Thanks. I may end up with some sort of alarm system anyway, so this was helpful. In the end I went with (single) sliders, which was originally at the bottom of my list, almost out of consideration. Got my ventilation, window treatments, curb appeal and there are actually many more add-on security options for sliders than hoppers or awnings. The awnings were just too pricey. Getting estimates now. Started with Home Depot's @ Home Service and got a quote of $3030 for American Craftsman six sliders and one hopper (my egress in the laundry room.) I know there's a real love 'em or hate 'em thing with HD but I did have some minor kitchen work done a while back and had an excellent installation experience. ~Jacy

Hi all, We are building a new construction home in Los Angeles, somewhere between Modern Warm & MCM in style, and are trying to pick a window company and aluminum window configuration. One of the most important visual targets for us is having a thicker looking sash, as typically found with a casement-style window. The wife says I can use aluminum windows & clear annodized finish (yay!) if the sash is wide enough; she doesn't like the old 50's thin aluminum look & feels it's too "cold". The potential problem is that many of our windows are on the larger side - 8x6, 6x5, 5x5, etc and for cost (and view) reasons would be best handled by sliders. Our understanding is that there is no such thing as a casement wider than around 3'; if we wanted a casement (to get the large aluminum sash) it would have to be a multi-config window that combines other sections. The Question: Do window companies typically allow you to spec stand-alone fixed and sliding windows with a sash size that matches their casement sash? Or, are there any other potential solutions? Brands offering aluminum & good on price: WinndowMaster, Milgard, *maybe* IWC (Ambassador series could be pricey, 6200 series is under class action lawsuit). Brands we love much more but which are probably too much $$: Fleetwood, Metal Window Thank you!

We do offer French Rail sliding doors and other patio doors with in swing french doors in our Tuscany series. Let me know if you have any questions/ concerns.

I don't really know about the 200 series sturdiness issue. In general, the E and A series are Andersen's "luxury" products, and the 400, 200, and 100 series are the "best, better, good" products in the non-luxury category. Maybe you have a showroom near you where you can try the various product lines? Bear in mind that with windows, you really do get what you pay for. While the 200 series has the advantage of a wood interior, I would be a little wary of the vinyl-clad exterior which doesn't tend to perform as well as the composite-clad. That being said, the 16' 200 series sliding door may use different materials due to its size - it would be worth asking your window rep. If you go with the A series door, which seems like a good choice from a performance perspective, your plan to use the A series windows near that door and a different product elsewhere is a good one. If you can't swing A series windows everywhere (and yes, it would be much more expensive than 100 series windows), I think the mixing and matching is less of an issue if there is some physical distance between windows of different product lines, even if they are on the same elevation. You will probably be happiest in the long run with putting the money into the large door rather than getting a cheaper door in order to have everything match.