SF Windows/Doors - Milgard fiberglass or Sierra Pacific H3 or Marvin
kaya
2 years ago
last modified: last year
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kaya
2 years agoRelated Discussions
Deciding between Marvin, Pella, Anderson, and Lincoln
Comments (23)Wondering why a "clad" product when you could have all vinyl... honestly the best choice for windows. Why choose vinyl? Vinyl windows have welded corners which are strong and leakproof. Be sure to look closely at the corners of products you're considering. If corners are screwed, stapled or glued, they will leak over time. You could not only have damaged windows, but a damaged structure, as well. Vinyl is so durable it resists fading, it's maintenance free, and it lasts a lifetime. In fact, our windows have a transferable, Limited Lifetime Manufacturer's Warranty plus the Good Housekeeping Seal 2-yr. money back guarantee. That's how sure we are about the quality of Earthwise vinyl windows. Although many don't realize this, vinyl is a sustainable product. Did you know the main substance used to produce vinyl is an abundant resource? It's salt! And vinyl is 100% recyclable. So why waste trees? Vinyl windows are some of the best in energy efficiency. At our company, we take energy efficiency one step further: We built our windows and patio doors to provide optimum performance for your specific climate. Forget the ads you're hearing now that suggest vinyl windows will warp - it's just adspeak. It's actually wood, composites, fiberglass and aluminum that warp over time. I hope you'll have a few minutes to look into the reality of today's vinyl windows because they're certainly very affordable. (Just our 2-cents worth...)...See MoreWindow Selection: Sierra Pacific vs Eagle for New Construc
Comments (12)We are about to complete construction of our whole house renovation. We have an entire house of new Sierra Pacific windows and doors (25 windows of various sizes and 2 doors). These windows and doors replace 8 year old Andersen 200 slider windows, Andersen 400 french doors and Andersen 200 sliding door. We looked at various brands - from Marvin, Pella, Andersen, Kolbe, etc. We ultimately went with Sierra Pacific for a variety of reasons - our contractor, who used to build high end home developments, put in a lot of Sierra Pacific windows, and had overall positive experiences with them. Our architect, who designs mainly high end homes, specs out a lot of Sierra Pacific windows and has SP windows in his home, and had no problems with them (except for the handles). Ironically, our architect did spec out Andersen 400s in our house (that was when we were going to reuse the Andersen 200s in the back of the house). We were able to get the look that we wanted (simulated divided lights) in the grid pattern that we wanted, at a budget that was workable for us (given that we are now 15% over budget on our construction, I'm glad we didn't spend more for the windows). Finally, when we compared window performance against various brands, they were within range of each other, and they were going to work ok in our relatively mild climate here in the SF bay area. I also stopped by the SP showroom and customer tech support center one day and talked to a lady who handles some of the customer calls. She told me that in general, most of the calls she takes in are for customers who had issues with the handles, weather stripping, etc. or minor things (of course, take that with a grain of salt since she works there and can tell me whatever she wants to disclose). However, her comments, along with my home developer turned contractor (in the recession) experiences in installing many of these windows, have helped us feel comfortable. The windows are in our house now, although we are still a few weeks away from completion. Some things in general about the windows from my personal experiences 1. on the doors, handle operation felt different that with my previous Andersen 400 french doors. It wasn't as smooth, and had a more clunky feel to it. The same was observed with the operation of the locking mechanism. It wasn't a rough operation, it just didn't feel as "substantial" as my old Andersen. This is not a comment about the quality, longevity, but more about the feel as compared to my old Andersen. 2. We had casement windows and awning windows (no sliders). We never had casement windows before, so I have no basis of comparison with our old Andersens. The crank operation was easy and smooth, although I wasn't crazy about the handle design. It also was very easy to latch the window shut once the window had been closed. the handles were not all solid construction, but rather metal sheet that has been rolled and formed into a handle. That may be why the tech support person said handles was an area they get calls on. 3. One thing I wasn't sure about, and it seemed a little suspect to me, was their "leaf" weatherstripping at the bottom of the window. It didn't seem to me that it could keep out the drafts, as it looks rather insubstantial... I realize with the windows latched shut (especially with casement windows), you would get a pretty solid seal against the elements, regardless of this leaf weatherstripping. That said, I don't know have any first hand experience with this potential area (since we haven't moved into the house yet). 4. at the corners where the aluminum cladding comes together, the joints were in general well done. I noticed a couple of windows where it wasn't as nice and clean looking as the others, but it does seem to be well sealed. 5. a little bit of a nit, but in most of the windows, the mounting flanges were powder coated just like the aluminum cladding on the window frame. There were a couple of windows where in one section of the mounting flange the powder coating was thin or not there. The mounting flange is going to be hidden and covered by the trim boards, so it doesn't matter anyway, but I would have expected the painter to just paint it so that every square inch of the cladding, whether hidden or not, is coated.. (that's just me). 5. Overall, the windows seem well built, although I can't comment on the design. So far, I'm relying on my architect and builders experiences on longevity and it seemed to be working ok for them. 6. Although SP offers a lot of different color options for the aluminum cladding, I found that in our case, we weren't looking for a radical color and that we could have found something similar with the other windows that would have worked for us. I think for us, it came down to how much more we were going to get for the additional cost of going to Marvin and whether that would be worth it to us, versus spending that money somewhere else for an upgrade. Ultimately, we felt that given our climate and the window design we had, the SPs were good enough and that going with other windows wouldn't have given us a noticeable increase in value. Hope this helps....See MoreWindow/door recommendations for new construction home in SoCal?
Comments (8)Marcie, a couple of us have posted questions about windows and doors in SoCal. Do not know how much time you have put in yet. Let me warn you, I have been trying to decide for over two years. The Pros here are very helpful. You can probably find my posts. Unfortunately, CA codes are strict. I have looked at all the brand you listed and more. Please make sure your house can pass Title 24 with aluminum windows such as Fleetwood. In my case, Integrity was not significantly less than Ultimate because I was told some window sizes could not be done with Integrity and I got a mix of Integrity and Ultimate windows in my quote....See MoreWindows - Sierra Pacific Aspen or Marvin Elevate?
Comments (10)+1, the Elevate is a good window. There's nothing "second rate" IMO about fiberglass as a material. Its not always the right fit, but I personally think that the Elevate is superior design to most clad wood windows. The outer half of the window frame is fiberglass which isolates the wood from exterior conditions better than most clad products. I'm sure that this is not likely the case in SoCal where you are located, but around here in WI, the only thing "trusted" about most wood clad windows is that they will be mushy in less than 20 years. Inorganic materials (fiberglass, vinyl, composite) are very appealing for that reason, but again, with a very mild climate these issues may barely register for you....See Morekaya
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