I looked at the Windsor Pinnacle Casement online and there was not enough information for me to take them seriously. I was not impressed with what little was offered which consisted of typical sales claims ("heavy duty extruded cladding" that appeared to be thin hollow extrusions) and a cut-away sample of a lower corner of a window that was impossible to understand since it was cut diagonally. Marvin provides scaled detail drawings in plan and section that can be downloaded.

Swampwiz- Thanks so much for the info on Monarch. Will check them out. Energy rater la- Thanks again. A couple more questions if you don't mind. My DH and I had our apppointment with the building supply co that carries Windsor in our area yesterday. After seeing the windows & hearing the info on all 3 lines, the aluminum clad with wood interior & GBG sounds like the way to go for us if we do Windsor. They also had some Andersen displays in vinyl with wood interior. This is probably one of the very few vinyl exterior windows that I liked. What are your thoughts on Andersen? They recommended the 200 series & I brought up the 400 series. (Haven't done alot of research on Andersen--name is popular but just about everyone we've talked to has volunteered the info to stay away from Andersen without us even asking.) As far as the white vinyl clad wood windows vs. white aluminum clad wood windows, have you seen or heard of yellowing, sagging or warping at the level of quality we are using? The wood on the interior will be painted white as well. I plan on this being the last house (we're in our 30's) and I really want to minimize the chance that we will have to replace windows during that time. Lastly, hoping you could clarify something for me: low e2 is high solar gain (use in predominately cold climates), low e3 is moderate solar gain (use in climates that are pretty equal with hot & cold months), and low e4 is low solar gain (use in hot climates)-I know I probably have 2&4 mixed up, please correct me if I do. Considering that the front of our house (formal living room & dining room & kids rooms) faces south, rear (family room & kitchen & bonus) faces north, master and garage faces west and outlaw suite faces east, should I use a variety of low e2 & e3 or would you just triple pane the north & maybe west sides? (Keeping in mind that the rear of the house has a 16' covered porch & is almost completely windows on both levels to take advantage of the awesome views & the front of the house also has a 10'covered porch). Thanks again for all your help! Mythreesons- Our Pella Arch quote was $55K for SDL, $43K for GBG with similar # of windows. Jeld-Wen was $44K SDL & $37K GBG. We're waiting on the quote from Windsor. None of our quotes included the front door system either, but they did include 2 sets of double operating aluminum clad french doors & 1 single aluminum clad french door. We're building in northern Randolph county about an hour or so from Charlotte. We plan to break ground as soon as another property we own sells (know anyone interested in 46 acres in central NC?). I'm excited but I'm also scared to death! If you see the owner of the house like mine, please ask about the windows. If you wouldn't mind, would you please let him know I'd love to talk with him about any changes he made to the original floor plan and what he has found works really well about the house & what he would change. My email is lroberts72@triad.rr.com. Thanks for offering to talk with him if you see him! Anyone else out there with opinions on windows, please post. Thanks!

Equanimity - So as to balance this conversation, let me tell you a little bit about Windsor Windows & Doors. Contrary to the comments from a few frequent forum posters, there are many architects, builders and professionals throughout the country who like and repeatedly recommend our products. Windsor windows and doors have been installed in some of the most magnificent homes throughout North America, including the Bighorn Ski Chalet at Revelstoke, British Columbia, which was named the Best Ski Chalet in the World in 2014. Windsor started as a small, custom window company in Des Moines, Iowa in 1946, and has been a part of Woodgrain Millwork -- a family-owned company and one of the largest millwork operations today -- since 1987. Our relationship with Woodgrain is one of the reasons we are able to offer one of the best values in the industry. Through the years Windsor has continually evaluated and improved our products. We strive to be easy to do business with through open, honest communication with our customers, accountability for our actions, and by conducting business in a respectable manner. Our mission is to deliver exceptional value through the relentless improvement of our people, processes, and products. Our windows and doors meet the same rigorous standards set by independent testing companies as other window manufacturers that display the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) sticker, and meet or exceed the specifications put forth by the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC). For more information, I invite you to check out our Houzz Ideabooks and Projects that feature work from builders, architects, and designers across North America.

Moisture between the glass would not be caused by poor installation. Rather, it would be caused by a defective manufacturing issue or due to some type of unusual situation where the normal wear was affected. For instance, extreme variations in temperature due to orientation or something going on regarding the interior of your home. I design and specify windows for homes in Florida almost all of them on the water or close by. Sierra Pacific offers a 30 year warranty on its 2605 finish and 20 year warranty on its patented Coreguard wood treatment and I would consider those windows. Andersen performs well too but they reduce their 20 year warranty to 10 years when on the coast. In my 40 year career, I have had great success with Andersen and SP and would run away from Pella if you are looking for an aluminum clad wood window. Just my opinion based on more than a hundred installations.