Window advice for hot climate - Phoenix AZ

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awsure
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Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2015 2:37 am

Window advice for hot climate - Phoenix AZ

#1 Post by awsure »

I recently went to a home show and was not prepared for the sales tactics although as a 20+ year salesperson myself I found my bearings quick enough and decided to take a step back and do more investigation. My interest began with asking a few vendors about knocking a wall out of my stucco covered 8" block wall in my master bedroom and installing a 12' wide, four panel sliding door (standard height ~80"). The house was built in 1978 and has a mix of single pane and some double pane (aluminum frame) windows that, near as I can estimate from my 12 years in the home, are no newer than ~13 years. The house is 2500 square feet with a flat, foam roof and my energy bills are (I think) fairly decent at $280 / month (I pay the same amount per my power company's "equalizer plan). I keep the temperature around 74 all year and with four kids plus a pool I think I am doing OK on the power bill.

I detailed all that because the window quote kinda made my "spidey sense" tingle when they wrote down that they could save me $25,000 over 10 years on my heating / cooling costs. A little cocktail napkin math and (in my mind...because I can't actually do it...) my left eyebrow raised when it appears that ~$200 a month will magically come off my $280 current bill. Even the solar panel people didn't pitch me such glorious numbers.

I can tell you that my west facing windows (happen to be the double pane aluminum frame variety) get pretty hot in the summer and pretty cool in our brief winter. I keep shades on them pretty much all day and certainly believe I can do WAY better. I'm not looking for outlandish cost savings on my electric bill but rather looking for windows that can perform in the 110 degree (sometimes hotter) temperatures and actually let me draw the shades back without making the A/C units complain terribly.

If it helps I included the window quote I received for triple pane, krypton filled, aluminum core frame covered with vinyl, and low-E coating.

Item Description Quantity
12” w x 72” h 1
12” w x 72” h 1
48” w x 72” h 1
48” w x 72” h 1
48” w x 72” h 1
24” w x 24” h 1
24” w x 48” h 1
72” w x 44” h 1
48” w x 72” h 1
48” w x 48” h 1
48” w x 48” h 1
$14,587 (includes install)

The door was $9500 (included demo wall, install with reinforcement).

Seems kind of high to me but honestly I am just getting going on this stuff. I'd appreciate any opinions, thoughts, recommendations.
Thanks! :D

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Windows on Washington
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Re: Window advice for hot climate - Phoenix AZ

#2 Post by Windows on Washington »

Your BS meter is working fine. No need to recalibrate at this time. :lol:

The figure they through out is flipping laughable.

Triple pane not likely required in your climate as well as your heating degree days are minimal (i.e. heat loss isn't the issue).

I would go with a good double pane thermally broken aluminum or fiberglass in your area and make sure that the glass is specified as a low SHGC range.

What color is the roof?

There bid isn't so much high for that type of window as it is unnecessary.

awsure
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2015 2:37 am

Re: Window advice for hot climate - Phoenix AZ

#3 Post by awsure »

Thanks for the reply. My roof is white (elastomeric coating(s) over foam) and my wonderful insurance company replaced it last year due to hail damage.

Heat loss definitely not the issue. It's our long blazing summers 8) I'd complain but as it's February and the daytime temps settle in at around 80 degrees at the moment I can't think of a gripe. I call my two brothers who live in Vermont (where I grew up) to remind myself of reality if I forget. :D

We've done almost a full remodel on the interior over the last ~18 months and we want to resurface the stucco on the entire exterior...it needs it pretty badly. From the input I've gathered so far if we do window replacement (which I definitely want to do) along with the sliding door project I want to do the stucco after windows and not the reverse. Seems to make sense.

Anyone with thoughts in terms of a particular product line that performs well in our climate and, perhaps more importantly, a particular supplier in the Phoenix area with a good reputation for quality work and a straightforward approach?

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Windows on Washington
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Re: Window advice for hot climate - Phoenix AZ

#4 Post by Windows on Washington »

Can't say that I know of any one in the Phoenix area but you are correct that you definitely want to combine projects and make sure the stucco folks work with the window folks.

randy
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Re: Window advice for hot climate - Phoenix AZ

#5 Post by randy »

I agree with WoW on looking at thermally-broken aluminum and fiberglass. Arizona unfortunately doesn't have a lot of products to choose from. Millard offers both aluminum and fiberglass windows, but I'm not sure if they have an aluminum that incorporates a thermal break into the frame.

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