Replacement Windows Discussion Board Forum

Yup, it is the three sided issue all home owners face.
Finding excellent product.
Finding excellent installation service.
Finding an excellent company to provide both the above.
A deficit any one of those three will make a bad project.

If the block opening is true I would tapcon the vinyl window directly into the block . allow 1/4" deduction around the perimeter so you can spray window and door foam, flat trim both sides and caulk.

theWindowNerd.com

Most of the pros on the board are on the east coast to mid contry.

Look at Installation Masters to see if there are any certified installers in your region.
Also if you find a mfg you like ask them for two referrals.
theWindowNerd.com

He answered it

"The color will fade, since everything fades when exposed to UV over time, but tan will not fade significantly, in my experience. That lighter color will hold up well over the 15 years."

You can install the siding.
Just make a 5/4 x 4 picture frame, temporarily tack it in place over your building wrap, when the windows come with ifns remove the 5/4 x 4 surround install windows, tape, cut surround to fit and permantly attach.
theWindowNerd

They will make wider than 36" casements, this is supported by their size chart that also presents different glass options and the limits.

Aren't your soffits, facias, and gutters almond?

I have been in the industry for 45 years.
Pella has the most failures, lack of quality, lack of long term support. and general arrogance.
The Andersen 400 Woodwright is a good clad wood window, I also like the Marvin Elevate.

If any of the casements are large Sunrise seemed to have the most published engineering.
theWindowNerd

I would add AW 400 Woodwright and 400 casement

normally the mfg does all the painting/finishing.
all white, all almond, or split finish all work.
I would do all almond.

You have two hings you need to nail in this project, alright maybe three.
the product, the installer/install, and the company/contractor. A miss, less than 95%, on any one will end up with a deficient project.

How old is the company?
I like the look and design.
It is a 20/10 warranty. 20 years on seal failure Cardinal glass, 10 years on hardware.
What is pricing compared to Infinite?

I doubt you had two companies quoting Marvin Infinite. More than likely Marvin Infinite was one and Essentials was the other. Almost the same window, Infinite dealers almost always are more espensive due to their marketing model.

HiMark is another name for Okna.