Anlin vs Provia

[mikoz]

House in Austin TX area, with 27 aluminum double-pane builder grade windows from 2006. All windows are basic rectangles, most windows are 36" or 72", no fancy shapes or requirements

I am considering both ProVia Endure and Anlin Panoramic (unfortunately, I cannot find a dealer with Anlin Del-Mar locally for some reason... I can't even get the only gold star dealer 35 miles to respond to a phone call).

Anlin is single-hung, ProVia is double hung. This is not much of a consideration for us, we will never open a top sash and probably never clean them ourselves.

Anlin frame is far thinner and overall looks better. This is somewhat subjective.

Playing with several "demo" units, which have obviously been beaten up, the Anlin was smoother and felt sturdier.

I read online about many quality problems with ProVia windows and fear they may not be around for long. Anlin seems to have a better reputation.

Warranties are about the same. However, Anlin's warranty says it covers lifetime labor but the dealer is saying there may be a charge, I am trying to figure this out.
Dealer reputations (different dealers) are somewhat close.

I cannot get a straight answer if Provia Endue uses Cardinal Glass or not.

Energy numbers are about the same (SHGC, U, air infiltration).

Things I should consider? Thoughts?

[charlatan]

My .02 from my short time lurking and posting here..

I have looked into Anlin and have seen a lot of good reviews of their product. If you're not going to use double hung, I wouldn't bother with ProVia if that's all they offer. More to break IMHO.

If you haven't, check out the zone info - https://www.energystar.gov/products/res ... t_criteria

The NFRC directory has ALL of the numbers for manufacturers if you want to look at different combinations of glass etc..https://www.nfrc.org/certified-product-directory/. It can be daunting but I've used it a few times to confirm what I am told.

Some of the folks here are out east, so they may not have info on some stuff we can get out west. I know they like the MI (Sunrise) Restoration which is available in Colorado. Trick is, only ONE window company will be allowed to sell them (reduce competitive bidding) , so you may have to dig to find them.

Not sure if you can get Okna or not, but if you can, that's the hot one. Good quality if you can get it.

I am not sure how vinyl does down in Austin, but in Colorado it gets abused. I have a quote for the MI Restoration gear that I have no doubt will hold up better than what I have... but I've also quoted out fiberglass (rather, a composite) that looks to be more durable given the temperature swings.

Bring a snorkel and dive in!

[Delaware Mike]

I forget who actually supplies ProVia with their glass, but I don't think it's Cardinal at all. They do utilize Tremco's Super Spacer glazing tech which is fantastic. No worries regarding them being around though, they have done nothing but grow over the last 10-year and will likely be about the largest vinyl manufacturer in the country in the future as most are kind of regional in their target distribution. Anlin is not in my area, thus I have no experience with their products.

In my area we have a ton of exterior primary roofers that also do siding and windows, they aren't ProVia direct and purchase through national distribution via supply houses. Every window install I've seen by my local competition regarding method and finish work on the product is a complete abomination of cringe like "Homer Simpson" workmanship.

[mikoz]

I am going to look at another dealer locally, for Provia and Soft-life before making a final decision. Soft-lite isn't as compelling either, their efficiency is lower and warranty has all sorts of stipulations.


Still frustrated by this whole warranty stuff and cannot get a straight answer with Anlin dealer... their warranty clearly states full labor and glass breakage but they say there's usually a charge and they will "try to work with Anlin in cases like that". Not sure what that means.

I keep reading and seeing evidence of major Provia quality problems, gaps even within the sashes, etc. It makes me really nervous. I don't read about stuff like that with Anlin.

[mikoz]

So it turns out Soft-Lite doesn't sell to Texas anymore. So for me, it's either Anlin or Provia.

[Windows on Washington]

Is that all that is around there? No Sunrise or Okna or Polaris?

[mikoz]

Okna = nothing in Texas

Polaris = not familiar with them. cannot find a dealer in Central Texas

Sunrise = Mi product... no thanks.

[HomeSealed]

Anlin: Not available in my area, however I've seen/heard relatively positive feedback from folks on the west coast. I don't believe that they stack up well against the products that are born and bred from more severe climates, however in a moderate area they are well regarded.

Okna: Great performer, I thought that they had some presence in TX? @WoW or Randy do you guys have any insight?

Softlite: Another great performer. Your comment that "their efficiency is lower" is somewhat perplexing, as their high end models are among the best in the industry for thermal and structural performance.

Polaris: Another high end performer if you can find them.

Sunrise: Very good window. You aren't off base if the MI brand gives you pause, however the Sunrise product to date is exactly the same as it's always been, made in the same factory by the same people, etc. This is probably the best choice that you have access to based on what you've found to be available so far -- and not by a small margin IMO.

Provia: The tricky one. Great brand name due to their history building very nice entry doors. In a vacuum, the window line (IMO) is pretty mediocre or slightly better, and has a lot of QC issues reported. In the bigger picture, while I agree with DM that the company probably isn't going anywhere, I do have my own concerns about the window line itself in terms of the sustainability of the business model (also keep in mind that Provia has been known to start and close product lines).
For starters, the window line doesn't appear to be the same level of quality as their doors. Secondly, they seem to be trying to replicate their model for doors but in the window space, however it's not how similar window products/brands have had success. This starts at the design and production of the windows themselves("kit" based), and continues to the way that they are sold. DM mentioned that they are the product du jour of here today, gone tomorrow contractors these days, most of which do terrible work. That type of dissatisfaction can only last so long before it starts to reflect on the product itself, whether warranted or not. The true tragedy would be if instead of the window program capitalizing on the success of the doors, that the door program reputation ultimately suffers due to the windows.
IMO, Provia is a good company and could be successful with windows, but the path to do so would be making a great, home-grown product and then selling through a network of quality-minded, financially stable dealers as opposed to anyone and everyone that pulls up to ABC supply with a hammer and a pickup. It's not a new blue print.... Just my $.02

[Windows on Washington]

+1

If the binary is down to that, the feedback on Anlin seems to be good.

[fearlessanger]

I can't quite recall the exact supplier for ProVia's glass, but I'm fairly certain it's not Cardinal. However, they do make use of Tremco's Super Spacer glazing technology, which I've found to be top-notch.

No need to fret about ProVia's longevity either; they've been on a steady growth trajectory over the past decade and seem poised to become one of the largest vinyl manufacturers nationwide. Most others in the industry tend to have more regional focuses.

As for Anlin, they're not in my area either, so I haven't had any firsthand experience with their products.

In my neck of the woods, we've got plenty of exterior primary roofers who also dabble in siding and windows. They tend to buy through national distribution channels rather than directly from ProVia. However, every time I've seen their window installations, it's been a cringe-inducing spectacle akin to "Homer Simpson" level workmanship—definitely not the standard I'd aim for.

[mikoz]

So it seems the $ difference is about 6k in favor of provia.

I like the Anlins but my wife thinks they look ‘cheap’. She’s of the impression that the extra molding makes he provia look better, whereas the anlin has a minimalistic look to it. I feel it’s a window, it should just be strong and expose the most glass and minimal framing. I don’t know if I can win that one.

I am still scared of the stories I read about provia initial quality. Really struggling with this one…

[uncle eddie]

I wouldn't choose provia.
Biggest scam in the business right now IMHO. Not sure if a more appropriate comparison is Alside since they have taken the crown as the window of choice for every hack roofer and contractor that doesn't know much about windows, or Pella where a respected name brand and great marketing is applied to steaming poo pile.
The $6k difference here is most likely because you are dealing with a hack, not because there's anywhere near that difference in product cost.