Vinyl Replacement Window Quotes - Suburban Philly

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lovemoney18
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Vinyl Replacement Window Quotes - Suburban Philly

#1 Post by lovemoney18 »

Hi, Can anyone help me decide if any of the windows/quotes listed below are good and worth the quoted price? Can you please also list the 3 windows in order of qaulity?

Replacing 11 Double Hung Windows and 1 Sliding (Left to Right) Bathroom Window:

Silverline Anderson 8500 Series: $4,425
Simonton 5050: $5,400
Pella Encompass: $6,600

I have tried to read up on each of these windows on this board and everyone seems to get bad reviews (one worse than the other).

I replaced 4 of the Double Hung Windows in 2011 with windows from Dream House Windows & Siding @ $600/window but the quotes above are from local contractors.

I would appreciate any and all professional responses.

Thanks!

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Windows on Washington
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Re: Vinyl Replacement Window Quotes - Suburban Philly

#2 Post by Windows on Washington »

Is there a choice "D" in this project.

None of them are really well regarded as you have already noted.

There are a bunch of really good windows and contractors in the Philadelphia area and you can likely find one of those windows for in the same ballpark as that Pella number.

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Re: Vinyl Replacement Window Quotes - Suburban Philly

#3 Post by TheWindowNerd »

The three best white vinyl DH that I would suggest are the HiMark800DX, Soft-lite Imp LS, Sunrise Vanguard.
All would be best in class energy performance.

theWindowNerd...

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Windows on Washington
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Re: Vinyl Replacement Window Quotes - Suburban Philly

#4 Post by Windows on Washington »

and anthony serve Philly too!

You would be well served to give him a ring too! Great set of guys for installers.

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HomeSealed
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Re: Vinyl Replacement Window Quotes - Suburban Philly

#5 Post by HomeSealed »

+1. Contact anthony, and expand your search.

If I had to order that list, it would be Simonton, Silverline 8500, and then Pella/Thermostar. It looks like you have a "who's who" of choices from HD and Lowes here. If for some reason you insist on that route, the options to consider IMO, would be the Simonton 5600 @ HD, and the Plygem Premium and Pella 350 @ Lowes. That said, please do not take that as an emphatic endorsement. The three windows that anthony listed above are the best of the best in terms of performance and reputation for quality, and can probably be had in the same price range (closer to what you paid last time).

lovemoney18
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Re: Vinyl Replacement Window Quotes - Suburban Philly

#6 Post by lovemoney18 »

Thank you WoW, HomeSealed, and Anthony. I have seen almost all of the reply posts come from you guys and thanks for your honest opinions.

The primary purpose of the project is to have the entire siding replaced on my home. Since I was having new Vinyl siding replaced, I asked them to give me quotes on replacing the remaining windows since the old siding is being removed anyways.

I would think that any of the three windows quoted thus far are better than my current builder grade windows installed in 1986. No matter how bad these windows are, I imagine they're still a step up however marginal.

Thanks again for all your input. I can always ask these contractors to quote me a price on better windows. If I have learned anything from this board is that no matter how good the windows are, they're only as good as the installation.

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Re: Vinyl Replacement Window Quotes - Suburban Philly

#7 Post by masterext »

ok, the old " anything is better than what i have now". the only difference will be that you threw away 5k on garbage windows that you will barely notice a difference on and will invariaby want replaced again in a few years. not to mention, those brands not only perform poorly but they totally cheapen the look of your home. i would really reconsider your logic and look into a higher quality brand.
you should also contact a reputable contractor who knows what he is doing and will not con you into making a poor decision. i would highly recommend contacting Anthony as well.

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HomeSealed
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Re: Vinyl Replacement Window Quotes - Suburban Philly

#8 Post by HomeSealed »

The three that you mentioned off-the-bat would generally be considered to be entry level, or builder grade offerings. I suppose that you will see an upgrade from your existing units, but you can probably get a really good to great window for a few bucks more, so I would at least explore that possibility. Better to do that now, than to experience dissatisfaction a few years down the road after having spent thousands on this exterior makeover. Just speaking from experience on that...
Have you already decided on who is doing these projects for you? The main reason I ask is because your comment that these windows were quoted by contractors is really a red flag to me. As I said earlier, these choices are primarily sold at the box stores. A contractor that purchases his windows and siding from a box store can be a very risky proposition, and I'll explain why: That means that he probably does not have a credit line with either direct from a manufacturer, or at least from a supply house which would be the norm for an established company. Even most pickup truck "contractors" that don't have credit will still buy from a supply house. In addition to that, a contractor that leads with products on the lower end of the price/quality spectrum would be more likely to have the quality of his installation follow suit. Nothing in life is "always" or "never", so these are not absolute certainties, but just some things to think about. Mitigating the risks involved in your decision is the best process to choose a contractor IMO.

lovemoney18
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Re: Vinyl Replacement Window Quotes - Suburban Philly

#9 Post by lovemoney18 »

The 3 contractors that I have received quotes from have all been in the business for 25 - 30 years and all have high ratings in BBB, Angie's List, etc. I have seen they're signs in the neighborhood working on other homes in the development as well. They all provide dozens of referrals. Therefore, I'm not sure why they provided quotes on these windows only. Maybe to keep costs down in order to win the project. They all said that these windows are middle of the road (not the worst nor the best).

In any event, I have contacted Anthony to discuss my options with him and am waiting for him to return my call.

Thanks again for everyone's input!

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Re: Vinyl Replacement Window Quotes - Suburban Philly

#10 Post by HomeSealed »

Well that is good that they all have a pretty solid and clean history. Like I said, it is a general rule, but there certainly can be exceptions. Maybe they just don't sell many windows?... I would definitely hear Wayne (anthony) out before making your choice though. Fantastic guy and a perfectionist when it comes to quality.

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