If not Sunrise Restorations or Vanguard then Which Window?

[kailor]

WoW, HomeSealed, Masterext, Anthony, other pros,

If I decide that Sunrise Restorations or Vanguard are not in my budget then what are some higher-end middle-of-the-road window brands that you would recommend to me that are available in the Huntsville, Alabama market? As always, your inputs are most helpful and appreciated.

[HomeSealed]

Being the closest to you, WoW would probably have the best idea as to what you have available. Have you checked into Softlite, Polaris, or Gorell? I believe that you have already looked into Okna/HiMark with no availability, correct? . You may have already mentioned this in another thread, but what is your budget? If you are in the $500+ range you should be able to get something very solid. It will be very difficult to find anything less than that, and could be a bit more depending on options desired, installation circumstances, etc.

[kailor]

Thanks HomeSealed,
My windows breakdown:
6 DH pairs
7 DH singles (maybe 8, as this is a newer Lincoln window)
Maybe 2 casements in kitchen (as these are newer Pella casements)
Maybe 1 fixed (newer Pella)
1 picture flanked with DH's

I expect to spend at least $15K for windows AND installation. We are residing with James Hardie staggered shingles on the upstairs portion of our home and I expect to spend up to $10K on that.
The reason I say maybe on some of the windows is that I don't want to end up with a mixed bag of windows.

Okna/Himark = not available
Have not looked into Gorell or Polaris (who makes these)?

[HomeSealed]

Very reasonable budget. The Gorell and polaris products are made by Gorell and Polaris respectively. ... Gorell is now owned by Softlite and Polaris is a subsidiary of Modern Builders Supply if that is what you were looking for.

[kailor]

I can see the window budget creeping up to possibly 20K. I know that not all windows are the same size and therefore you are not charged the same installation fee for every window. Let's take a DH (single) window for example....regardless of size, is the installation fee the same for DH's of different sizes assuming one DH is not twice as big as the other. What can I expect to pay on average for the installation fee for each window? I assume the picture window is more for installation fee. Thanks for your help.

[Windows on Washington]

Soft-Lite and Polaris should both have representation in your location.

In the Soft-Lite line, I prefer the Imperial LS, Elements, and the Imperial Pro.

In the Polaris offerings, I prefer the UltraWeld.

[Bamanut65]

Kailor,

Let me know which windows/installer you decide on. I live pretty close to you and am in the same boat in that I need to replace my 23 year old windows.

Thanks,
Bamanut65

[kailor]

I entered my zip-code (35801) on the Soft-Lite website dealer locator and it said:
Sorry, there are no Soft-Lite Window dealers servicing your area.
Please call 1-800-551-1953 for assistance.

On the Polaris website, it lists some northern states having these windows, but not Alabama or any states immediately surrounding Alabama.

As far as a very good window is concerned, am I limited to only Sunrise in my market? Thanks to all professionals who have responded, thus far. I need more help!

I think I can get Ply Gem in my area. I don't know how good they are. I simply must have more than one excellent product choice so that I may get more than just one bid. I must get at least 3 bids for highly recommended products so I can feel like I'm making an informed decision.

I do appreciate all of the helpful responses. Many of the recommended windows are just not available to my market (according to website dealer locator). So, I'll ask again.......What very good window choices (hopefully at least three) are available to me, in my market (zip-code 35801)?

[Windows on Washington]

Have you tried Vytex?

[kailor]

Never heard of Vytex.

[HomeSealed]

I haven't personally used Vytex, but the Fortis line has decent numbers. Plygem (Great Lakes) is solid, but i would not put it in the "excellent" category based on my past experience and the performance ratings.

[Windows on Washington]

+1

I think they are pretty well set in AL as well.

They have solid distribution from our area and points South.