Allside Excalibur vs Allside UltraMaxx

[twintwin]

I live in the Dallas area and am looking at Allside windows to replace the original aluminum ones. House was built in 1979. I have 7 standard size windows (4 face west, 2 face south, 1 faces north). Received a quote from an individual who doesn't have a big company backing him that gave me a quote for Allside Excalliburs, double hung, Low E2, w/interior grids - $3,100 installed. Another gentleman from a well-known local company came by tonight and gave me an estimate of around $4,500 for the same specs except was Allside UltraMaxx.

My question, which of these two windows is build better and will hold out this Texas heat better? I don't want to put something in only to have trouble with it later.

Thanks for any help.
MJE

[homeowner]

i would have installer 1 give an estimate for the ultramaxx. he can sell either one and i think he will be cheaper(compare apples with apples). there is only $20-40 difference in the windows.

having said that, the ultramaxx has a companion window called the sheffield (installer 1 can get this as well), most experts here prefer this window to the ultramaxx which has a pocket sill, as some believe this allows water to get in and be a problem. i asked my local distributor about this and he laughed at me and said too much internet.

when i got my windows, the installer wanted to use the excaliburs, said they were fine in your/my area. i went with the other however because it has a much thicker frame(think sun/heat/vinyl). price was basically the same. some on this site dont care for the ultramaxx/sheffield because of this thickness (loss of lglass), but i actually like it. like you i had aluminum, about as thin a frame as possible. i dont relly notice any glass loss, but i like how they look: like conventional windows. the aluminum never did. great improvement. i love my new windows.

[randy]

The Sheffield is a better window than the UltraMaxx or the Excalibur, and not much more expensive. If you prefer the narrower frame and more glass look however, the Excalibur double hung will work fine if the installation is well done.

If I were you, I would call the Alside branch office there in Arlington and ask for Ryan. Ask Ryan about the two companies bidding on your windows and he might even have a suggestion for another company. He is a great guy and won't steer you wrong. He is the branch manager.

[twintwin]

I will do that. Thanks for the responses.

Any other brand(s) I should consider? I'm seeing a lot about Champion windows.

Your thoughts.
MJE

[randy]

To be honest, I don't know a thing about the Champion window. They are fairly new to the state of Texas. Windows4U or FenEx might be able to help you out on that, since they regularly come up against Champion in their neck of the woods.

Was Ryan helpful to you?

[Window4U (IL)]

Great run company and kudos to them for their success at being #1 in the country.

Their actual window I don't have quite as much praise for. It's a decent mid-grade window, but lacks color options and is similar to any number of mid-grade windows you could pick up for less.
Back to their positive side, though they are more expensive, they do have a dedicated service department and will be around for you should anything go wrong in the future. That should be worth considering if the quotes you get are close.

[twintwin]

Homeowner,

I too don't consider less glass area an issue if I go with the Sheffield. I just want to get rid of these hot windows and lower my electric/gas bill. Will probably go with the Sheffield.

Randy,

Ryan was very helpful. Had great things to say about salesman #1. Said that if my window did not exceed 5 feet in any direction, that the Excalibur would work just fine as far as stability and efficiency is concerned. However, since many posts on this site mention the Sheffield being better, I will get a quote on this one as well. As I mentioned earlier, I don't want to have to replace these again.

Window4U,

I'm only looking for a midgrade window. Due to the age of my house and the design being pretty standard, I don't really need an expensive window, nor do I want a cheap new installation level one either. Service is DEFINATELY a factor for me and I am hearing many good things about Alside's standing by its products.

MJE

[twintwin]

Well, I'm still looking at replacement windows. While I'm investigating options, salesman #1 went and ordered all 7 windows with nothing in writing from me and now the pressure is on. (Why did he do that???) To be honest, I did give the salesman a verbal yes, but even a contract, which in this case is non-existant, gives the "signer" 3 days to cancel. Wasn't even given that opportunity.

Any ideas from anyone here on how to handle this situation?
MJE

[InfoSponge]

If you're not certain you want to go with salesman #1's windows, I would immediately call him and have him try to cancel the order with the factory. It usually takes at least couple of days before the windows are manufactured, so fast action is the key. Once they are manufactured, the issue becomes messier, because they are custom made for your window openings. I don't know the state laws about verbal contracts, but I assume the 3-day rule should apply if he came to your home to present the windows and make a bid. I don't know if the 3-day rule applies if you visited a showroom, and then scheduled someone to come out and measure, but it might then as well.