Peachtree Symmetry vs Soft-lite Imperial LS

As part of my research, I wanted to get an opinion on Soft-lit imperial vinyl replacement windows vs Peachtree Symmetry (Lowes)?

I also had a couple of side questions on cladding and floor to window height that requires tempered glass to be installed?

If windows are a future step in a wall repalcement from masonite boards to hardiplank, should vinyl coated aluminum go on when the wall boards are replaced? I am afraid that if it is cladded now, it will have to be replaced when the wall boards are done?

In regard to tempered glass, is the base of the windows 18 inches from the floor, the criteria for where it has to be specified?

Thanks

No comparison, the Softlite Imperial is vastly superior to anything by Peachtree.



No sure what you mean when you say wall boards. If you are referring to the siding, you should let the installer know you are planning on replacing the siding. The capping can possibly be done in such a way that the existing siding can be removed without disturbing the capping. You may also want to consider using a composite board like Azek when the siding is replaced. BTW, I'd use Certainteed Colormax instead of Hardi but that's a whole different discussion and one that should be adressed to the installer.




Glazing in doors and enclosures for hot tubs (both inside and outside), whirlpools, saunas, steam rooms, bathtubs and showers or any part of a wall enclosing these areas where the bottom of the glass is 60 inches or less off the drain, needs to have tempered glass.
If a window meets all four of the following criteria the glass needs to be tempered.
a. Exposed area of an individual pane is greater than 9 sq. ft.
b. The bottom edge is less than 18” above the floor.
c. The top edge of the same piece of glass is 36” or more above the floor.
d. If one or more walking surfaces are within 36” horizontally of the glazing.

Soft-Lite is better than Peachtree.

What type (wood, metal, vinyl, etc) do you have now? That will dictate how they are removed and what should be removed and when.

Attach a picture of the home and the window in question. If you are doing the siding, it might be recommended that you do a new construction installation.

Here is the code for tempered glass although EcoStar summarized it perfectly: http://dealer.milgard.com/egress--.htm

Imperial LS offers nail-fin and nail-fin with J-channel as option.
Picture sure would help us help you.
How many times have you heard a customer balk at the added cost for tempered?
I listen well but wow how fast would that customer sue us for not doing it right if there was an accident.
Do it right or not at all!

Hope this helps to fill in the gaps?
Roughly 18 wooden double hung windows to replace - quotes so far are 8500 to 8700 - Soft-lite LS, Peachtree Symmetry, Pella Theramax, Rusco Pro-weld II - low-e glass and superspacer.

Exterior is masonite with wooden exterior casement. Framing is wood. Quotes include wrapping external existing wood with vinyl covered aluminum. In future, possible replacement of masonite with hardiplank (will look at Colormax) and need to accomidate for that in retrofit and assume that a gap will have to be cut between windown and casement to be wrapped.

7 of the existing wooden windows have the bottom glass 18" from the floor, all 7 have the largest pane less than 9 SF of glass, roughly 7.3. One window is less than 5 feet from an entry door and the base of the stairs, but there is a small built up entrance perpendicular to the space between the door and the window. There appear to be 4 criteria that have to be met for temperated glass and so far not all of them get a yes over all the windows.

We have a hot tub on an outside deck that is 5 feet from one window (glass is 20 inches from the floor) to the manually operable drain (not piped, didn't kow if that made a difference). I left that on my radar after seeing the one link posted and assume that it is needs to be tempered.

Thanks for the comments.