Changes to Starmark 900

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facesnorth
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Joined: Mon Aug 26, 2019 8:39 am

Changes to Starmark 900

#1 Post by facesnorth »

Greetings. About a year and a half ago, we selected the Starmark 900 with XR9, paintable wood interior, and SDL grids. We hit a financial roadblock and had to put off the project until now. I just contacted the dealer to move forward with the project but he informed is that Okna discontinued the paintable interior on the Starmark.

Can anybody comment on this or what other changes have been made to the Starmarks? This seems like a huge miss on their part. Every white is so different. There's no way to match the windows to our white trim other than painting it.

Can anyone suggest similarly preforming alternatives?

Thank you.

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HomeSealed
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Re: Changes to Starmark 900

#2 Post by HomeSealed »

The window is upgraded in nearly every way with butt-joined welds, and better performance. The paintable/stainable option was canceled, my understanding is that it sold in very low volume. Personally I'd like to see it back as well, but there is no indication that it will happen... If you are going white, their new interior cap stock is very rich looking if the color isn't too far off from your current trim.

facesnorth
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Re: Changes to Starmark 900

#3 Post by facesnorth »

That's good to know. I also like the new Victorian SDL. Super bummed about the loss of paintable though. It's just impossible to match white to white. I'd like to see the colors in person so will see if my installer has them.

Any other comments about their new product line?

Previously I couldn't get XR11 with SDL grids, and so had to go XR9. Has that changed?

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Windows on Washington
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Re: Changes to Starmark 900

#4 Post by Windows on Washington »

HomeSealed nailed all the options on it.

I will have to check at the office if you can get XR11 with the SDL. The new window is AWESOME though.

facesnorth
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Re: Changes to Starmark 900

#5 Post by facesnorth »

My potential installer emailed me the new Starmark Evo brochure today. I had a few questions I wanted to ask here as they are slow to respond (and probably don't know the answers).

On page 17, at the bottom left, there are 4 grid styles shown. Then on the right there is a side by side of the Victorian against the standard SDL grid. I'm not sure what the 4 grids on the left are, as they don't match either of the 2 in the pic on the right.

It's a shame the Victorian is exterior only. My current traditional wood windows I'm looking to replace have the Victorian style grid on the INSIDE, and a smooth rounded grid on the OUTSIDE. I'd love to match this appearance and that's what I thought I'd be able to do when I first heard about the Victorian SDL option. I'm fine with the standard option, but was at first excited to see the new Victorian option, but it's on the wrong side. No one notices the outside especially screens.

Is it still difficult to remove the full screens? We are doing full screens only in the front because we have SDL on top and bottom. And the screen makes the appearance of the window look very different than without the screen. But on the sides and back we are doing SDL on top only, so screen only on bottom.

I still think it's crazy they dropped the paintable interior. The Starmark is a pricey, high-end vinyl replacement window. Who's buying Starmarks and not wanting to pain them to match their interior? It's crazy how limited the options are now with just the 4 unpaintable finishes. I'm guessing the orders were low on it, but they don't necessarily want to lose that business and are hoping those customers are willing to compromise on the non-paintable interiors. But in a year when they realize customers are choosing other options, they'll re-add it. I don't really want to wait a year or 2 for that to happen though as I need windows now.

I'm miffed enough about it that I'd still like some alternative suggestions if possible on comparably performing and priced products that offer a paintable interior. My wife actually sold me on the black window with white trim idea, but Starmark doesn't even offer black! And that's the hot new color choice at the moment. I still think it's absolutely stupid to get a non-paintable choice as what's the likelihood your tastes don't change over the course of 30 years?

Bill
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Re: Changes to Starmark 900

#6 Post by Bill »

Have a look at the ProVia Aeris window. ProVia’s promotional information points to pre-finished interiors but unfinished wood interior is an option.

In terms of performance it a U 0.27. That is good but the window is more a wood window build with wood window air numbers of 0.3 cfm

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toddinmn
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Re: Changes to Starmark 900

#7 Post by toddinmn »

The air number is actually <=0.3. This means it passed the minimum AAMA standard and the real number could be as low as 0.01 and no higher than 0.30.
The U value of that window looks to be based upon a “366” type glass package.

masterext
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Re: Changes to Starmark 900

#8 Post by masterext »

I think the Aeris is a .05 air rating.

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toddinmn
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Re: Changes to Starmark 900

#9 Post by toddinmn »

It is more like 0.25.

WindowsDirectCinci
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Re: Changes to Starmark 900

#10 Post by WindowsDirectCinci »

Sunrise Vanguard or Restorations has Paintable interior and can do the Sdl'S as wells as black exterior. It's a superb quality product as well. I know Vytex also has the Paintable/Stainable interior, Although there SDL's aren't as nice looking

facesnorth
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Re: Changes to Starmark 900

#11 Post by facesnorth »

WindowsDirectCinci wrote: Sat Aug 31, 2019 4:54 pm Sunrise Vanguard or Restorations has Paintable interior and can do the Sdl'S as wells as black exterior. It's a superb quality product as well. I know Vytex also has the Paintable/Stainable interior, Although there SDL's aren't as nice looking
Actually black interior is what my wife likes. Not the exterior.

The thing that I don't like about Sunrise is that their dealers seem to have no idea that Sunrise offers different quality lines. I don't like that it's so segmented like that, almost like different brands, and the dealers are ignorant of one another. My local dealer doesn't even know what product he installs. He thinks Sunrise makes one window. Sunrise doesn't even tell him what window they are giving him.

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TheWindowNerd
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Re: Changes to Starmark 900

#12 Post by TheWindowNerd »

That is hard to swallow.
Either the dealer is a newbie or does windows part part part time. Oh yeah third option deceptive liar.

WindowsDirectCinci
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Re: Changes to Starmark 900

#13 Post by WindowsDirectCinci »

He's either playing dumb or really is. I'd definitely not want to do business with someone like that. I've done several black interior in the last few years. General feedback is they like the color but didn't realize how much dust they were going to collect and difficult of clean. Just keep that in mind. Black shows every dust particle

facesnorth
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Re: Changes to Starmark 900

#14 Post by facesnorth »

Hmm thanks for the heads up on that. More and more I'm thinking paintable interior is the only way to go - need to retain the power to change it if styles change.

Yeah my local dealer is a bit of a nitwit. Trouble is I'm not in a big market, and I'm very accustomed to being more informed about tradesmen's products than they are around here ... After not many hours of research.

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HomeSealed
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Re: Changes to Starmark 900

#15 Post by HomeSealed »

If you were going with a stained wood interior I do agree that the Aeris is a solid option, although the structural numbers (AI, DP) do fall in line with most other wood windows which is to say that they aren't great.

I agree with you about that stainable option on the Okna but when you have room to stock product A or product B, and product A outsells product B, its just a numbers game. If the demand increases and folks like you continue to give feedback perhaps it could change things in the future.

On the Restorations, that's a solid option. Excellent casement and patio door. Decent double hung.

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