Simonton, Revere, Amerimax or Milgard in Denver

[neidermeyer]

Hi guys,

I've been looking through this forum for a while now and have gotten several estimates for replacing all the windows in my house. These four windows are about the same price, give or take, and I wanted to see which you think would be best for Denver's climate and altitude. The Milgard and Amerimax are manufactured in Colorado which is their main selling point as I've been told that bringing windows up to this elevation form sea level can cause bowing in the the windows. Anyhow, here are the windows I'm looking at:

Simonton Prism Platinum (same as 5500 I believe)
Revere Sovereign (same as Alside Sheffield)
Amerimax Masters Grand Series
Milgard Tuscany

One more thing is that I currently have a garden window in my kitchen. The window thats there was probably bought at home depot and is total junk. To replace it with a garden window or bay window is very expensive ($2000+) so I'm leaning toward putting in a standard window. Only thing is that my wife likes the garden window. Are there any alternatives that might please my wife and my wallet?

Thanks in advance,

Jack

[Will91]

Hi:
You might want to search some of the posts I have made as well as those by Shopper in CO. We are also in CO and have extensively looked at the options. I have looked at the windows you mentioned except for the Revere. I really liked the aesthetics of the Amerimax (very nice lines and slim frame) but thought the Simonton 5500 Reflections was more structurally sound. I also didn't like the fact that the cam locks on the Amerimax scrape against the glass if one happens to close them with the window in the open position (entirely possible with children). The Milgard is nice (and you can visit their factory in Aurora) but it is very much a plain-Jane looking window IMHO.

Check the Window Review section too. One Colorado resident recently reported a lot of frost buildup on his new Amerimax windows but it was unclear (last I checked his post) whether that was resolved as an indoor humidity issue or a manufacturer problem.

As far as argon fill, you are right. Amerimax and Milgard are made in Denver and will fill the window with argon and seal the window at our altitude. This is ideal. However, Simonton warranties their argon filled window (coming from Oklahoma, by the way), against seal failure and that's good enough for me. I talked to the Simonton distributors in Denver and they said they have had no complaints about distortions from the pressure differential.

[jsmomo]

windows manufactured in high altitudes are made with tubes in them to allow for the pressure changes other manufacturers that ship to those areas also have them

[Will91]

Actually, the Milgard windows made in Denver are sealed. Breather tubes are an option, but the default is a sealed IG unit.

With Simonton, standard is a sealed unit, but capillary tubes are optional. According to the Simonton distributor here in Denver, nearly all the Simonton windows they have ordered are delivered sealed with no capillary or breather tubes.

[neidermeyer]

Thanks for the input, I've looked through yours and shopper in co's posts and checked the reviews as well. The Simontons look like they garner the most favorable reviews followed by alside/revere, amerimax and then milgard. I'm still getting more estimates but if you have any installers that you recommend or think i should avoid at all costs, email me at jlgoldberg13 at gmail dot com

How do the patio doors compare? And do you have any advice on the garden window?

Thanks,
Jack

[micman82]

Jack,
The experiences of ziptoe and I, detailed in this thread
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2333

should give you some info on Amerimax.

Short answer: don't buy Amerimax.

Also, I notice another poster referencing my posts and mentioning that it was unclear if it was a window problem or an interior humidity problem. Sorry about not being clear and I'll be so now: my house is very dry. It's not an interior humidity problem.

[neidermeyer]

for the glass packages, I was going to use the cardinal 272 on the north facing windows, but I'm getting varying information on whether to go with 366 on the south side or triple coated. Does anyone have any recommendations? Again, I'm in denver, so we do get some strong sun on the south side and also extreme colds in the winter.

Thanks,
Jack

[Will91]

Micman82: I'm really sorry you had such a disappointing experience with the Amerimax. I looked at these a long time and still like their thin frame and nice lines. I hope you can get some resolution from the company. Perhaps you could go directly to their office in Ft. Collins and try to speak to someone of authority??

Jack; I am debating the same 272 vs. 366 question for my own Simonton order. I was going to go with 366 for south and west windows but we like a bit of the solar heat gain in the winter so I think we will go with the 272. Quite frankly, I don't think we will really get much solar heat gain at all even with the 272. Currently we have NO low e coatings so I know we are going to experience a huge drop in heat gain even with the 272. Plus, what sort of turned me off a bit from the 366 was Simonton told me the 366 tends to look "tinted" and I don't think I will like that look. Keep us posted as to your progress. PS, in case you didn't know, you can see the 5500 or Prism Platinum (same window) at Norandex and Ted Lansing in Denver. I found the folks at Ted Lansing (5500) very nice. But... they will only provide actual pricing to a contractor. I have not found any stores that install Simontons but the distributors will provide names of contractors they use.

[micman82]

Micman82: I'm really sorry you had such a disappointing experience with the Amerimax. I looked at these a long time and still like their thin frame and nice lines. I hope you can get some resolution from the company. Perhaps you could go directly to their office in Ft. Collins and try to speak to someone of authority??

Thanks Will91--they are a nice looking window. But wow--horrible for keeping heat in. The Loveland office says everyone with customer service authority is in California.

[neidermeyer]

Ok, I've gotten a handful of estimates, and done extensive research, and I've narrowed it down to 2 vendors with 2 different windows.

13 standard windows (1 is currently a garden window but will be replaced with a slider or casement)
1 patio door

Vendor A:
Alside Sheffield (or Fairfield) w/ super spacer and 272 low-e glass w/ argon
$6400

Vendor B
Simonton Prism Platinum w/ Super spacer and 272 glass w/ argon
$7800



I still need to call some references but they both seem pretty reliable, have good BBB reports, etc. I was leaning toward the Simonton because they seem to be a favorite on this board, but $1400 is a lot of green. Both would be an enormous improvement over the 20 yr old builder grade aluminum windows which leak like crazy, have all lost their seals and are ugly as sin. Any additional comments or advice would be great.

[neidermeyer]

The vendor selling the Alsides keeps making his offer better. 13 sheffield windows plus a patio door all with Low E/climatech glass, double hung, super spacer all for only $6400. I know the simontons seem to be more favored on this site, but is it worth it to pay $1400 (21%) more for them???