This is worse than buying a mattress!

[Alipoppins]

Hi there,
I'm looking for some advice on replacement 72" double sliding glass doors. I live in CT in a condo that was built in the 1970's. I have the original doors which are metal and brown. They need to remain brown on the outside, but can be white on the inside.

I just had some structural work done on the unit because the roof was cloapsing due to shoddy construction. The wall containing the doors had to be jacked up and steel supports and new support beams installed and brought up to current code. My sliders have outside storm doors on a separate frame. Since the work was done, these no longer fit in the frames correctly and can't be easily removed for cleaning.

I decided to look into replacing the doors and the quotes I'm getting have ranged from $3,600 on the low end to $5,700 on the high end.

Some of the brands are Ecosheild, Harvey, Simonton, National Vinyl, Pella and Earthwise.

I'm finding it impossible to tell how the brands differ?

I don't plan on staying in the condo much more than 3 more years. I checked the BBB ratings on the contractors and the various windows and found all to have good ratings.

Someone please give me some unbiased sound advice on which brand I should be installing and why

Thanks for the help

[HomeSealed]

If you want an unbiased way to compare, you are in luck. Windows are rated for performance and efficiency just like a car (think MPG and horsepower for instance).

U value is for thermal performance (how well does it insulate, lower number is better)
Air infiltration/Air leakage is exactly what it sounds like. Lower is better
CR is condensation resistance. Not insignificant in a climate like yours. Higher is better.
SHGC is solar heat gain. You don't want that too low in your area, as you will end up with a dark window that blocks too much heat in the colder months.
DP is design pressure, which is reflective of the structural integrity of the unit.

Beyond that, make sure that the dealer(s) that you consider have EXCELLENT ratings with organizations like BBB, Angies, home advisor, etc... Its not that difficult for a terrible company to have "decent" ratings and reviews, but an excellent reputation is no easy feat. If you have a dealer that is either uninformed, or unwilling to discuss the ratings above, that could be a red flag.

[Windows on Washington]

Great reply HomeSealed.

Any investment of this magnitude is going to require a bit of homework and thankfully there are resources out there to help you with the process. This forum has helped 10's of thousands of homeowners make informed decisions.

[TheWindowNerd]

Look for a mfg that has a whole stable of high performance products and a good track record with service and stable financially.
The quick test for me is to look at the structural test results for the model I am considering. I will look at AI/Al, air infiltration/air leakage actual test result( not a pass or fail minimum).
I want .05 or <.

theWindowNerd