In that comparison, I prefer the Integrity. The Andersen 100 isn't bad by any stretch, I just prefer the construction of the Integrity.

Thanks WoW, i appreciate your feedback. Do you think it's a good idea to take into account, the warranty that is offered as well? Feel free to correct me if i am wrong here, but Milgard offers a lifetime warranty(parts+labor) and Anderson and Marvin are both 10 year each. Lifetime warranty sounds like a good deal to me, but am i missing something obvious in the fine print? Why would one not just go with Milgard because they stand behind their product and are able back it up with a lifetime warranty?

Also, do you think $20,000(~$572 for 35 windows) is a realistic budget for the number of windows that i specified? Or should i be changing tracks and look at vinyl, perhaps Simonton? We will be having white trim on the inside, so i guess white interior windows are not an issue.

Just for my understanding in terms of pricing, is this correct?

$Marvin Integrity > $ Anderson 100 > $ Milgard Ultra

Thank you very much!

I am not sure I would worry about a 10 year frame warranty on a fiberglass window. There is no reason that the frame material should break down. I am not sure you will hit your budget number on a nice window, depending on the options you stuff in it.

No pro here. I really studied this. I chose the Andersen 100s. I've lived in this house for 3 months and love them. We built a contemporary design so that was the major consideration. Price/value proposition was up there too.

For a white interior, a high performance vinyl unit may be a great option. Only problem is that there are not too many stellar vinyl products available on the West coast. Simonton is solid. Milgard is fine too. I couldn't rate either over a Marvin Intergrity or Andersen 100, but certainly the will cost less and have a better warranty. The Marivn and Andersen will have a slightly richer look and feel though.

I generally prefer the Marvin out of those two, particularly when you are looking at the wood/ultrex option. That said, if the all-ultrex is the consideration here, I might actually prefer the Andersen. I can't stand that marketing behind the Fibrex material because it is largely hyperbole IMO, however it is not a bad window.

Thank You!

Do you think it would be fair to compare Andersen 100 with Simonton? I know they are not the same material but I have read a lot of good reviews about Simonton, which might sway me into using Vinyl for our home. Are they cheaper than the 100 series and can you recommend a good supplier here in East Bay area of California?

Fair comp in my opinion. Simontons will likely be cheaper but it depends on where you source them.

Here in SE MI the Anderson 100's are now very popular on new construction. The cost is a fraction of the price of Marvin and the warranty is better. That would be an easy choice for me.

Maybe others can weigh in but my understanding is that the biggest draw back to Fibrex at this point is that it has not stood the test of time. If I could have replaced with Anderson 100's I would have gone that route in a flash. Not because I like them better than Marvin but the cost is substantially less and from what I've seen they are a very nice product. IIR Anderson 100's offer a different interior and exterior color option which is pretty unique.

The warranty on the Andersen 100 is the same as Marvin's, 20 years on the glass, 10 years on parts.

http://www.andersenwindows.com/technical-documents/tdoctype/warranties/0#w=*&af=tdoctype%3awarranties

Integrity here is more $$ than Anderson 100 but every one should get multiple bids on their own.

Regional pricing and differences from one dealer to another can be substantial. If I would have taken the first bid on a recent project I could have easily paid 10k more for the same Marvin windows from a different dealer.

AFAIK what Fibrex offers is more rigidity and less warping than straight vinyl or at least that's the sales line. Integrity is Fiberglass and was designed to directly compete with Renewal by Anderson.

Marvin's glass warranty is a bit vague. There's no way any of us can know what the warranty is from their glass supplier although you can contact them to get the "further" details. Anderson's warranty is pretty darn clear at a flat 20 years.

Any warranty that's explicit and concise is better from my perspective. They also detail their time frame for warranty work. Something Marvin does not do and I can tell you from personal experience it's slower than what Anderson warrants.

Marvin;

"GLASS COMPONENTS
Glass warranties apply to factory-installed glass or Marvin-supplied glass installed by Marvin-authorized service personnel. Clear insulating glass with stainless steel spacers is warranted against seal failure caused by manufacturing defects and resulting in visible
obstruction through the glass for twenty (20) years. Non-tempered glass is warranted against stress cracks caused by manufacturing defects for ten (10) years.

All other glass and glass features are provided with the same warranties, limitations, and exclusions Marvin receives from its supplier; contact Marvin for further details"

Anderson;
"The glass in Andersen® 100 Series factory glazed window and door units (including dual-pane glass, Low-E glass, SmartSun™ glass, Heatlock™ glass, PassiveSun® glass, patterned glass (including obscure, fern, reed and cascade designs), Finelight™ grilles, and tempered versions of these glass options) is warranted to be free from defects in manufacturing, materials and workmanship for twenty (20) years from the date of purchase from the retailer/dealer. It is also warranted not to develop, under normal conditions, any material obstruction of vision resulting from manufacturing defects or as a result of premature failure of the glass or organic seal for twenty (20) years from the date of purchase from the retailer/dealer. Patterned glass (including obscure, fern, reed and cascade designs) is warranted not to develop, under normal conditions, any material change in appearance resulting from manufacturing defects or as a result of premature failure of the glass or organic seal for twenty (20) years from the date of purchase from the retailer/dealer. This limited warranty on glass does not apply to special order glazings, impact-resistant glass or glass that is not factory installed by Andersen."

Not sure what is vague about Marvin's glass warranty. They use Cardinal glass which is probably the most respected and fail-safe option available (top 2 at least). It states quite clearly that the warranty is 20 years, and 10 on stress cracks. What is they Andersen warranty on stress cracks? It does not specify. Seems somewhat vague, no? .... I make these comments only to illustrate the silliness of saying that Marvin's warranty is vague. Both cover glass for 20 years and I have seen no evidence of either company having issues with denied coverage in those areas. Non-issue.

The Anderson 100's I have seen are all Fibrex. No wood laminates which I think is a pretty strong case for the product.

Marvin's warranty for stress cracks (manufacturing defects); 10 years.

Anderson Manufacturing defects (stress cracks) ; 20 years.

Twice the warranty, Less $$$ Of course that's always a non-issue when your spending the other persons $$$.

The only reason I didn't go this route was due to custom sized multi window openings but IMO the 100's are a very nice product.

Non-glass portions of Andersen® 100 Series windows and doors (including non-
electric operators, locks, lifts, balance systems, hinges, handles, insect screens,
weatherstripping, exterior trim, sash and frame members) are warranted to be free
from defects in manufacturing, materials and workmanship for a period of ten (10)
years from the date of purchase from the retailer/dealer. This limited warranty does
not apply to finishes on bright brass and satin nickel hardware.

In the event a component other than glass fails as a result of a defect in
manufacturing, materials or workmanship within the limited warranty period,
Andersen, at its option, will: (1) provide replacement parts to the Andersen retailer/
dealer you specify — labor is not included; or (2) provide a factory authorized repair
to the existing component at no cost to you; or (3) refund the original purchase price.
Such replacement parts or repairs are warranted for the remainder of the original
limited warranty period.

adding saw dust to vinyl is not a strong case for a product in my estimation. Takes a lifetime warranty (vinyl), adds organic material to the equation and reduces it to 10 years. Other than the folks that are duped by the marketing ploy, I'm not sure why anyone would pay more for that