I wish it were that simple when we researched our windows.

Identifying a manufacturer is easy enough but unfortunately, each distributes its product differently and there can be different layers between the factory and the consumers. While a dealer in NYC may be wonderful to deal with for a specific brand, a dealer in CA selling the same brand may receive a ton of complaints. Too often, bad installation and poor customer service by independent dealers and shops are the causes of much of our angst, not the factory. SOme factories will indeed handle complaints quickly and honor their warranty swiftly while others may drag on. In the end, I would say finding a good dealer is key and finding a good installer is absolutely essential. A good dealer can be a good go-between if there are problems from ordering errors to warranty service and a good installer will remove installation failure as a problem. It just makes the whole process smoother and more enjoyable.

If this is boring you now :-), the three companies we have been happy with are Marvin, Milgard and Andersen. We have used no other brands. The following are some of our experience; feel free to skip.

There are three things that combined to make windows+doors project a positive experience. The first is actually we, the consumer. Our own knowledge dictates how much we control the project. The more knowledgeable we are, the more control we can exert, the better our decisions will be, the happier we will be. This educational process prepares us for the second step.

The second is knowing how to select the right window type for your applications, the right shop to buy them from and the right contractor to do the installation. Armed with knowledge, you will be able to pick the right shop, the right contractor and the right type of windows. This is much much more important than deciding which brand.

Finally, you can pick the brand. This is actually the easiest part once you have done 1 and 2 above. Shop for the brands, apply your knowledge as you shop to judge which shop is knowledgeable and willing to help vs. shops of lower quality.

The following is a sample of the steps we took to ensure the whole process ran smoothly. You did not state if you have done these, so if I am stating the obvious, forgive me; just trying to help.

1. Take your time and be patient with the whole process. Do not be rushed.
2. Trust your own intelligence, believe you can learn.
3. Learn all you can about current window technologies. What is Low-E, what is double pane vs triple, what is SHGC, what is argon/krypton fill, etc.
4. Define why you are shopping for new windows and doors. Energy efficiency? Comfort? Adding warmth to interior? Maintaining architecture?
5. Define your requirements of these windows and doors. Each opening may have different requirements. Size, lighting amount, tempered vs annealed vs laminated, aluminum clad vs vinyl vs fiberglass, etc.
6. Define which opening in your house will receive which type of window?
7. Once you know the type, style and specifications, it is easy to identify which factor sells the windows you may want. Pick 2 or 3, download installation manuals from the candidate window factories.
8. Pretend you are the contractor, mentally walk through step by step what you would have to do? Strip the siding? Take off faming? cut through dry wall? Yank out old window frame? Any electrical in the wall that must be rerouted? Most importantly, identify any bad conditions in existing windows.
9. #8 above will generate all sorts of installation questions, list them. It will also generate tasks, list them too.
10. Research what you can on-line or visit local wood shop to get most of questions answered. By now, you will have a decent idea of what it will take.
11. Do a rough estimate of RO measurements.
12. Prepare a specification document listing each opening, each type of window, the RO, different options, if any.
13. With #12, you can now go to individual shop to ask them more questions and seek an estimate. Most shops will be impressed by your spec and be more willing to work with you. They know you are dead serious. THe information you gather will help you narrow your brand choices.
14. With #13, you can also start to interview contractors. You can ask them to answer your questions, or deliberately point out bad parts of existing windows and ask them innocently how they would address those? You can gauge their expertise by how they answer. If they answer to your satisfaction, you know they are good enough. If they brush you off and do not give an answer you can fully understand, then they are at best not good at communication or at worse not interested in doing a good job. By knowing approximately what you must do to install them yourself, you can also ask the contractor specific labor cost question about what must be done, why, using what material and how much it may cost. This ensures everything that must be done is well known and specified and there are no surprises.
15. After picking contractor and after they have done their professional RO measurements, update your specifications, have the shop use this final document to order. Everyone signs off of course and now order can be placed. Make sure you get a copy of the PO from the shop if possible. Sometimes, if they order a large batch, this is not possible but a shop should always give you a receipt for down-payment and you can INSIST they list clearly what they have ordered on that receipt. This listing must match your specification. This eliminates order errors and if it does occur, the signed-off specification is the binding document. The shop or distributor or factory cannot point a finger at you.

At this point, you can guess what else needs to be done. My experience is that the more diligent we are, the pickier we are, the more the shop pays attention and the less the contractor will cut corners. So you are the boss, you have to act and behave like one but respectfully of course :-), they are professionals after all (we hope) and deserve proper treatment.

It is a lot of work but it is our house after all and if we want a nice happy experience, we do need to put in the work. Otherwise, it will be almost like a crap-shoot, hoping for the right windows, the right shop and the right installer. Too big of a gamble for me, personally :-).

Hope this helps a bit and not too far off your request.

Good luck!

Thanks so much!! I have been thru the wringer with another company and don't want to go thru that again!

You can look at my old postings, I went with window concepts of minnesota. I have had two slight problems and response was quick...so far so good.