I don't know the size of windows you are buying so I can't comment on the prices but I can tell you that the Andersen 400 TiltWash is not in the same league as the Marvin Ultimate and should have been priced about 20 to 25% less. The TiltWash doesn't even have a cladding on the sash, just a high-tech PPG paint coating. Andersen's 400 WoodWright has the same frame but a composite plastic/wood fiber Fibrex sash cladding (like Trex) so it is closer to the Ultimate and should be about 15% cheaper. I would not use Pella ProLine windows even if they were the equal of the Ultimate; Pella as a company is unreliable IMHO. You certainly made the right decsion given those choices. If the Ultimate has a flaw it is the sill nosing which is ridiculously thin and does not project enough to act as a drip (not that any modern nail-fin windows do). I strongly recommend adding a PVC sill nosing from Advanced Trimwright (ATW) or a similar product. Extending the sill under the jamb trim makes a handsome job and avoids sill the waterproofing problems I have seen so often.

Coming back to this thread to update. I walked my development and saw 5 of these Juliet balconies with sliding glass doors with screens on the outside, so they mustn't be Pella. The screens on the outside do look different from the other Pella sliding glass doors, but interestingly, only when you look for it. Just walking around, you don't notice them whatsoever, but when you look up and say to yourself are there any screens on the outside?, then you see them. In any case, it's a small percentage of all the homes, but evidently, no one stopped those homeowners from replacing with non-Pellas. So I got a quote for Marvin Ultimate sliding glass door. Measurement 73"x96" (I am rounding). Interior is primed pine cause I am going to have my painter paint. LowE2 with Argon, standard screen, door jamb 4-9/16", multi-point lock. It is on the 2nd floor, and the Juliet balcony rail will have to be removed and put back. The rail is attached by 4 bolts on each side. Total cost of sliding glass door is $4,100. That is about $1,000 more than what I was expecting. I had replaced a different sliding glass door a few years ago that was slightly larger but on ground floor to the back yard, a Marvin Ultimate also, and that price was about $3,000. Any advice would be appreciated.

LoE-270 has a visible light transmission of 70%. LoE-366 has a visible light transmission of 66%. But with just a loss of 4% of visible light you gain: U Factor: LoE-270 is .37, LoE-366 is .24 Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC): LoE-270 is .37, LoE-366 is .27 All values are for the glass ONLY, the whole window will carry different values. Unless you are trying to gain more heat through passive solar heating in the winter, the 366 is a great choice. I did a simple 40"x78" casement and the upcharge was about $40. They also offer a LoE-340 glass. This is the "Turtle Glass" from coastal areas and significantly reduces the visible light (40%). I only use this as an alternative to tinted glass. "Turtle Glass" is required to prevent hatching turtle from going toward shore vs. the ocean. Make sure you don't get the wrong LoE-3! Excellent choice in window brand!

orveusz, You are welcome. I89 is an exposed surface 4 coating. What it does is reflect heat back into the room rather than having the glass absorb that heat. Reflecting back into the room does two things: 1) it makes sitting next to the window more comfortable because the air in front of the window is slightly warmer. This also results in improved U value performance (less heat loss through the glass) 2) because the glass isn't absorbing room heat, the glass is colder than it would be otherwise and this can potentially lead to increased condensation on the window glass if its really cold outside...you know like mid january in Minnesota. Some windows companies are more concerned about this potential than others, and some add disclaimers about this possibility. As I recall, testing by Cardinal has shown that I89 is going to lower edge glass temps about 4° or so, and center of glass about 9° or so versus not using the I89 coating. Is that a problem? The simple answer is...it depends. Primarily it depends on how cold it is outside and how much moisture there is inside. If someone is in a moderate climate then it simply won't be an issue. If you live in Minnesota in January then you might notice an increase in window condensation on the coldest days. Keep in mind that using a warm-edge spacer helps a lot at the edge. In fact, using a warm edge spacer with I89 results in edge temperature that is still higher than using an aluminium spacer without the I89 coating. As to center-of-glass, 9° does sound like a lot, but even with that much potential glass cooling, with a LowE coating and argon fill the center of glass temp is still higher than it would be if all you had is a plain uncoated dual pane glass package. And even in the coldest days (bathroom windows excepted), how often does anyone see condensation over an entire window - assuming that the inside of the home isn't really humid. So will I89 cause your windows to be wetter than they might be otherwise? They might where you (and I) live. But even if it does, it might not be an issue more than a few days during an entire winter. Make sense?