Marvin essential vs. Andersen 100 series black windows
Summer H
3 years ago
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millworkman
3 years agoRelated Discussions
Marvin Integrity Quote vs Andersen 100's
Comments (11)You're correct; I misspoke. I should have said "composite" window. The Andersens are made from a composite product called Fibrex, which is basically wood mixed with a resin-type material. From what I've read, it isn't as strong as the Ultrex fiberglass that Marvin uses, but I'm not sure if the Ultrex is $8500 more impressive. We don't want to go with the 400s because we don't want the maintenance with the wood portions of the windows. I looked over the two quotes closely this morning. The substantial difference is in the fixed glass (solid single pane) picture windows. The Integrity windows are more than double the price of the 100s for these fixed windows. For casements and other opening windows, the prices were not substantially different. I guess I'm not sure why these fixed windows are more than double the price? Thoughts??...See MoreAndersen 100 vs. E Series windows new build resale value/opinions?
Comments (20)@Windows on Washington Ltd and @quasiexpert Sorry if my last message came through in a different tone, I'd been up for awhile and was just stream of consciousness posting. From my research here on this forum, it just seems that invariably quite a few posts discount the entry level windows and recommend the Anderson 400 or Marvin Integrity ++ type windows. Hoping that I can learn from you all. Our situation is a new construction in the deep South (Birmingham AL). About 60 windows on the house. Front facing windows I believe have to be aluminum clad, the rear might be able to get way with a vinyl window. Rear will be facing the South West, but looks like there will be some tree coverage as well as decks/roofing for the majority of the windows. The builder has spec'd Piva Group vinyl windows. They are Argon filled, double glazed, Low E 366. U-factor 0.26, SHGC 0.21, Visible Transmittance 0.49 and air leakage < 0.3. He mentioned that the Anderson 100's might be within the same price range, and we would be interested in the Smart Sun if it's available with the low E4 coating to help protect the wood floors. While I can appreciate the beauty of the wood interiors, our preference is for something low maintenance and can handle sun without fading. We've never had a double hung window before and a single hung is fine. We open the windows in our current house maybe 8-10 times a year to air the house out, otherwise they stay shut. Sadly, we wash our windows even less times /duck Given the above criteria, might you have some thoughts or recommendations, or are there any additional questions I might answer?...See MoreMarvin’s Essential (all fiberglass) or Andersen 100? Casements only!
Comments (18)I am not someone who posts reviews on the internet, particularly negative feedback. But, given how much false information and untrue ads are out there for the “high quality” of Marvin, I have decided to do what is right and post my experience with them on a few websites, such as Houzz. Four months after we placed the order, Marvin delivered the windows. Some of the windows had obviously been dropped before delivery. Scratches on the outer frames and bumps on the inner side clearly showed that. We noted the issues as they were unloading the windows and took pictures on their truck. They may claim that they have good quality windows, but when they are dropped it basically does not matter anymore as the structure of the windows is certainly compromised. As for customer service, the windows were delivered in April and we notified the vendor and Marvin of the issues immediately as they were still unloading the windows. Four months later, we are still nowhere and nothing has been fixed. They just delivered one wrong frame for a window which we never asked for a fix and they are not even coming to remove it from my property. No word on when they are going to fix the windows. Total mess on their side and non-existing post-sale support. === Update of October 2021 I got an email from Marvin regional manager today; and it's the middle of OCTOBER -- 6 months after installation date. They plan to replace the broken sashes -- get ready -- in JANUARY NEXT YEAR. This joke is not even funny. Stay away from this company at all cost. They couldn't care less about you once they have your money. Go with anyone but Marvin. I mean, the worst thing that can happen is that you get broken windows and they never fix it --- well, that's Marvin....See MoreMarvin Essential vs Andersen 100 Black Windows
Comments (19)I'm probably going to regret this, but oh well, here we go ... I don't have either exact product, but we have Marvin windows and an Andersen door, and both work nicely. Our products are wood interior and clad exterior, so different lines from those featured here, but in terms of the brands, both are capable of making quality products. We've had bad windows ... these aren't them. I cant say whether the Essential line is good quality, as I have no experience with that line, but to discredit the entire brand based on one line is not fair ... the ultimates are very nice; they come with a price tag to go with it, but they are evidence that Marvin does, or at least can, make quality windows. I do also want to clarify ... the top sash cover (the piece that sits on top of the lower sash in the double hung windows where the lock and tilt hardware attach, possibly the same as a check rail, listed as part of the weatherstripping in the window specs) is actually ABS not vinyl/PVC ... both plastic, but not quite the same material, in case that's important in the decision. It's up to you whether that is acceptable or not. As to the rest of this mess, mostlikely no one is following anyone around ... but if y'all follow the same topics, you'll find the same threads ... that's how I got here: this thread kept popping to the top. If you all follow "windows" you'll find the same threads; personally, I got here from "design dilemma." Just my two bits ... I'll leave the rest of this discussion to those more familiar with the lines in question. You might want to see if there's either a showroom you can view the windows in and/or if your contractor can point out other houses where they've installed the different products, so you can get a feel for how they might look in your project....See MoreEast Bay 10
3 years agoSummer H
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoSummer H
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3 years agoEast Bay 10
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