Glad the info was helpful in your search mdln! Good luck with the rest of your project! Re the concern about simultaneous exchange - I had a couple of contractors for whom we wrote the lien release conditional on the payment going through. We included the check number and amount of the final payment I was making on the lien release, so all that had to be done for the release to be in force was for the contractor to deposit that check. One other detail regarding subcontractors on your job in Illinois - a homeowner can only ensure that releases of lien are received from all subs if he/she knows who the subcontractors are. To protect the homeowner from unknown subcontractors demanding payment, in Illinois (section 5 of the Mechanics Lien act), the homeowner is required to ask for, and the contractor is required to provide, a sworn document called a "Contractor's Affadavit" that states all subcontractors on the job and the amounts they will be paid. If the homeowner has this document, he isn't responsible for paying any subcontractors whose information doesn't appear in the document. Unfortunately, I've never heard of anyone getting this document, let alone getting it notarized so that it counts as being a sworn/affadavit document. But I am curious to hear if others are able to insist on this document and still get work done! You can see the exact language of the law here: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2254&ChapterID=63 One other comment regarding insurance - I found out that there are two different things a company may mean when they say they have "put you on their insurance". 1) They can add you as an additional insured. That means that you can file a claim directly with the insurance company if there's damage, because you are a customer of the insurance company. The contractor may charge for this - I paid $100 on my last job - but it does offer additional protection. 2) They can add you as a "certificate holder". That just gives you the right to get a copy of the certificate with the insurance information - basically, it allows the insurance company to disclose the otherwise private information about the insurance policy to you, but it doesn't make you an insured party on the insurance policy. I was never charged for this.

The Starmark window is a premium composite window and is better than most if not all replacement windows on the market. That said, the Andersen product you are comparing it to is the entry level box store product and will not match up well with any quality VINYL window. It is simply the low end of the replacement market. If you compare Andersen's top of the line replacement product, the Renewal By Andersen window, to a top of the line VINYL window (such as the OKNA 800 ...the Envirostar) You have two windows closer to each other. The OKNA 800 series is a fully welded vinyl window and the Renewal is a composite made of wood fibers and shredded vinyl mixed with epoxy. I prefer the construction of the 800 window, especially the welded corners. The Renewal material can't be welded, so it is 'butt joined' at the corners. Also, the Renewal costs 2 to 3 times that of the 800, and is only sold by dealers who commit to sell only Renewal by Andersen, hence the cost difference. This post was edited by vinylwindowguy on Fri, Mar 1, 13 at 11:05

I am not trying to start a debate :-). I want to present the facts we dug up 4 years ago so others can make their own decision. Also, if you really want to be un-confused, please go to the Efficient Windows website to look up what they recommend. You can also find scientific specification for Aluminum, wood, fiberglass and vinyl on-line. They are not intimidating and not difficult to understand. The only reason vinyl is used is because it is cheaper, not because it is better than wood, fiberglass or Aluminum. Scientifically, there is no debate or ambiguity when comparing the thermal characteristics and physical properties of Aluminum, wood and fiberglass against vinyl. Aluminum car bodies can last until it is recycled. Imagine Texas heat and sun on that metal on your car. Wood can last 100's of years. Fiberglass is used extensively in ocean-going sailboat hulls putting up with salt, wind and searing sun. Vinyl is a very distant fourth in this group. Cheaper does not mean it is bad, it just means there are limitations. If we ignore the weaker structural strength, then the other most obvious limitation is color choices. All vinyl windows we saw 4 years ago came in white or off-white. Use the darker Hunter-Green in vinyl and heat absorption will warp the frames in no time. Many high-end multi-million dollar homes in our area do use Milgard vinyl windows. The contractors and homeowners want to cut cost so they decide to spend less on windows and patio doors by using vinyl. Nothing wrong with that as long as they can put up with the white trim and its thermal characterisics. We still have two 9-yr old white Milgard windows and the one that has the most solar exposure has a warp frame around the crank handle. The frames also get downright hot in high summer. 9 years old and it is time to replace them. Milgard will certainly honor its warranty but do I want another warped frame in 9 years? Does the white trim go with our reclaimed pine floor? So there are personal choices to make. Most importantly, if a "high quality" vinyl costs $450 but a high quality Aluminum clad solid wood also costs $450 or even $550, then it is a no brainer to me if performance characteristics are the same. I won't take the vinyl. As for whether to use a double-pane or triple-pane, you should search for posts by "Oberon". Oberon is our "resident expert" on windows and has provided many very detail and impartial explannation. It is worth a read before plunking down a ton of cash for triple panes. Good luck!

1) What do you consider a retail store? My preferred list of vendors would be a window dealer/installation company, followed by lumberyard/building supply house, followed by box stores. You will see a linear decline in quality and performance as you move down that list. 2) All of those items are important (performance, quality, longevity, value), but the good thing is, when you are looking at vinyl windows they generally move the needle in sync with each other. The better the thermal and structural ratings are, the better the quality is and the longer that they will last. U value, air infiltration, and design pressure are the big ones to look at. 3) A few vinyl product choices that are very well made and offer great performance are Okna/Himark, Softlite, Sunrise, and Polaris. I know that you mentioned trying to find a product that might not be as "well-known" among pros, however there is a reason that those products are highly regarded. That said, you should be able to find a good performer that is more "regional" , just use the performance ratings of the better options as a guide for comparison. Alternatively, if your main concern is trying to find a dealer of those products, as someone else suggested you could contact the manufacturer and ask them for a referral in your area.