Erin, Are you seeing condensation between the two lites of the dual pane glass, or is the condensation on the glass inside your home, or is it on the outside of your windows? If the condensation is on the inside surface of your windows, meaning you can wipe it off with a towel, then likely you don't need new windows or new glass in your windows, but you do need to find out why your homes humidity is too high. If the condensation is on the outside surface of your windows, exposed to the outdoors, then that is perfectly normal and not something that you need to worry about. Finally if the moisture is between the two lites of your IGU or dual pane glass and you can't touch it to wipe it off, then you will need to replace the glass, but maybe not the entire window. Based on the comments in your post I am guessing the condensation is on the interior glass surface and you do spend a lot of time wiping it off...I am including a rather long and (hopefully) simple explanation of why you have window condensation that I wrote a while back. Hopefully you may find it useful. Window condensation occurs when the glass surface temperature is below the dew point – simple explanation, but not always a simple fix. Dew point is defined as saturation vapor density or when the air reaches 100% relative humidity; relative humidity being the ratio of the actual vapor density versus the saturation vapor density at a particular temperature. In other words how much moisture is actually in the air versus how much the air can hold at a specific temperature. If air has reached vapor saturation (100% relative humidity), then moisture will be released as condensation...be it on the outside of a cold beverage container in the summer time, or be it on a window glass surface, or inside walls, or anywhere the temperature is below the dew point when its getting cold outside. If the surface temperature of the material happens to be below freezing, then that moisture becomes frost or even ice on that surface. No matter how it’s accomplished, ensuring that the glass temperature is above the dew point temperature is the only way to prevent window condensation – whether it involves lowering the moisture level below the dew point or warming the glass temperature above the dew point, those are the only options. And whether lowering relative humidity will eliminate condensation depends increase air temperature (may not help) or decrease moisture content (adequate ventilation will work). Or its simply a matter of keeping shades up and curtains open allowing air circulation over the glass surface, you need to keep the glass warmer than it was when condensation formed. Increasing air temperature will lower relative humidity but increasing air temperature doesn’t change the dew point which (again) is based on the amount of water vapor in the air and is not affected by temperature change. Example: A home kept at 65° F with a relative humidity reading of 40% equals a dew point of 38°F. A dew point of 38°F equals 6.25 grams of water in a cubic meter of air. A second home is kept at 75°F. That second home also has a moisture content of 6.25 grams of water per cubic meter in the air. The relative humidity in this home is 29% - versus 40% in the first home due to higher air temperature, but the dew point temperature in this home is also 38° due to the actual amount of moisture in the air. There is no difference in dew point temperature between the two homes despite a significant difference in relative humidity. While the relative humidity in the second home is much lower than is the relative humidity in the first, if the glass surface temperature in either home is 35 degrees the windows will have condensation. If the glass surface temperature in either home is 42 degrees, the windows will not have condensation. If the first homeowner increases the air temperature to the same 75° of the second home in order to lower relative humidity in an attempt to eliminate condensation, it won't work unless the rise in air temperature also results in a corresponding rise in glass temperature to a level above the dew point. If it doesn't raise the temperature of the window glass above the dew point then changing temperature, and subsequently relative humidity, will have no effect on the window condensation. The home may feel “drier” to the occupants at the higher temperature, but the dew point is unaffected. The second home’s relative humidity gauge reads (correctly) only 29%, but they also have a condensation problem – despite believing that keeping RH below 30% will eliminate window condensation. The homeowners may be unhappy and complain that they have “bad” windows, but it’s really a problem of too much moisture and the only way to eliminate the condensation is to eliminate the moisture. As alternative to lowering the moisture level inside the home, installing newer higher efficiency windows that result in warmer glass may eliminate the condensation problem. And adding high efficiency storm windows that result in warmer inside glass surface may also eliminate condensation. You may also find that installing new windows or storm windows didn't eliminate condensations because there is so much moisture in the air in your home that the dew point is too high even with the window upgrades. If you have water on the inside surface of your windows, you have too much moisture in your home. Eliminate the excess and no more condensation.

Lisaam, i haven’t seen many examples of siding being painted lighter than the lower brick. I’ll have to look up some examples. Thanks for the suggestion. If i were to paint the siding light blue gray, then i could do navy for the brick. That could be interesting. Is there a particular reason you say don’t go white with the trim?

millworkman, that is not helpful for us. We are not rich and will never afford the best windows. If Simonton is no good, then what can you recommend if we are on a tight budget? We don't want to spend more than $400 a window. I understand you get what you pay for, but also, if you don't pay for anything, you are still left with old poorly functioning crap anyways which is what we've got.

Pretty sure my daughter has the Kivik ( ikea) and it is surprisingly comfortable. She has only had it for about 2 years I think. She has 3 toddlers (!) who use it sometimes to sit but more often for standing and looking out the window and some climbing and such. It's really been holding up so well. I know when I have tried to find something comfortable at Ikea I have no luck, but this sectional is great.