These windows are made of "Fibrex" which is Andersen's PVC and sawdust composite material that is also used in synthetic deck materials like Trex and for the sash cladding and applied muntins of Andersen's 400 Series Woodwright double-hung windows. The most annoying thing about these windows is that they won't tell you if they are the "full frame" or the "insert" type of replacement windows and how they are installed. Insert windows are installed inside the existing frame and can be unsightly. Full frame windows require replacing the trim so they are more expensive. Andersen also offers both types in their 400 series PVC clad wood windows. Make them give you details of how the windows will be installed. I believe they play it close to the vest because Andersen expects these windows to be sold by the installers directly to homeowners without a design professional involved and they therefore want to leave the details to the retailer installer. I believe this process gives the installer too much control over the design and installation detailing and I have never trusted any contractor to put the homeowner's interests over that of their own much less actually know how to properly install a window without oversight. Call me a cynic. I don't have to tell you that the replacement window industry has been frought with fraud and misrepresentation for many decades. Marvin makes an Infinity fiberglass version and but they too keep the details to themselves. I would prefer fiberglass to PVC is the features are the same, especially the applied muntins and spacer bars. I'll look at my Andersen and Marvin catalogs and see if the details of these replacement windows are included.

remakr, Actually, Loewen and the higher-end Jeld-Wen manufacturers use the same glazing system...also the same one used by Andersen, Marvin, and many other window manufacturers. It does not include SuperSpacer. As you and Mike were discussing, web sites are primarily advertising and often give little useful information. This is unfortunate, but consider that as a general rule it is the marketing folks rather than product development or QA folks that "own" the website and whatever literature that the company distributes. Concerning independent lab results, well statistics can often be interpreted from different angles...it doesn't make them wrong, but it can be misleading without ever saying anything incorrect. Case in point...The folks at EdgeTech who make SuperSpacer have an absolutely amazing marketing department. They have quite literally introduced the concept of spacers to the general populace and in so doing have made many people believe that their product is so inherently superior to anything else on the market that a consumer would be foolish to consider any other option. Yet, the major manufacturers haven't jumped on the superspacer bandwagon...one might ask why not if it is so obviously superior? Well, one recent advertisement in an industry publication showed the results of a third-party P1 testing. The P1 test involves dropping samples of the IGU into a chamber with intense environmental conditions including heavy doses of UV light and 100% humidity levels. The idea is simply to see when the IGU fails. Some folks like to equate one week in a P1 chamber to one year real life in the field, but again, that is primarily marketing folks. Product development folks prefer to think of one week ina P1 chamber as - one week ina P1 chamber. So, the edgetech ad came out touting that superspacer did 80 weeks in the P1 without failure...it also showed the system that is used by Loewen, Andersen, Marvin, etc as "40+" weeks in the chamber. The ad didn't state exactly what "40+" meant though...in fact, the "other" system also stayed in the chamber for 80 weeks. Did the edgetech ad lie? Nope, it was quite truthful...was it misleading? Absolutely. Understand that I am not in any way slamming superspacer or edgetech...I am just saying that they have an amazing marketing concept and that it works really really well with consumers who are doing in depth research on their new windows. Which is the whole point of marketing. Which again takes us back to the websites that are also designed by marketing folks to draw consumers in...I do think that some companies are starting to understand the power of the internet and are making changes that affect how people are viewing their products, but I agree 100% that many web sites have little useful information. And enough rambling...have a great day!

Hey G!! sorry to hear about your knee..but glad you are on the mend. I think we got your summer...it was a hot one, but I prefer heat to cold, last winter...was pure hell for me. I've always been allergic, but like wasp stings the poison ivy reaction seems to get worse as I age. I swear all I have to do is look at it wrong..and it includes sumac, poison oak & just about every thing with leaves of three & red stems. being a yardie (new to me term for yard junkie) and living in the woods fighting these things is a neverending job. I must have gotten hold of some roots in one of the flower beds. and with our crazy weather last winter...I even got it in feburary. so whats the deal with the roof? doing a cool roof or something complex? or just having trouble with weather cooperating? sounds like you have perfect weather to get it done this weekend...just be careful up there! do you still have those wonderfully explained igu windows 101 posts from the building forum? I'd like to share them on another forum...maybe in general discussion part of the site as other areas are locked to the publc. I'd really like to get them into the building science forum...but its only for pro members...you wouldn't have an epa card by any chance?? anyway let me know. and again...great to hear from you. take care.

Many companies do like gregbradley describes and continue to run Windows 7 across their entire company so that the IT staff only have to install and maintain one version of the operating system. Any newly purchased computers are set up with the desired, stable older version. Then when it makes sense for that company and the risks are well known, they may decide to move to a newer version. Many companies decided to completely avoid Windows 8 since the perceived risks outweighed the perceived benefits. Many companies have decided to continue this approach with Windows 10, at least until the risks and benefits are more clearly known. According to an article I read recently Microsoft has just decided, unilaterally, that henceforth any newly purchased computers (with a processor newer than some arbitrary date) will only be sold with Windows 10. For the companies that prefer to upgrade when it makes sense, Microsoft is essentially saying "F--- you" I may be misremembering or mischaracterizing that article, I'll try to find it again and post a link here.