Provia is much better. Andersen perma shield sliding door is a piece of junk as far as im concerned. Alot of the unskilled contractors where i am located use that door because they can buy it cheaply at home depot. I think its designed poorly. They basically take some pine/ wood and wrap it in a thin piece of plastic; thats how the perma shield by andersen is made. I would look at a higher end vinyl door,i think provia make a nice one. The higher end vinyl doors are actually built much better than the perma shield and are much more energy efficient. Soft lite, Okna, and Sunrise are a few very good one's. This post was edited by doorproz on Sun, Oct 27, 13 at 12:39

No, those are not installed prices. Just delivered to new construction site. The framers are installing them, under my supervision. Yes, the Andersen door we selected is terratone, a darker color than the Marvin color, but it is a door, not a window and the colors actually contrast pleasantly. Others might have a different opinion, but we liked the combination. I'm pretty sure the Andersen warranty is the same as the Marvin, and this door is under a porch that extends out up to 16 feet. It will seldom see any blowing rain or any direct sunlight. As for the showroom doors we looked at, the Andersen to us was just a better looking door. But the fit and finish looked much better to us. The Marvin's weatherstipping while probably effective looked sloppy to me, uneven, sticking out here and there. The door operation was not as smooth as the Andersen. And about $250 more in cost. So we went with the Andersen, even though I REALLY wanted to like the Marvin as it would have been easier to get it from the same dealer as my windows.

There is quite a bit of misinformation that you have been given Mr Jones, I'd definitely take some extra time to sort through it all and make sure that you have accurate facts. I'll go through some, all of which are easily verifiable: Manufacturer and material : All three are very reputable, with Andersen and Marvin having a longer history. That said, Okna has indeed been in business since the early 90's and is a top 100 manufacturer as well. The 3 materials have similar histories as well, as none have been used commonly in a residential window application for more than 20 yrs. All three have their merits, although all three do represent a small "niche" . Vinyl and wood are FAR more common. There is no clear winner here IMO. All are suitable with no decisive pros or cons, particularly considering that each individual product is designed and engineered to exploit the respective materials' inherent strengths, and mitigate its weaknesses. If there is one that I'd put slightly behind the others it would be the Renewal, as adding wood flour/sawdust to vinyl really doesn't add much. Appearance: This depends of course on what areas are examined, however the Marvin all ultrex integrity is by far the slimmest. The Renewal and Starmark are both somewhat bulky by comparison, although neither is very bulky compared to some other products. Despite the slim lines, the all ultrex Integrity is actually the least attractive based on the feedback that I hear. The wood/ultrex on the other hand is bulkier. This category is in the eye of the beholder. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. Interior appearance: well stated. Some folks would prefer the rich, real wood interior (Integrity) with only a 10 year warranty, others would prefer the synthetic stainable with lifetime warranty and no maintenance (Starmark). Winner again depends on the individual and their needs/wants. Hardware: The Renewal and Starmark both have more attractive hardware options than the Integrity IMO. Both are all metal, both have multiple finishes available. Performance: Here's a big one. To accurately compare, it is necessary to look at apples to apples glass packages. At .25 for a standard double pane package, and .19 for triple pane argon, the Starmark runs away with the win here. With equivalent glass (surface 2 low e, argon fill), the the Renewal and Integrity are .29 or higher. You can switch to any other glass package across the board, and apples to apples the Starmark will be multiple points better. This can be verified via CPD number (certified products directory) at nfrc.org Air Infiltration: Another big one. The reps that you have spoken to are either flat out lying, or being highly manipulative. The only window of the 3 that sees that .05 AI number is the Starmark. The other two are in the teens at best, if not .2+. I would request a structural test data sheet for reference. If renewal or Marvin will provide it, make sure to compare the size of the window and configuration. It is highly likely that your rep(s) are using casement or picture window ratings to compare to the starmark double hung. The starmark is .01 as a casement. Patio doors: Since this was mentioned, the differences as stated for windows continue for patio doors. If the real wood interior is preferred at the expense of performance, then the Marvin or renewal options are better. The Starmark will be a much better performer, but without the real wood interior. Installation and durability: On durability, this is another area that would trend toward Starmark based on containing no organic parts that can rot, and also on the lifetime warranty. Renewal and Integrity are each 10 years (20 on glass). Installation itself will vary by dealer, and should be given proper weight. One cannot speculate on the quality of installation based only on material however. The only thing that could possibly be considered on that line of thinking would be availability to contractors I suppose. Integrity can be purchased by anyone, whereas Renewal and Starmark are exclusive products where dealers are regulated by the manufacturer. One important thing to note, is that comapanies that install Renewal windows are NOT owned by Andersen. They are a dealer that exclusively carries that line and meets Andersen requirements, however they are not actually part of Andersen. Price: This again will vary by dealer and area. Renewal has a reputation as having the highest price, using high pressure sales, and also of posting thinly veiled, inaccurate info where THEY talk poorly about competitors (not to say that is the case here, of course). That said, I'm sure that there are some great Renewal operations across the country, just as there great Starmark and Intergity dealers. Ultimately, these are three windows that are solid to excellent, and each have their own pros and cons. You are unlikely to go wrong with any of the three, it really depends on which options most closely aligns with your goals for the project. It sounds like that is the Renewal at this point, I'd only recommend getting the accurate performance information, and then perhaps that would (or not) impact your decision.

About a year ago we had all our windows and a patio slider door replaced with Renewal by Anderson's new Fibrex windows. The Fibrex is a composite of wood fiber blended with a polymer: it wont flake, rust, blister, peel, crack or corrode, is 2x stronger than vinyl and resists warping. I live in NJ so we chose the Low-E4 SmartSun glass: their most energy efficient glass option for cool and hot climates and blocks 95% of UV rays that can damage drapes and furniture. They are easy to clean, and look good; there are all sorts of styles to choose from. They had a very experienced team install them in only 2 days. I researched all sorts of brands of windows and chose Anderson. The warranty is super and is fully transferable should you sell your home. Best of luck in your window journey!