest looking at Sunrise windows. they have a nice internal blind feature and its probably going to be more energy efficient than the pella.
I'll see if they have a dealer out here. Hope they aren't quite as expensive as the Pella.
Sunrise offers the blinds in sliders, unlike Pella, which only offers them in casement.

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TheWindowNerd
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Re: Blinds in Glass

#7 Post by TheWindowNerd »

The Pella Designer is a great window for what you want, triple pane with miniblinds.
My handy dandy pella price book says $2115 plus tax. Best engineered between the glass window treatments on the market.

Fenstermacher
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Joined: Fri Feb 17, 2012 7:38 pm

Re: Blinds in Glass

#8 Post by Fenstermacher »

anthony wrote:The Pella Designer is a great window for what you want, triple pane with miniblinds.
My handy dandy pella price book says $2115 plus tax. Best engineered between the glass window treatments on the market.
So Lowes price is higher than directly from Pella, that's good information! I wonder if they make up the difference in the installation cost. Pella currently has a 33 percent installation discount promotion using its approved installers. Would an independent installer get a discount on the purchase price from Pella?

It looks to me that the existing window framing would need to be removed. Any ballpark estimates for how much the installation, including new framing and trim might cost? There's not really any trim around the existing windows. There are several other old awning windows on the front of the house. Perhaps it would be good to do them all at the same time so that the trim matches. There is a good roof overhang, so rain damage is not that big of an issue.

Fenstermacher
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Re: Blinds in Glass

#9 Post by Fenstermacher »

Pella has closed it's local store in Portland, and now services the area from Seattle, about 175 miles to the north. Pella HQ could offer no names of local contractors.

I will also investigate Eagle windows. They offer two styles of blinds.

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TheWindowNerd
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Re: Blinds in Glass

#10 Post by TheWindowNerd »

Eagle is a great product, but the blinds are still best by Pella. If you see them side by side you would know.
Call Pella or go to their website, use a dealer /contractor locator , do not have Pella do the install, find a PCC local to you. Ask Pella directly for a Pella Certified Contractor.
Post your zip and I will see if I can find out if there are some near you.

Fenstermacher
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Re: Blinds in Glass

#11 Post by Fenstermacher »

anthony wrote:Eagle is a great product, but the blinds are still best by Pella. If you see them side by side you would know.
Call Pella or go to their website, use a dealer /contractor locator , do not have Pella do the install, find a PCC local to you. Ask Pella directly for a Pella Certified Contractor.
Post your zip and I will see if I can find out if there are some near you.
The dealer or contractor locator on Pella's web site isn't working for me, either in Firefox or Internet Explorer. Our zip is 97219. Thanks!

I called the Seattle office and the person I spoke with was really pushing for a store install.
He reluctantly said that I might get the name of a contractor if I called back on a weekday.

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TheWindowNerd
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Re: Blinds in Glass

#12 Post by TheWindowNerd »

Yep, you talked to a retail sales rep(WME), they are commisioned sales and push hard with no objectivity. Call back and ask for a trade rep, talk to that person about their contacts for the best installer for your project. Let him know you have a east coast window nerd adviser who is a PCC.
I have an install company for you, I just need to talk to them directly to make sure that they are the good guys.

Fenstermacher
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Re: Blinds in Glass

#13 Post by Fenstermacher »

Thanks for your efforts, Anthony! BTW, looking at the Pella web site, combination casement units are not offered in fixed-vent-fixed. Seems like that configuration would be less costly than vent-fixed-vent. Do you know if this combination is available from Pella?

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TheWindowNerd
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Re: Blinds in Glass

#14 Post by TheWindowNerd »

Yes, it can be configured that way.

Fenstermacher
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Re: Blinds in Glass

#15 Post by Fenstermacher »

masterext wrote:i strongly suggest looking at Sunrise windows. they have a nice internal blind feature and its probably going to be more energy efficient than the pella.
Sunrise are not distributed west of the Rockies according to an email reply from Sunrise.

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