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nvestysly

Restorations by Sunrise, Integrity/Marvin, Jeld Wen, Andersen

nvestysly
9 years ago

We are going with full-frame replacements because several of our existing windows have rotted sills. In addition we have significant condensation on the interior during the winter. The existing windows don't seem drafty but it's certainly cold (or hot) near the windows depending on the time of year.

All the operable windows will be double-hung and there are 3 fixed/picture windows. Total count is 26 windows in 14 openings. Our house is brick exterior. We will choose simulated divided lights for top and bottom sashes.

We live in the southeast. The west and south sides both receive significant amounts of sun at various times in the year. Our house was built in 1950 and we believe it has very little insulation, if any, in the walls. We don't plan to do anything about the wall insulation for now but the new windows may lead us to re-think the walls at a later date.

We are considering three window installers offering these products:

1) A well-known local company who sells/installs Restorations (made by Sunrise I believe). The company has a good reputation and we've spoken to several customers who have nothing but praise for the product and the people. Their crew will perform the work in a matter of days.

2) A local handyman in the neighborhood. He does quite a bit of work in the area and comes with good references. This job is probably near his limit of physical ability since he will do all the work himself. I may help him as needed to place/lift the windows. The project will consequently be done over a period of weeks. This installer is asking us to choose between Jeld-Wen Siteline EX aluminum clad window and the Andersen 400 products.

3) The third scenario is an authorized dealer/installer for Marvin. They are offering Integrity (made by Marvin) using a trademarked fiberglass construction or Marvin windows with aluminum clad exterior. The Marvin windows look nicer in some ways but I don't know if I like the aluminum-clad construction.

So there are lots of questions. Some come to mind here as I'm typing...

- Is aluminum-clad worth the extra money? Particularly since I'm not opposed to vinyl or fiberglass exterior.

- Are we better served to go with a larger installer versus the handyman who has a good reputation?

- Depending on the product we choose the total price is in the $20k - $30k range. This is not a trivial amount of money for us. Is this a reasonable price (I know that's difficult to answer)?

- Any other comments/suggestions?

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