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Sierra Pacific H3 vs. Windsor Pinnacle Clad vs. Alpen 525

JQS
6 years ago

Hello, we are building a custom home at 7,300 ft. elevation in the Colorado Front Range. I am still struggling with windows so looking for a little advice. Here are my options for 30 windows and two 12-foot patio doors:
1. Sierra Pacific H3 (extruded aluminum/vinyl/wood) - $31k
2. Windsor Pinnacle Clad (extruded aluminum/wood) - $34k
3. Alpen 525 Series (fiberglass) - $42k
We are building a pretty contemporary mountain home so thin frames are preferred. The R-values of 5-5.5 from Alpen blows the other 2 options out of the water (3-3.5 R-values). But, the wood interior of the H3 and Pinnacle Clad is alluring due to the ability to custom on-site stain the wood to match the baseboards (not doing window trim) and interior doors, etc. The Alpen full fiberglass windows are 3rd party professionally painted inside and out in a dark color (our choice) - which also would be contemporary so not such a bad option, really. My guess is the exterior paint can't be baked on like the aluminums but I've heard good things about painted fiberglass longevity so far.
So, my biggest question is whether the 2 point bump in R-value is worth the extra $8-10k? Alpen utilizes heat mirror tech to simulate triple glazed window, are built only an hour from my particular job site, and can keep the argon gas fill due to their breather tube attached to a closed-off bladder which is crimped and removed after install. The other 2 options would be air-filled due to our elevation/transportation constraints.
For money savings, I am also considering going Alpen windows and either SP, Windsor, or Pella patio doors X 2 since that would save us $3-4k given the high cost of those 10 foot by 12-ft patio doors from Alpen - about $10k of their quote.
Any advice would be highly appreciated!

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