windowshopper- I don't know if the dealers will compete. I have about the same number of windows as you, 3 of them are arched casements, plus 7 sets of French doors (5 of them are stationary). I was told that Integrity didn't make the arched windows I needed & I would need to go with Marvin Ultimate for those. I consulted with 4 different dealers-everyone had a different price and no one was willing to compete. One of them deals pretty much just with Marvin & he was the highest of the bunch! When I tried to negotiate and let him know he was significantly higher than other dealers and frankly he was even higher than the quote I got from Pella (which was through the roof), his response was he may not be the least expensive, but I was paying for quality. Quality? No matter where I get the Integrity, it's the same window quality, right? My framer is installing, so installation quality doesn't enter into it. Then he tried to talk me into all Marvin Ultimate because using Ultimate for the 3 arched windows & Integrity for everything else just wouldn't look right. When I let him know there was no way I could afford all Ultimate, he again went on and on about quality & making room for them in the budget. Obviously, he had an agenda & it didn't match mine. With that being said, one dealer is working with the area Integrity rep to see what they can do about getting a better deal especially on the French doors. They came in about double the cost of Jeld-Wen Siteline, M&W Mira & M&W Freedom 800, and just above the Pella Architect price. The windows were all less expensive than the Siteline, Mira, and Pella. We shall see what they come up with! But absolutely nothing wrong with shopping around--if you don't ask for a better deal, you can't expect them to voluntarily offer you one. Let me know how things go & if you find a dealer with rock bottom Integrity & Ultimate pricing!

Hi friedajune, I was just wonder if the $4K more is worth it for the better quality and lifetime warranty in the Ultimate series. Here is a discussion of the cost-of-marvin-ultimate-vs-marvin-integrity in 2010!

One thing to consider is the dealer network in your area. For me, Loewen has only one dealer close by, and the next nearest is about 40 miles away. If the one close-by goes out of business, and I've bought from them, and I have a problem, I am now having to turn to a dealer quite far way, with no one else to go to. I believe Loewen has a strong presence in the northwest and west, so check for your location. For my area, Marvin is very well represented, so that was a factor in my decision. I am not really familiar with Kolbe. As to DF, I was told DF is stronger, but that difference will only become apparent in 20 years or so. If you are going to be painting your trim, so don't need to see the wood grain, then DF should not be a deciding factor. I'd go with the contractor I like best and who seems to do the best work.

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!