The reasoning behind the change in energy consumption is geared from the power loss a few years back in the NY area. The National study of how this happened and why sparked some interesting results. First of all to replace the old antique power lines and grid system in just one area would be Trillions of dollars. That's just one grid! Our almighty power supply companies can't even comprehend where to start and where the money will come from. So they are all putting large amounts of money in a federally funded program to make our homes more energy efficient. So by having an energy audit done on your home and finding out where all your issues are. You can then have access to this pool of low interest loans through our government. There are a handful of us working closely with these programs and teaching them the things they will need to know for a more energy efficient home. In my case, I offer technical solutions on the installation of doors and windows. The proper use of house wrap and flashing. Then it goes from there to siding, HVAC, roofing and insulation. Your windows are only part of a very complex system... your home. Every home is different and every climate doesn't care... it just does what it does. The neighbor next to you in the same model home might change windows and save 50%... and you might do the exact same and save nothing. It might not make sense.. until you apply science. Energy is heat and follows it's own laws. It's laws tell it to move to a lack thereof by any vehicle available. Air transfer is the easiest but many others are readily available in most homes. Conduction, convection and radiation are the primary taxicabs. If your neighbors home is properly insulated and airtight, the energy might have been primarily using the old windows as the vehicle to move in or out. If your home isn't, new windows will only tranfer the energy to the next cab... like your walls or roof. Think (ATM) = money. Air, Temperature and Moisture always move in relation to each other. If you address one and not the others, they will bring it along for the ride anyways. A typical 2,500 square foot home has over a half mile of cracks and crevices in it's shell. Insulation defects DOMINATE the thermal performance of any assembly. If the insulation in that shell has even 5% of gaps or openings, it reduces the entire shell's insulating value by up to 70%!!! The effect is even worse with higher initial R-values. The air takes the energy for a free cab ride and steps on the gas. Heat does not rise, it moves equally in every direction. Only heated air rises when it is not driven in another direction by predominant pressure or airflow. If your house is well insulated and very airtight, then your windows might be the primary source of heat loss/gain. Changing these windows with a well insulated and airsealed product might make a huge difference in your energy bills. This would be the hope of everyone going through this process but it may also have very serious side-effects. If your old windows were a considerable source of air-infiltration, the reduction of this airflow will induce a negative pressure inside the home and may cause your cumbustion appliances to backdraft Carbon monoxide (CO). I have personally tested and witnessed this occurance by simply turning on a clothes dryer or a few utility fans. That was all it took to change the airflow. If a shortage is measured, the necessary amount of "fresh" replacement air can then be supplied by controlled mechanical ventilation. When you change any part of a structure's thermal or pressure boundaries with windows, siding, roofing & venting, etc., you have changed the rules and allowances. It is for these reasons and many more that I strongly recommend having your house professionally tested before and after any shell remodeling. The analysis fees are usually deductable from the contract amount of the work performed. These testing procedures are supported and recommended by the EPA and the USDOE and information can be found through their sites. The primary objective is to save energy and improve comfort and air quality in the home. This can be achieved in almost every home in America... if you, Test... Before you invest.

I had no idea this link existed until I ran across it by accident. We put double hung windows in our new home about 11 years ago. We paid apprx. $5,000 more than what Anderson or Pella would have cost. I felt the additional money was well worth it because the carpenter we hired to help me build our house had installed them before and thought they we excellant windows. We purchased them through a regional building supplier, 84 Lumber. Then the nightmare started. My carpenter did not use the regular flashing over the nail flange that was recommended. Instead he just used Tyvek tape as he said he did with all new window installation. I did not know any better so I didn't object. The windows leaked water at the top and bottom corners, alot of water as in ran down onto the floor. Factory reps looked but could see a problem except to say that they were not installed correctly due to the lack of flashing. By this time we were in the middle of winter making any kind of water testing impossible. We removed every single window in the house and re installed with Tyvek flexible flashing and caulking behind the nail flange as recommended and reinstalled the vinyl siding. You can imagine the disappointment and anger we felt when they still leaked, primarily at the bottom corners. Eventually my carpenter found the problem by using a squirt bottle of water on the outside of the side jamb and watched under the window as the water driped in through the joint between the side jamb and the sill. Finally Loewen sent a very knowledgeable techinician to our house. He removed the jamb inserts and caulked the joint between the sill and side jamb. His explanation was that the company said that the water was coming in through an area that was on the outside of the house and the leaking shouldn't matter. Obviously a bunch of BS but there was little I could do with him. My guess is that this joint should have been caulked or sealed at the factory but was not, but he denied this was the case. Why it happen to every one of our windows, is beyond me. Bottom line is, even though they were not installed according to mfgr's recommendations, that was not why they were leaking. The cailking seemed to stop the leaking for several years but about 5-6 years later it started again altough not nearly as much. I have not put the trim on any of my windows that face the west and south because of the fear that water will get in and cause rot that I will not know about until way too late. I realize that I should have hounded the company after they started leaking again but I was just too disgusted to make the effort. As you can imagine having no trim on the windows has been a major source of contention with my wife and I am at the point where I am going to contact them again so that I can finish the windows. The other issue is air infiltration. I echo all of the comments I have read on this site. The windows are deplorable. They leak between the sash rails and the jamb inserts mainly at the top and bottom corners and in the middle where the top and bottom rails overlap. The windows were reinstalled correctly, caulking, flashing, level and plumb. This is without a doubt one of the most frustrating things I have every dealt with. Any advice would be welcome. Thanks for listening. .....GS

I can only share our experience with Marvin. These are 4 years old AL clad outside and wood inside. We are in northern CA up on a hill. Lots of windows and french doors facing SW. In the summer we get direct sun and 110+ heat on these units. In the winter, heavy wind and rain and some snow and hail hit them. Often, strong wind will whip pea gravel onto the French doors. Kids have hit these doors with frisbees, all sorts of balls, sticks, kites, a couple of bike tires when they crashed. So far, the color has not faded and there are no scratches or dents. Do know that if someone were to hit it hard with a large rock or a sharp object, I am sure it will scratch or dent just like a car body. We are reaplcing our gravel with wood chips this year just in case. As for rolled vs. extruded, the window shop where we ordered the windows showed us a cut-out. The extruded had uniform thickness all the way around sharp corners. The rolled, at least with what they showed us, had a "crimp" or thinner where the metal bent sharply. Is that really bad? Probably not if the metal is thick enough. Luckily, the wood work quality did the trick for us. Marvin had the wood work quality we want, so we got Marvin. If the other brand had the same quality woodwork, it would have made the decision a bit tougher. Good luck with your research and I hope you get something you really apprecaite!

I had SP replace 3/4 of my windows about 8 years ago.. I did not like the process - buy windows, get installer, get person to paint trim inside and out. But we did it and had and have one problem - one window is wobbly when you crank in and out. Also the SP salesman was not knowledgeable and did not let us know that a slider to replace our french doors would be much smaller than opening. That was disappointing. Installer is no longer "around". We have had two seals break and they were replaced with no problem under SP warranty. Now I want to replace the other windows (above grade basement ones and a family room window that was in great shape and now should be replaced.) Well, I just don't get the "process" - they give you the name of one installer and he gives you a price for windows and install. Should I just find my own installer or use the one they "sent me". How do you check and find good contractors? Also is it important all my windows match on the outside? From the inside they will not be in the same View - but will be visible from the outside in the back.... one SP on 2nd and 3rd floor and possible a Pella or Marvin or a SP on ground/basement level. Any help would be appreciated...