Thermal Quality Windows & Doors?

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DustBunny
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Joined: Tue Nov 15, 2016 10:13 am

Thermal Quality Windows & Doors?

#1 Post by DustBunny »

Hello. I am in the process of choosing a brand of windows and an installer. I have had a quote from a roofer who does windows (highly recommended), however he suggests Viwinco windows which do not get good reviews. He also has said he can install any brand of window I choose.

I also have a quote from Thermal Quality Windows and Doors located in Broomall, PA. They also get very good recommendations from neighbors, Angies List, Yelp, etc. They install a Ideal windows, but made to their specs. The salesman brought a sample and it looks like a nice window. I like that the sash is a bit narrower, allowing more light.

I am concerned about Ideal Majestic Double Hung windows. The model is ESM described as a dual pane, double strength 7/8 inch IG, utilizing two layers of Low E coatings on two panes, Argon filled air spaces, Foam Filled Frame and Sashes and Ultra Interceptor Spacer with a .23 U-Factor.

Can anyone comment on Thermal Quality Windows and Doors and their Ideal windows? I have 13 double hung windows and one casement. I already have windows by Simonton (have had problems), Viwinco and Certainteed, installed during previous renovations. I live in suburban Philadelphia.

masterext
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Re: Thermal Quality Windows & Doors?

#2 Post by masterext »

The Ideal Majestic is a good window and definitely the best out of the bunch by far. Simonton is an outdated design and very bulky. Viwinco is junk.
However, you are Considering a roofer to install windows ?????? I strongly recommend against that. Further evidence of a roofer not being suitable for a window install is the fact that he is recommending Viwinco which isnt highly regarded.
Do yourself a favor, contact a window pro, not a roofer. I would never recommend a window pro doing a roof. It makes absolutely no sense despite the fact that he is doing it cheaply. A roofer will usually use a cheap/ low quality window like viwinco, MI Windows, or even alside,
i am not a big fan of the standard wimdows by Ideal but their exclusive majestic series is a good window.
Its an exclusive and much better than what they sell to regular contractors. Nice looking window as well.
Last edited by masterext on Mon Apr 30, 2018 7:44 am, edited 4 times in total.

DustBunny
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Re: Thermal Quality Windows & Doors?

#3 Post by DustBunny »

Thanks for the response. I am most likely going to hire Thermal Quality to install their windows, although the roofer is highly recommended in the community. I appreciate your endorsement of the Ideal Majestic window. I could not find any reviews for the particular ones carried by Thermal Quality. Guess I will give them a call tomorrow!

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Delaware Mike
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Re: Thermal Quality Windows & Doors?

#4 Post by Delaware Mike »

TQ has been around forever, they were once a nice account for Accu-Weld back in the day. You might want to check the CR rating on that Ideal window as it sounds like it has a surface 4 low-e coating which might not be desirable if your house runs on the higher indoor humidity side. Also, some of the Ideal double-hung units that I've seen feature bottom exterior weeps for the irrigation sills. Not a fan of these and typically we see them married with only 2-point weatherstripping and not so great air leakage number.

I've pulled and replaced 20-year old vinyl windows installed by Thermal Quality before and TQ did a nice job capping and caulking them with free hand brickmold bending.

masterext
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Re: Thermal Quality Windows & Doors?

#5 Post by masterext »

I am fairly certain the majestic is a welded sill with no weeps unless i didnt notice.
Last edited by masterext on Wed Nov 23, 2016 11:52 am, edited 1 time in total.

DustBunny
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Re: Thermal Quality Windows & Doors?

#6 Post by DustBunny »

Again, thank you. Glad to know Tq is a good company. My house is dry as a desert in the winter due to forced air heat. There is central air in the humid summer months. How do i find out the CR rating on the ideal window?

TheWindowNerd
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Re: Thermal Quality Windows & Doors?

#7 Post by TheWindowNerd »

Ask the sales person or look in the product literature.
The window I most often use is .01 AI, very air tight, no drafts
With a .26 U

theWindowNerd...

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HomeSealed
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Re: Thermal Quality Windows & Doors?

#8 Post by HomeSealed »

DustBunny wrote:Again, thank you. Glad to know Tq is a good company. My house is dry as a desert in the winter due to forced air heat. There is central air in the humid summer months. How do i find out the CR rating on the ideal window?
Dry is a very relative term depending on the exterior temps. We have 95% forced air here in WI as well, but condensation is a rampant issue in the dead of winter. I would give serious consideration to Mike's comments above about the surface 4 low-e coating being undesirable in colder climates. In most cases it is a "trick" used to get a window to qualify for Northern Region Energy Star of .27 u value on a product that is not good enough to meet that without it. There are several products that do meet that with a standard surface 2 or 3 low e coating, I'd direct your attention to those if possible.

DustBunny
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Re: Thermal Quality Windows & Doors?

#9 Post by DustBunny »

Thanks yet again. The rep from Tq is coming out next week and i will ask about condensation. By the way, what does CR stand for?

masterext
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Re: Thermal Quality Windows & Doors?

#10 Post by masterext »

CR is condensation resistance. Ideally you want that number above 56. A good rule of thumb is to request standard lowE / argon without a surface 4 coating. The salesman should know what you mean.

TheWindowNerd
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Re: Thermal Quality Windows & Doors?

#11 Post by TheWindowNerd »

The CR on the window I prefer to use is 62.

theWindowNerd...

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