As part of a remodeling project to replace the 5 sliding glass doors (separate post on that) in my house and one exterior door prior to getting the exterior painted I decided to also investigate replacing the only 3 windows in the house as well. The window configurations are: 2 large 6'x6' double single hung windows and one 4'x6' single hung. They are all aluminum with narrow frames and likely the original ones from when the house was built in 1979. Although I live in the Phoenix, AZ area solar heat gain is not really a main factor because it is impossible for 2 of the 3 windows to get direct sunlight and the 3rd window gets partially shaded morning sun (it has an Eastern exposure). Regardless of this I still want to get a decent window that will hold up over time (they will not see a lot of opening/closing as long as I'm in the house though) and is EnergyStar rated for my climate. Based on a recommendation from a friend, who has had some windows replaced over the past couple of years, I investigated Milgard's vinyl options and targeted their Style Line (I like the thinner profile frames) and got a few quotes. Now that I am considering a Weather Shield product for the sliding glass door replacement their VISIONS 2000 vinyl windows have also made it onto my radar. Has anyone had any experience with the Weather Shield VISIONS 2000 line (or 3000 line which is wider framed similar to the Milgard Tuscany product)? Thanks in advance!

This is an old post, but people for people out there considering CDI Windows: two out of the three original CDI lines are now manufactured and sold by Lindsay Windows (Lakewood, WA). Unless you are matching existing CDI windows, we normally recommend Milgard. Lindsay is pretty responsive over the phone, but we have more experience/confidence with Milgard. It's hard to evaluate the Lindsay windows based on the amount of public information available about them, and they seem to offer different windows in different areas of the country.

They’re two totally different windows. If you are wanting something that looks a bit more wood-like, the Andersen 100 is the better choice. If you are wanting something a bit more industrial, with more glass and less frame, the Milgard aluminum fits the bill. Personally, I really like the Andersen 100 casement and have had very few issues when we’ve installed them. I’m not a big fan of Milgard’s aluminum, but it gaining market share due to it being one of the few options for black.

Renewal by Andersen markets their Fibrex product (a mixture of vinyl and wood (sawdust)) as two times stronger than vinyl. A true fiberglass product (like Milgard Ultra and both Marvin's Essential and Elevate) thus is four times stronger than the Andersen 100. With your choice of a Black exterior, I would readily recommend the Ultra over the 100 for long term durability regardless of what seems like your slight preference for the 100 Black. Milgard also offers (I think) a lifetime warranty versus the 10/20 years offered by Andersen. Both good products but Milgard to better. Good luck!