Need New Windows, for the House

rodney eppes

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2010
Location
Mt.Holly NC 28120
My 34yo home, needs new windows. My original double pane casement windows, have lost their gas, & I despise the casement style. Looking to change back to double hung. I called Mr.Rogers Windows, & had a 3 hour presentation. Like all their offering, Anderson, Composites, Low-E, gas filled, titanium coating, colors, Lifetime, ect! THEN, he hit me with the Price! Dude, This isn't sticker shock, THIS is F k ng
RIDICULOUS :kaioken: If I can't get a decent window, at an Honest price, I'll just keep what I have!:shaking:
Any window guys here?
 
Do you know if you want Vinyl windows or Wood windows?

What is your budget per window?

In my limited dealing with Mr Rogers, they were very cheap and sold cheap products.

It has been 10 years or better though so maybe theyve changed.

I've got a friend in the area who specializes in windows but dont want to waste either of your time.
 
What was the price per window installed?
 
Look up Good Siding And Windows in Maiden NC. I'm not sure how far Joe travels but MT Holly isn't far. They do good work, no idea on price.
 
Don't waste any money on vinyl windows.

If I had a dollar for every person that asked me "how do I keep my vinyl windows from leaking/falling out of the frame/sashes not aligning/locks not working/etc" I'd be a wealthy dude.

Round numbers, I'm guessing a quality replacement is going to be in the neighborhood of $3-500 per unit.
 
:popcorn:
 
shawn said:
Don't waste any money on vinyl windows.

If I had a dollar for every person that asked me "how do I keep my vinyl windows from leaking/falling out of the frame/sashes not aligning/locks not working/etc" I'd be a wealthy dude.

Round numbers, I'm guessing a quality replacement is going to be in the neighborhood of $3-500 per unit.
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Do you suggest aluminum or wood? My father has a Andersen metal clad exterior with wood interior and they had issues after 15 years.
 
GotWood said:
Do you suggest aluminum or wood? My father has a Andersen metal clad exterior with wood interior and they had issues after 15 years.
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Aluminum-clad wood frame. Andersen (and others) have composite frame windows that should be less expensive, but I don't have any first-hand experience with them.

What problems did they have with the Andersens? Standard warranty should be 20yrs on the glazing.
 
Nothing to add other than my buddy just had all the windows in his house replaced (except for the 20ft tall windows). 46 total windows, life time warranty, varying sizes, $42,000. That said, my old boss had one of her rentals re-windowed and it was $10,000 for 23 windows.
 
So I'd love to replace my windows too, but would like to cut down on costs and do them myself.
Is Anderson the way to go? Is there a way to get them direct w/o going through a contractor? Does the warranty typically require a brand-licensed installer?
 
shawn said:
Aluminum-clad wood frame. Andersen (and others) have composite frame windows that should be less expensive, but I don't have any first-hand experience with them.

What problems did they have with the Andersens? Standard warranty should be 20yrs on the glazing.
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Condensation between the metal and wood caused rot. I don't remember if warranty covered it but he added storm Windows. Leaks were not the problem though I do remember that.
 
I sold Pella Windows for 4 years and then 1 year with Home Depot At Home Services. In my house, everything is either Pella Designer series with blinds inside or is the Thermastar vinyl windows sold through Lowes. I have been VERY impressed with the Thermastar windows. Out of about 2 dozen of them that I installed myself, only one had a problem. I called the Pella 1-800 number and they sent someone out with replacement sashes in hand and had it fixed up within 15 minutes...

We have noticed a HUGE difference over the single glazed wood double hungs and storm windows. No drafts, the windows open and close easy, easy to clean, etc. They look good too for our caliber house. I actually like them better than the triple glazed Designer series that we put in the living room (we got them at the Pella clearance center when I worked there).
 
RatLabGuy said:
So I'd love to replace my windows too, but would like to cut down on costs and do them myself.
Is Anderson the way to go?
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Ours are all Pella, but I used to build Andersens. They're both good companies. Jeld Wen and Marvin aren't bad, either.

We bought ours direct from Pella here in Raleigh. They mulled the units together at the distribution hub out in G'boro or something and delivered them ready to install. We had a mix of custom and stock sizes, came shipped with nailing flanges for new construction installation... but you could get them to fit in existing openings or whatever else you needed.
 
GotWood said:
Condensation between the metal and wood caused rot. I don't remember if warranty covered it but he added storm Windows. Leaks were not the problem though I do remember that.
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Huh. That's odd. My parents have an Andersen patio door, but it's probably only 10-15 years old. They have a mix of Pella and Andersen clad double hungs that are over 30 years old now, though.
 
Good windows are expensive.
 
Windows are very easy to do yourself. Replacement windows can be ordered for any size opening and after doing a couple and getting it figured out, it only takes maybe 30 minutes each after that. I did all of mine myself.
 
Going from Casement to double hung involves a lot more than just a "Replacement window" where you are re-using the wood frame and inserting a replacement window into the pocket. If you are good at finish carpentry, then you would probably be a good candidate to do these yourself. It will involve removing the interior casings off the wall and getting an exact measurement of the window frames to figure out your rough opening. You will have to bear in mind the exterior of your home as well. If you have a brick exterior, you will have to trim the new window exterior to meet up to the brick. I know Pella offers trim metal that can be ordered a touch big and cut down to fill the space where brickmold would be. Alternatively, if you can operate a sheet metal brake, you can build your own trim and wrap the wood frames.

What you are talking about is full tear-out replacement. The good news is you should be able to order stock sized windows and build out the frames to the openings and still make it look good. Unfortunately, what you save on ordering stock windows, you will eat up in labor and other materials. It's all a matter of what you want your end result to be.
 
Mr Rogers, is doing the replacement, repair/replace any problem areas, such as 1 rotting sill, I have, & insulates [foam], & wraps the outside in aluminium. Turn key job. The Anderson's I looked at are the Fibrex, or Composite framed windows. I know most of the facts on straight vinyl, aluminium, & cladding. I will need 17 windows, which is "buy 4-get 1 free". Their Proposal = Anderson Suggested price-17 windows- $25,284.
3 free @ $1398 = $4194 , My Cost $21,090. When you do the math, there's a couple thousand extra; apparently, I'm getting charged for a "Color", & a Basic Colored Lock cover! I haven't had time to compare prices, but I think a $1400+ window, should be titanium, with a Gold Plated Lock Cover!
As I suspected, they called me back yesterday, at work, told them I couldn't take then, & they were to call at 6pm. They haven't called back, which is FINE, with Me!
 
That's about right for Mr Robbers. I about had a heart attack when they came and gave me an estimate. Especially since a contractor friend said I'd probably have to pay between 3 and 500 a window.
Their call center will randomly continue to call you for about 6 months even after you tell them no.
 
rodney eppes said:
Mr Rogers, is doing the replacement, repair/replace any problem areas, such as 1 rotting sill, I have, & insulates [foam], & wraps the outside in aluminium. Turn key job. The Anderson's I looked at are the Fibrex, or Composite framed windows. I know most of the facts on straight vinyl, aluminium, & cladding. I will need 17 windows, which is "buy 4-get 1 free". Their Proposal = Anderson Suggested price-17 windows- $25,284.
3 free @ $1398 = $4194 , My Cost $21,090. When you do the math, there's a couple thousand extra; apparently, I'm getting charged for a "Color", & a Basic Colored Lock cover! I haven't had time to compare prices, but I think a $1400+ window, should be titanium, with a Gold Plated Lock Cover!
As I suspected, they called me back yesterday, at work, told them I couldn't take then, & they were to call at 6pm. They haven't called back, which is FINE, with Me!
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Thats just stupid and no way will you ever get your money back out of it. Is your house brick, wood, vinyl? I'm trying to find an old contact that I have who was doing some work at my house but havent found his card yet.
 
Call Tom Campbell at (704) 201-6475 and talk to him about it. He's not the guy who did work on my house but I do know him through a friend and I know people he's done work for
 
As stated, doing it yourself will save you a ton of money. If you have basic carpentry skills it is easy to replace them. Casement are a little hard to replace with double hung units but still not that bad. You can also do them at your own pace. Stay away from the argon gases. Only short term benefit and it is minimal. If you have a lot of sun hitting your house, low E glass is a good investment over the long term as it does reduce temps and UV effects. If house is pretty well shaded then I would pass on the low E. Go with the double pane as the triple pain are not worth the extra cost in this climate. If you windows are smaller in size, a solid vinyl window will work fine and I would not be afraid of them if it a descent brand. If they are larger, look for the vinyl clads ones as they tend to hold up better. once you are done, you can get someone to cap the outside with alumn. if there is exposed wood that needs covered, if you do not feel confident doing that. my 2%
 
89wrangler said:
As stated, doing it yourself will save you a ton of money. If you have basic carpentry skills it is easy to replace them. Casement are a little hard to replace with double hung units but still not that bad. You can also do them at your own pace. Stay away from the argon gases. Only short term benefit and it is minimal. If you have a lot of sun hitting your house, low E glass is a good investment over the long term as it does reduce temps and UV effects. If house is pretty well shaded then I would pass on the low E. Go with the double pane as the triple pain are not worth the extra cost in this climate. If you windows are smaller in size, a solid vinyl window will work fine and I would not be afraid of them if it a descent brand. If they are larger, look for the vinyl clads ones as they tend to hold up better. once you are done, you can get someone to cap the outside with alumn. if there is exposed wood that needs covered, if you do not feel confident doing that. my 2%
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I agree with the most part, but I think what you are getting at with argon is to not pay for an "upgrade" to a certain gas. All insulated glass (double pane), is filled with some kind of inert gas - argon, krypton, etc. to keep the atmospheric pressure equalized and keep moisture or condensation from building up BETWEEN the two panes of glass. When the seal on insulated glass breaks, the inert gas leaks out and is replaced with outside air which contains humidity and contaminants. It is the humidity and contaminants that attach to the inside of the glass and cause it to cloud. This is where a seal failure warranty comes in. Many are 20 years, some 30 years, some lifetime. Bear in mind, this is different than seeing condensation on the outside of the glass surface (either interior of the house or exterior). I have seen brand new Pella Windows that were installed next to very healthy shrubs and they constantly have condensation on the exterior surface of the window. This is normal because it's a humid environment. I've also seen where in winter time, condensation can accumulate on the interior side of the window because the house is 80 degrees and the exterior is 30 degrees. Typically, heating ducts are installed directly in front of windows so that this change in temperature will cause the cold air to push the warm air away from the window into the house. Not all heat ducts are done this way anymore, so it's more of a common occurrence. It doesn't mean the window's bad, it's just not capable of adapting to that drastic of a temp/humidity difference.
 
All insulated glass is not filled with gas. it is strictly an option that can be added. A normal insulated pane of glass is just two pieces of glass and a spacer and then seal with a polyurethane or like material. Newer types are actually all built into one ( spacer and sealing material) that comes on a roll and laid onto glass and the other piece of glass in laid on top. The unit is then ran through an oven and press to seal the unit. The dead air space is what gives it the insulated factor. If the seal breaks, that is when moisture is created (on the inside) due to the air getting inside which creates condensation. The inert Gas, which is usually argon, is inserted to increase the thermal efficiencies of the unit. However, this is only 100% effective if the unit is 99.5% or better full. When I got out of the industry, there was no accurate way to measure this so it was and educated guess if it was full. Also the properties of the argon starts to dissipate on the 4th year and eventually is ineffective. We produced well over a million insulated glass panels when in the industry, using various methods, from applying by hand with a two part material and air pump, to the intercept application, to swiggle which is mostly what our company uses today.
 
89wrangler said:
All insulated glass is not filled with gas. it is strictly an option that can be added. A normal insulated pane of glass is just two pieces of glass and a spacer and then seal with a polyurethane or like material. Newer types are actually all built into one ( spacer and sealing material) that comes on a roll and laid onto glass and the other piece of glass in laid on top. The unit is then ran through an oven and press to seal the unit. The dead air space is what gives it the insulated factor. If the seal breaks, that is when moisture is created (on the inside) due to the air getting inside which creates condensation. The inert Gas, which is usually argon, is inserted to increase the thermal efficiencies of the unit. However, this is only 100% effective if the unit is 99.5% or better full. When I got out of the industry, there was no accurate way to measure this so it was and educated guess if it was full. Also the properties of the argon starts to dissipate on the 4th year and eventually is ineffective. We produced well over a million insulated glass panels when in the industry, using various methods, from applying by hand with a two part material and air pump, to the intercept application, to swiggle which is mostly what our company uses today.
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Wow... I learned something new then. My only training in windows came from Pella, so the generality that "all insulated glass has argon" may have referred to them alone - all of "their" insulated glass contained argon and I just mixed it up. I know that their Designer series (and their predecessor) had a removable clip-in glazing panel that had a rubber gasket. It acted as insulating glass, but did not fully seal since it had air vents to the outside to keep out condensation.

Pella throws a LOT at you in the training and not coming from a construction background, it was a lot to absorb.
 
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