Installer for Omaha, NE and are Vinylmax decent?

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blizz81
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Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2014 1:30 pm

Installer for Omaha, NE and are Vinylmax decent?

#1 Post by blizz81 »

I have two questions:

1) Does anyone know of a good recommended installer in / around Omaha, Nebraska?

2) One quote I've obtained from a recommended installer was for Vinylmax Radiance Intelliglass double-hung windows. I've been trying to search around and it seems Vinylmax is a small enough company that there isn't as much info out there as an Okna or a Simonton or a Sunrise or a Plygem (and even then, between the various models offered and finding reviews for older models not currently offered, it's a bit dizzying).

What I'm looking to replace are my three six-foot living room units with something with an oriel-style awning or double-hung that can provide some ventilation. The Vinylmax have been my cheapest and most-informed quote out of three so far...quite a bit cheaper than the other two, admittedly which were Pella ProLine (even at a 'friends' rate, which someone from Pella Direct said was a great rate they couldn't get close to, still the most expensive) and...well, the independent guy never even mentioned which brand he uses.

Anyways, I would like the cheap price so long as the windows (and installer) aren't junk. From my cursory looks it seems Sunrise and Okna are more highly-regarded than Vinylmax, which seem to be more or less around a Simonton or a Plygem. As long as they're not junk I'd probably still lean that way unless I could find an Okna / Sunrise installer nearby for a little bit more I think.


Thanks in advance!

blizz81
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2014 1:30 pm

Re: Installer for Omaha, NE and are Vinylmax decent?

#2 Post by blizz81 »

I will add that the Radiance Intelliglass show a .30 u rating, .29 SHGC, and 55% VLT. I didn't find any rating for air infiltration, which may be intentional as I had seen older posts on older Vinylmax models that had a poor air infiltration rating, especially compared to Okna. Not sure how much of a difference this actually makes in the end.

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HomeSealed
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Re: Installer for Omaha, NE and are Vinylmax decent?

#3 Post by HomeSealed »

When I don't have substantial firsthand experience with a product, I always defer to the performance ratings. They are independently tested, tell you how the unit can actually be expected to perform (assuming proper installation), and are a great indicator of quality. Having said that, a .30 u factor is had by even the most mediocre (or worse) products on the market, so that's not a good sign. The A and B level windows are getting between .28-.25 in standard double pane without 366 glass or a surface 4 low-e coating (neither of which I would recommend in your climate).
I'd investigate air infiltration and design pressure if you still want to consider that window.

blizz81
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Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2014 1:30 pm

Re: Installer for Omaha, NE and are Vinylmax decent?

#4 Post by blizz81 »

Thanks, and I appreciate the info from you and others on this forum available via search as well.


I ended up getting air infiltration on the Vinylmax quoted as 0.17, which still seemed fairly high. I did manage to find a local Sunrise distributor / installer that quoted a full-frame double hung replacement with better performance values across the board at a marginally higher price than the Vinylmax bid.

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HomeSealed
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Re: Installer for Omaha, NE and are Vinylmax decent?

#5 Post by HomeSealed »

The .17 is high indeed. Good choice on he Sunrise

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