Dear New House......boy, that's a shame that you didn't have more input before the house was framed as to the windows you were going to use. I see that a lot though. I am a self-professed window snob and really don't like vinyl windows. I am leary of the H3 although they are used in million dollar homes around here. I think they have not been in the marketplace long enough to know if this hybrid will stand the test of time due to the heating and cooling expansion coefficiency differences between the vinyl and the aluminum extrusion on the exterior. If you are going to use the doublehung, then IMHO, definitely look elsewhere. The casement, because of the price point, may be worth the gamble but I probably wouldn't do it. I recently sold my house that had Windsor windows (mfg in Iowa and in Monroe NC right outside of Charlotte) and I had no problems with them and purchased them because of the big difference in price between it's competitors. This is the aluminum clad product. I do not like their composite window called Legend. Now I live in a house with vinyl doublehung windows. It is in a neighborhood with Windsor Autrey track built homes. The vinyl windows are Stanley (?!?). I had never even heard of them and I have been selling windows for 25 years. But-cha know.....they ain't half bad. I have been rather surprised. They have grills in the airspace, which I never really cared for, but the builder applied jamb extensions and some really nice trim and a good deep window sill and they look really nice from the inside (who knew?)From the outside they are white with black faux shutters. The house was built in 2004. They keep me warm and dry in the winter, and cool and dry in the summer. Yes, I can feel a little coolness near the glass in the winter, and in the summer I close the blinds on the side of the house that gets the most sun in the afternoon. To get the same Aluminum clad windows in this house from a premium window company (Marvin, Kolbe, Semco, even Windsor) would have been 4 to 8 times more money I would estimate. Vinyl is not what I would prefer to do and if you do go to vinyl, don't do Plygem. Windsor owns Atrium but I have never sold nor used their vinyl window. In the end you probably need to look at the whole picture (cost, utility, resale value of your home, energy efficiency, aesthetics, etc). I wish you luck.

We have been replacing windows over the past two years and have had our local glass replacement business, which does windows and glass shower door installations, do the work. The second floor windows were done by a different installer who took too long and was a one-man operation. Each installer, we found, used windows manufactured by small operations -- one in Minnesota and one in Ohio. We've found that most replacement windows were manufactured the same way and looked very similar. The important factor was the installer, his/her skill, and knowledge about what they were doing. Our installer even replaced some interior trim in the kitchen. We removed the old wood windows which were original to our 1928 home with vinyl. Very happy with the results. So my point is to check with your local business and they will tell you who they use, give you an estimate, and references. Good luck!

So, your double pane U-Factor appears to be a 0.27. Good, but what about that "will add thermal performance that far exceeds the vinyl options". I am quoting you directly from above about 6 posts ago. There are more than a handful of vinyl windows that will best that thermal performance in the case of double pane and more than a handful that equal or best the thermal performance numbers that you show in triple pane. To be certain, 0.15 is a good U-Factor, but it is only equivalent in this case to just the handful of vinyl windows that I know of personally not to mention the more exotics that are designed solely around performance. I do love nice wood windows, but to claim they are more efficient because of the wood is sketchy science to put it mildly.

I don't like the feel of those windows. I'd put a single larger window as mentioned at the rear of the space. To do this I'd do the research and legwork. I wouldn't expect the builder to do that. And that's likely why you're not allowed to change something. 1. I'd find out the window manufacturer. 2. Determine the total price of the 2 windows without install. 3. Spec a larger fixed window at about the same price as the two. Or more if I feel the added size is worth it to me. Looks like maybe 8" farther down and 8" wider. Could be cheaper. From in the kitchen the angle view from just this rear window will be to the back. 4. Present it as everything decided to your builder. With no windows and a credit as the alternative. 5. Buy the window after you move in and have it installed if it's a no go.