new construction vs "replacement" windows

9 years ago

I am somewhat confused from reading various company websites and forum posts. Can companies/websites that promote/say all over their sites "replacement windows" actually be used for new construction or not or does it vary by company? Specifically I am looking at Sunrise restorations, Sunrise Vanguard, possibly with a few "standard" (not essentials) Sunrise in select locations, Soft-lite Imperial LS, or Marvin Integrity (combo of all ultrex and wood ultrex- I know these can be used for new construction).

Also, what would be the overall ranking from best to worst. We are building in NW Ohio out in the country (flat, windy, no trees) and will be doing mostly casement windows.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

bpchiil
9 years ago
Replacement windows are just that - the sashes ( using a double hung window as an example) are removed along with the jamb liners, leaving the frame of the old window, and a new window is inserted. Picture a frame within a frame

A new construction (or full tear out as some call it) is where the entire window is removed right down to the studs of the house. A new construction window will have a flange that is called a nailing fin that is nailed directly to the sheathing/ studs from the exterior. All three of the manufactures you mentioned do make windows for both applications.

In most cases a new construction window is not needed, unless of course there is great deal of integrity issues with the frame of the window you are replacing. Additionally, a full tear out job will generally yield more glass area.

You mentioned three manufactures - two that make vinyl, and one that makes fiberglass (ultrex). Very difficult to rank from best to worst with these three, as they are all top producers. The difficult part of the ranking - you would need to determine if you want vinyl or fiberglass first.

If you decide vinyl - you are in luck....you are right in the heart (Ohio) of a number of good manufactures.
mmdoh
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks bpchill. We are building a new home, so we need new construction windows. It is difficult to decide b/w vinyl or fiberglass, but if we go vinyl we are leaning toward Soft-lite as they have more options for exterior colors. If we decide vinyl and they come in way higher for the quote vs. Sunrise can we paint the exterior frame the color we want on site, and is that recommended? I am assuming though, the exterior color from the factory would last longer. Both Sunrise and Soft-lite have wood grain interiors finishes so that isn't a big difference.
Related Discussions
Replacement Windows vs. New Construction Windows
Q
Comments (23)
A new construction window does not always mean more glass. It depends on window type and size and manufacturer. When we replaced our old leaky Aluminum windows with AL clad, wood interior windows (Marvin Ultimate), we ended up losing about 6+ inches of glass. The old aluminum had skinny sash while the new ones have large wood pieces inside. The large wood pieces did not affect the views as we feared but they certainly did not yield more glass. There are several reasons to stay with replacement even when changing siding and trim. We lived through this in our previous house. When trim around the windows is expensive to replace and already matches the house trim. WHen original frame is sound and we are not changing window size. When replacement window is sufficiently better than old window. When project cost of new construction is way higher than replacement windows. WE ended up using replacement windows for our previous home. For our current house, the trim was bad and needed replacement anyway, the framing surrounding the windows had visible water damage and there is no replacement for those poor quality Aluminum windows. The end result was new construction windows.
...See More
Need Advice: New Construction vs. Replacement Windows
Q
Comments (7)
Hi everyone, Thanks for the responses. It's been more than four months since my original query so I thought I'd post an update. After talking with several other contractors and vendors, we decided that going with replacement windows was clearly the wrong choice, so we switched contractors to someone with more large-scale remodeling experience and went with new construction windows. In the end we chose Anderson 400s and used Azek trim on the outside. The old windows came out and we found some damage to the underlying sheathing and framing, but not too much. The new windows were installed and insulated properly and the difference is huge. While we were at it we also replaced most of the edge and corner trim and drip caps on the house as this was rotting off as well. The project is taking a lot longer (we're hopefully wrapping up this week) and is costing a lot more than we thought, but I'm glad we caught this when we did as the damage would have been a lot worse if we had waited. Interestingly, the cost of the new construction windows was actually less than the replacement windows. The labor was more, of course, but we were already being forced to replace the rotting exterior trim so that was all equal. We did have to replace the interior trim, which was not inexpensive, but in the end the project wound up costing the same because the windows were less expensive. The difference in the new trim is amazing- it's nice to have real window sills and stools, with a less generic casing around them. The question of new windows vs. restoration was never an issue- the old windows (only 18 years old) were of poor quality, poorly installed, and leaked cold air to the point that we had to install plastic sheeting over the openings in the winter. Also, many of the window sills, mullions, and jams were rotting, so the amount of work to restore the existing windows would have been huge, We were going with new windows one way or the other. Thanks again for your help, Josh
...See More
Window replacement - inserts vs new construction and what brand in wi?
Q
Comments (0)
I am replacing the siding and windows on my entire Wisconsin home built in the70s. there are 19 windows. Yes I’m getting rid of the brick... complete exterior remodel. 1)since i am doing siding, do I do new construction windows or do I do vinyl inserts 2) there are so many window manufacturers, can anyone tell me which windows I should consider for this house and which ones I should not put in my house..? I habe heard That plygem is an average company and I have also heard it’s not recommended. What about hayfield out of MN or alliance ? thabk you 2
...See More
New construction vs. replacement windows?
Q
Comments (9)
I had new Marvin windows installed in my house. The 2nd floor was done about 10 years ago and all used were "replacement" windows. They went on siding. Two years later, the ones on the first floor were done. The LR windows were enlarged - brick work did not have to be done as they had originally been designed to have a panel below the window; now it was window with just a small panel below. The rest of the windows were replacement on brick except for the double window in my breakfast room - it was a new window. They had to construct a new outside "sill" for it but since the brick is painted, there was no problem matching. Then two years later, I realized I should have done a long 8 over 12 window in the other front-facing room, my library. So I tore out a perfectly good Marvin window and had brick work done so I could put in an 8 over 12 there as well. I can't really tell from the outside which is replacement and which is "new". Inside, I really am not fond of that ridge Marvin puts on the window sill. If I had it to do over again, I would have had all the windows put in as "new", not replacement. Probably no one on earth but me notices it.
...See More
bpchiil
9 years ago
I am uncertain as to whether or not you can paint the exterior of the Sunrise product. Hopefully one of the window pros will be along to answer that question. Personally I am against painting a vinyl window as you are defeating the purpose of a low to no maintenance product.

Good luck with your new build!

new construction vs "replacement" windows

Comments (3)

bpchiil

mmdoh
Original Author

Related Discussions

bpchiil

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

new construction vs "replacement" windows

Comments (3)

bpchiil

mmdohOriginal Author

Related Discussions

bpchiil

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

mmdoh
Original Author