I have expensive inside mount shutters over kitchen sink area....3 panes across. The window installer said I had to hire a company to take out and replace the shutters before installing new windows. The windows will be removed from the outside of the house, not inside. I just don't trust the shutters being removed and replaced correctly after all this moving around. I live in Maryland and the existing windows I want replaced are 27 years old. Is anyone using a national window company to deal with this problem successfully WITHOUT removing shutters?

I agree with Windows on Washington. Putting brand new windows in and leaving the old coil and caulk is a little like buying a brand new car and using the tires off the old car. If you don't feel comfortable doing the capping, you can contact a company that does siding and get a price from them. It usually runs somewhere between $50 and $100 per window depending on size and complexity but would be worth it IMO.

Our home was built in 2001. We used Marvin Integrity windows throughout, except for three 12' wide patio sliders. Those are the high end Marvin. I would not buy Marvin windows again. We need to replace those sliders and I'm starting to look around. Friends of ours had a factory built home, called a Wick Home, made by a housing manufacturer in the '70's out of Mazomanie, WI. They had to replace windows and were getting all these very expensive bids because none of their windows were standard sizes. The wife is from Monroe, WI area, where there is an Amish community. They redid their windows with the Amish for a very large savings. She had to go and pick them up and take them home for 3 days, while they did the work but it was about 15,000$ cheaper than the other quotes they were getting. I'm also going to look into that. I haven't been happy with our windows. They get mold and peel paint along the inside casement frame, the big patio doors ice up in the winter along the bottom. The weatherstripping is brittle and breaks off in huge runs. The glass is cold in the winter and I don't think it reflects enough heat in the summer. We had 2 seals break. The Marvin rep came and they covered one, we are working on the other now. But we had to pay for the labor to uninstall the old one and put the new one in. It was at that point they learned that our patio fixed door was assembled backwards. Meaning the outside part of the glass was supposed to be inside. I just think all of this is enough to advise avoiding Marvin.

You'll be so much happier with window replacement! Retrofitting is efficient and quick, and much less expensive than many homeowners realize. Give us a call if you have questions!