New Windows - Milgard Tuscany Vs. Amerimax

Hey everyone. I'm a new homeowner and I'm looking to buy new windows for my house. I've been doing some research and have read all the articles in the Learning Center section. I haven't set up any quotes yet but before I do, I wanted to get some advice on what I should be looking for and what kinds of questions I should be asking.

I'm in Stockton, CA (reasonably near Sacramento). Summers in this area reach 105-115F and Winter occasionally drops below freezing although snow is mostly non-existent. I have a 2 story home with 13 windows, all but 3 of them facing the sun for the majority of the day. Most of the windows are 5-8 feet wide and all opening windows are sliders. I currently have what I believe are the original aluminum dual pane windows (1980). Not a single window is still sealed, every single one is foggy and when it's really windy out, you can see a couple of the windows actually blow in.

I've done some research but I know experience and first hand knowledge is invaluable when it comes to home improvement. I'm planning to set up a quote appointment with a few local businesses. I have a budget of $8k and was hoping to get them all done this year. What should I expect from the quotes? What kinds of red flags should I look out for? What information should I get from the company? Any information would be great.

You have a great start in reading through the articles on the site, now I'd recommending reading though all of the previous posts as well. There is a wealth of knowledge here and you'd probably get more detailed answers to your questions.

Your windows are quite large, which means buying a budget vinyl window should be ruled out. In your area, Anlin, Simonton, Milgard will be three of the better options.

As you get quotes, ask each contractor for detailed information on their installation process.

Don't be rushed into making a purchase, no matter how good they make the deal sound. After you've gotten a couple of bids, come back and let us know what you've got. We'll try to help you sort through the bids.

Got my first quote from a local business down the street. They're selling Milgard windows. Several other brands but he said Milgard gives them a big discount to make them their first choice. My quote for the whole job installed was $5930 ($1950 Labor for 13 windows) for the Style Line windows. He said it would be approximately $700 to upgrade to the Tuscany windows which I'll probably do. They also have a showroom at their location and I'm going to drop in and check out their windows. The guy that did the quote is also the guy that oversees the installs.

I've got a guy coming from another shop tomorrow that's selling Amerimax so I'll update afterwards.

I've taken from old posts that the Tuscany is a decent window but I've also seen it lose in several Tuscany vs. OtherBrand_001 posts. Would you say it is a worthy option? How about the Style Line? Thanks in advance for any input!

The Style Line window is their thinner option and I would avoid it, give the large sizes you have. The Tuscany would be the better option for sure.

After a couple more quotes, one of which I'm embarrassed to have called and so will leave it out, I've narrowed it down to 2 companies. One will install Milgard Tuscany windows for 6549 the other will install Amerimax for 6789. Both companies seemed solid and had their own full time crews. The Amerimax company was pushy at times while the Tuscany company was very laid back and more open to questions and picky observations. Overall, I liked the beveled front of the Amerimax and the fact that the screen pulls inward instead of popping outward but I also really liked the Tuscany.

I'm looking for any advice and opinions on the 2 lines and why one is a better line than the other.

The Milgard Tuscany is a pretty good window. I know nothing of the Amerimax. Do you know which Amerimax line you were shown?

I'm not sure what Amerimax windows we were looking at but the more we talked it over, the more we decided that the bevel of the window was neat when looking at a sample but wouldn't really fit the style of our house the way the Tuscany would so we decided to go with the Tuscany.

Thank you randy for all your help

You're welcome. Let us know how it turns out.

Check out www.vinylwindowsinc.com if you live in southern California.