We are about to complete construction of our whole house renovation. We have an entire house of new Sierra Pacific windows and doors (25 windows of various sizes and 2 doors). These windows and doors replace 8 year old Andersen 200 slider windows, Andersen 400 french doors and Andersen 200 sliding door. We looked at various brands - from Marvin, Pella, Andersen, Kolbe, etc. We ultimately went with Sierra Pacific for a variety of reasons - our contractor, who used to build high end home developments, put in a lot of Sierra Pacific windows, and had overall positive experiences with them. Our architect, who designs mainly high end homes, specs out a lot of Sierra Pacific windows and has SP windows in his home, and had no problems with them (except for the handles). Ironically, our architect did spec out Andersen 400s in our house (that was when we were going to reuse the Andersen 200s in the back of the house). We were able to get the look that we wanted (simulated divided lights) in the grid pattern that we wanted, at a budget that was workable for us (given that we are now 15% over budget on our construction, I'm glad we didn't spend more for the windows). Finally, when we compared window performance against various brands, they were within range of each other, and they were going to work ok in our relatively mild climate here in the SF bay area. I also stopped by the SP showroom and customer tech support center one day and talked to a lady who handles some of the customer calls. She told me that in general, most of the calls she takes in are for customers who had issues with the handles, weather stripping, etc. or minor things (of course, take that with a grain of salt since she works there and can tell me whatever she wants to disclose). However, her comments, along with my home developer turned contractor (in the recession) experiences in installing many of these windows, have helped us feel comfortable. The windows are in our house now, although we are still a few weeks away from completion. Some things in general about the windows from my personal experiences 1. on the doors, handle operation felt different that with my previous Andersen 400 french doors. It wasn't as smooth, and had a more clunky feel to it. The same was observed with the operation of the locking mechanism. It wasn't a rough operation, it just didn't feel as "substantial" as my old Andersen. This is not a comment about the quality, longevity, but more about the feel as compared to my old Andersen. 2. We had casement windows and awning windows (no sliders). We never had casement windows before, so I have no basis of comparison with our old Andersens. The crank operation was easy and smooth, although I wasn't crazy about the handle design. It also was very easy to latch the window shut once the window had been closed. the handles were not all solid construction, but rather metal sheet that has been rolled and formed into a handle. That may be why the tech support person said handles was an area they get calls on. 3. One thing I wasn't sure about, and it seemed a little suspect to me, was their "leaf" weatherstripping at the bottom of the window. It didn't seem to me that it could keep out the drafts, as it looks rather insubstantial... I realize with the windows latched shut (especially with casement windows), you would get a pretty solid seal against the elements, regardless of this leaf weatherstripping. That said, I don't know have any first hand experience with this potential area (since we haven't moved into the house yet). 4. at the corners where the aluminum cladding comes together, the joints were in general well done. I noticed a couple of windows where it wasn't as nice and clean looking as the others, but it does seem to be well sealed. 5. a little bit of a nit, but in most of the windows, the mounting flanges were powder coated just like the aluminum cladding on the window frame. There were a couple of windows where in one section of the mounting flange the powder coating was thin or not there. The mounting flange is going to be hidden and covered by the trim boards, so it doesn't matter anyway, but I would have expected the painter to just paint it so that every square inch of the cladding, whether hidden or not, is coated.. (that's just me). 5. Overall, the windows seem well built, although I can't comment on the design. So far, I'm relying on my architect and builders experiences on longevity and it seemed to be working ok for them. 6. Although SP offers a lot of different color options for the aluminum cladding, I found that in our case, we weren't looking for a radical color and that we could have found something similar with the other windows that would have worked for us. I think for us, it came down to how much more we were going to get for the additional cost of going to Marvin and whether that would be worth it to us, versus spending that money somewhere else for an upgrade. Ultimately, we felt that given our climate and the window design we had, the SPs were good enough and that going with other windows wouldn't have given us a noticeable increase in value. Hope this helps.

I've specified them and they have worked well. Had a small leak at the bottom of the glass on a lower double-hung sash but Eagle quickly replaced the sash. They are now owned by Andersen which I hope is a plus. Advantages: They will put an aluminum clad sash in a wood frame which allows the use of factory installed trim which is preferable for traditional detailing IMHO. Lots of colors and good looking muntin choices. It looks almost as good as a Marvin Ultimate double-hung (if the jamb inserts are used) for less money. Disadvantages: Very few double-hung sizes available (not as bad as Pella ProLine and Andersen 200 but very difficult to design with) Perhaps that will change with the new ownership. With such high end features this window should be marketed as a high-mid level product with at least twice the sizes. Clad windows need a field applied sub-sill to prevent water intrusion there IMHO but it seems almost all clad nail-fin windows do these days. The sill of the wood frame inexplicably requires a sill nosing that has to be added by the distributer. This may also have changed. It was rumored to be rapidly increasing in cost before it was bought by Andersen but that was second hand info. I don't know what the pricing is now. I don't know of anyone who still sells them and the rep doesn't call every month like he used to. I wonder if and when when Andersen is going to give this window company the marketing clout it has always needed.

I have been a high end builder on the north shores of Lake Erie for 39 years. I have installed most of the major brands at one time or another from Architects specifications. On the lakefront houses you are basically building a boat more than a house. We have been using Eagle clad casements for the last 6 years exclusively, and even through Hurricane Sandy, not a window leak. The extruded Aluminum that slides over the millwork is thick and did not dent during a hail storm four years ago. We did dozens of widow replacements on the north and west faces of houses with rollform cladding. After Sandy, there were trucks at every other house on the lake trying to repair window leaks. Some, of course were siding and flashing issues. Much of the problems are incorrect installation procedures. We use our own triple taping/flashing procedure that has worked great for us through high velocity horizontal rains. If my name in on the sign the windows will be Eagle casements. Beware of any brand double hungs in high wind areas. Also outswing doors are mandatory on the lakefront facings. Best wishes!

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...