Atlanta area - Basic Replacement Window Recommendations

[mikepond]

I have been reviewing this board and getting more and more confused. Let me explain what I am looking for. I am in my first house, which was built in 1955 and still has the original metal frame, single pane windows. I have three two-lite sliders and one three-lite slider, along with 8 other single pane double hung windows.

My wife and I started looking for new windows about a year ago, but were initially shocked at some of the price quotes we received ($9K +). We have recently started gathering quotes and have spoken with representatives from Window World and Clear Choice USA. I have noticed there is a bit of scorn aimed at WW and was wondering if that is coming from other professionals who they have undersold or if they are selling an inferior product.

I am really looking for a low cost window to replace the existing metal frame pieces of junk we have now. I am not looking for a top of the line or even mid line window since we do not plan on being in the house that much longer. Our house is considered a starter home therefore buyers are not looking for top of the line windows rather they will want something that looks decent and fills the hole.

From a completely neutral perspective what window manufacturers/installers would you all recommend? I appreciate any feedback/recommendations you all can provide.

Thanks!!

[randy]

You caught us! The companies you mentioned are offering superior products and first rate installation, at a price that is less than the rest of us pay for the window alone, and we're just jealous/resentful/envious, etc......

If your house has linoleum flooring, formica countertops, and 3 tab shingles, you're probably right about using the cheapest windows you can get. Go for it!

[mikepond]

You caught us! The companies you mentioned are offering superior products and first rate installation, at a price that is less than the rest of us pay for the window alone, and we're just jealous/resentful/envious, etc......

If your house has linoleum flooring, formica countertops, and 3 tab shingles, you're probably right about using the cheapest windows you can get. Go for it!

I'm simply a first time home buyer looking to replace my windows. I'm sure you do sell a great product, etc., etc. An honest answer instead of a nasty remark/reply is what I'm seeking. I do not have sufficient funds to put in $500/piece windows, so I woud appreciate it if you go stick your head back up you r a$$.

[Windows on Washington]

Relax,

Randy didn't mean anything by his remark to be offensive. When people shop for Window World, or worse yet, Clear Choice, you are going to not only get a cheap product but likely a horrible installation. You can spend just a few more bucks and have something that will actually increase your resale value enough to probably offset the delta.

[mikepond]

Do you have any specific manufacrturers/brands that you could specifically recommend? Like I mentioned in my initial message, my wife and I are on a tight budget but would like to get new windows ASAP since the current windows are just terrible. They're the old metal crank windows...

Thanks.

[utoo]

I am surprised that the administrator of this forum has not stopped this kind of talk. I suspect that there are thousands of people who read these posts and do not want to get involved because of this unprofessional type of behavior. How about a couple of apologies to this guy?

[randy]

I won't apologize for firing back at someone who, after "reviewing this board" has the audacity to say "I have noticed there is a bit of scorn aimed at WW and was wondering if that is coming from other professionals who they have undersold or if they are selling an inferior product."

The pros on this board dedicate our time, free of charge, to honestly help consumers work their way through the window purchasing process. We have all stated our opinion on WW, CC and the other low balling companies out there (over and over), and we couldn't be any clearer about our reasons for steering consumers away from them.

Despite the repeated warnings about these companies, someone always comes around questioning our motives and wanting to argue with us about the issue.

I was not joking about the match of WW, CC and linoleum flooring, etc.... If the house has vinyl flooring, cheap carpet, etc... then by all means buy cheap windows for it. The new homeowners will probably never notice anyway. If, however, the home has ceramic tile, granite countertops, etc... the new homeowner will most likely expect better quality windows.

The consumer also stated that he is "not looking for a top of the line or even mid line window". Well, what else does that leave, but a low-end window?

[mikepond]

When I said "selling an inferior product" I meant WW and CC, not the other professionals. My house is not top of the line, but I do have hardwoods throughout (no linoleum)...I want a better window than what I have now and am looking for some honest recommendations from professionals.

[Skydawggy]

First I would try and set a maximum budget for new windows. Then I'd try to get some recommendations from around the neighborhood. Third, I'd try to find out what windows would fit into your budget based on what's available in your area. Try not to get too focused on price because you will find that sometime a little bit more will reap you a substantially greater benefit. Then I'd call a couple of local contractors who have a good reputation, keeping in mind that the better more established businesses are probably not going to sell below a certain grade of window. Have a few contractors come out to give an estimate and listen to the reason they carry a particular window. Find what you like that's in the price range you can afford and then come back here and we will try and help you out.

[mikepond]

Thanks for your help. Let me ask you one additional quick question...how should I go about selecting which contractors to call? Since I live in Atlanta there are literally hundreds to choose from. Is there any type of fraternal organization that window installers might belong to whereby I know that they're not part of a fly by night outfit?

Thanks again for your recommended action.

[Skydawggy]

First I think you need to try and find out which windows are available in your area. Maybe start with the yellow pages and see if there are any recognizable brands you've read about on here. From there you might want to visit the manuf. site and see if they can recommend a contractor. You could also look on Angies List. Ask people you work with or socialize with for recommendations. Check the BBB also. If you have Checkbook Magazine in your area, that's another good source to find a good contractor.

Good Luck!! Let us know how it goes.

[Window4U (IL)]

you should go out and look at some actual installs from companies you have spoken to. Look up close and personal at the workmanship and if you see workmanship you like then have it put on the contract that you want the same installers.
If you are still looking for a contractor you could also drive around the neighborhood until you see a nice job. Most homeowners would be more than happy to share who did their jobs for them.

[VRWAdmin]

I am surprised that the administrator of this forum has not stopped this kind of talk.

The challenge for us when threads like this one get a bit testy and go astray is you have two choices; one is to delete the entire thread, or two, try some artful editing. We have gone a head and done some editing because deleting the entire thread throws the baby out with the bath water.

This is a very common dynamic; shoppers that are looking for feed back on what most in the industry would categorize as “low end products”. Typically they get that feed back but its offered up in somewhat of a frustrating manner because the pro’s who spend a lot of time on the board giving free advice have gone over this issue numerous times. The problem is the last homeowner asking the repeated question, gets the frustration.

We wanted to keep the thread because this is a very important dilemma; where is the best bang for the buck for shoppers working the smaller budget end of the window spectrum. As we all know, most everything can be looked at in a bell curve format. You have the extremes for price; very high and very low. As you go higher and higher up the price range, the corresponding increase in quality does not rise equally, it begins to lag. Same thing as you go down in price, eventually your left with a product that’s just not fit for use in a home even if it is free.

Identifying where these ends come to a point that’s the best fit for a particular consumer and their budget, is the very definition of the shopping experience.

One thing we would like to announce that may assist with this problem is we are rolling out a “Window Review” functionality that we would encourage all users to utilize. What we are lacking here on the site is feed back from consumers after they have bought and installed new windows. So, in the case of the age old question, “What do people think about WW”?, our hope would be a consumer could read up on past experiences of others who actually have this product in their homes. Nothing speaks louder than those who have actually purchased a particular product. We put it up yesterday; we just need to get some reviews! We will be sending out an e-mail to all recent board visitors and hope to get some up soon.

We do want to thank all the professionals who participate on the board, as well as consumers. We know tensions can rise, but at the end of the day hopefully as many homeowners as possible get some benefit in their final purchase decision.

Here is the link to the Window Reviews

VRW Admin

[mikepond]

Thanks for the advice guys. I will keep you all up to date on my search and will be sure to post a review once we get the work completed.