This is an old thread but may I resurrect it: I just inherited my mother's house in No. MN. For many reasons I will keep the house. The original Andersen casement windows (exactly 60 years old) are difficult to close and I was expecting to have to buy either new Andersen 400's or Marvin Integrity with wood interior. Then, my brother said, "I can have someone just repair them--lots of extra paint, gunk, to be stripped off, some wood may have to be repaired." And I would save major money--my mom had a lot of windows in that house. Secondly, the hardware is so much nicer than the new windows. Any opinions on this? I could afford a lot of maintenance with the money I will save.

Grande - I'm not promoting Pella at all I'm just offering my opinion as someone who has used them and from contractors I've spoken to. To say they are garbage is contrary to what I have experienced and heard, of course there are better windows and there are also personal preferences involved. However I would bet that you are a window salesman and your comments should have that disclosure so people can understand what your motive is. Comparing JW to Pella is laughable...just look at the comments on this thread. I also steer clear of anyone stating something as fact...with no eveidence to support their "facts". "Anyone in windows knows this, it's a fact" is a very adolescent type comment. If you don't like Pella fine, you're entitled to your opinion, but try to state reasons other than obscure comments packed with innuendos. I am not saying Pella are the best windows, I'm saying they are decent and in my opinion I would use them over JW just from a support perspective. I don't know the other windows you suggested but I did say there are many local manufacturers that offer good alternatives...perhaps those are but I personally don't know.

Your kitchen layout looks fabulous...Here is a link to a great kitchen with three huge windows over sink as focal point...similar to your inspiration kitchen. (It's the Cote de Texas site with 101 great kitchen elements). http://cotedetexas.blogspot.com/2009/01/kitchens-101-elements-to-copy. You should also look at jen4268's posting of the update of her gorgeous creamy kitchen. She has three beautiful windows above her sink...

The exterior materials of window parts play a big role in price and performance but it's dangerous making assumptions based on material alone. I tend to agree with JDS that poor quality vinyl should be avoided and phased out. There are high quality vinyl windows available that come with factory finished dark colors and can still outperform the aluminum clad or fiberglass competition. Energy performance is mostly about the installation, IGU or glass package and the window unit's airtightness. Be sure you are meeting 2012/2015 energy codes when it comes to U-value, SHGC and the blower door test results that windows and doors so heavily impact. It might be cost-effective to beat code here. Double hung or sliding door and window styles tend to be the least efficient when it comes to energy performance. Longevity or durability is mostly about installation and how the various window unit parts were assembled. Materials and finishing processes matter but probably less than the window maker's reputation. Thanks to the many homeowners and professionals on this forum for providing feedback with this all-important quality. The biggest problem with most vinyl is that it expands and contracts much more than the glass parts. This can wear out the seal between frame and glass more compared to other choices. I think most vinyl windows use weep systems to handle the eventual leakage, a good thing but concerning when preventing unwanted air and water entry are two of the biggest unspoken goals when building.