Vinyl New Construction Window Recommendations

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momcilovic
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Vinyl New Construction Window Recommendations

#1 Post by momcilovic »

We are in the early phases of planning to build a home in SE Wisconsin and we originally had Milgard StyleLine single hung windows spec'd out. However, as some of you may know, Milgard recently announced that they are closing their Chicago factory that makes this window and is no longer servicing the midwest. Thus, we are now back to the drawing board to find a good vinyl new construction single hung window. My head is spinning with all the different manufactures/lines out there. So far, we have considered the following brands/lines which all seem to be around the same price range:
- Pella Encompass
- Quaker Manchester
- Anderson 100
- Simonton Master
- Weather Shield Visions 3000
- Hayfield Vinyl Classics

The home we are building is 2x6 construction and thus we will be needing extensions jams and all the casings will be stained to minimize the vinyl look of the windows. The key attributes we are looking at are energy efficiency, structural integrity, longevity, aesthitics and of course cost. Most of the windows will be quite large for SH windows at 48"x60".

Let me know if you have any opinions about comparing any of the above or if you have any other recommendations we should be looking at.

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Windows on Washington
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Re: Vinyl New Construction Window Recommendations

#2 Post by Windows on Washington »

Only one person you should call in Wisconsin, and that is HomeSealed.

He is out of Milwaukee and services that area. You won't find a better company to deal with. His products, knowledge, and ethics are top notch.

You can find him here and click on his name to get a quote.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=5076&start=15

Bill
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Re: Vinyl New Construction Window Recommendations

#3 Post by Bill »

I’m not going to get into the debate of which window on your list is the best because I don’t know enough about the other windows.

Regarding the Simonton I would recommend going with the ProFinish Brickmold 300 for a single hung; it is Simonton most recent new construction offering.

The ProFinsh Master is marketed for coastal applications where all of the available sizes are DP50. This window is the exact same window as the ProFinish Contractor series with an alteration on the sill to provide additional water drainage but will cause an increase in air infiltration that you don’t want where you are located. The 48” x 60’ size is not even available in the Master because it cannot achieve DP50.

If you elected to purchase the Brickmold 300 you need to add Low-e/Argon and upgrade the screen frame to extruded screen frame.

momcilovic
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Re: Vinyl New Construction Window Recommendations

#4 Post by momcilovic »

Thanks Bill & WoW.

WoW, I appreciate the suggestion and will definitely check them out but I do want to keep my options open as I am sorting out all the options out there.

Bill, thanks for the suggestion on the Brickmould 300. Definitely would go that route versus the Master line.

So far I have eliminated Pella's Encompass line and Anderson's 100 series. Then Encompass line has had terrible reviews and their warranty is not very good. The 100 series don't have a tilting sash which is a deal buster.

There is one more I am now considering and that is Kolbe's Latitudue line. Curious if anyone has any opinions on these versus the Simonoton Brickmould 300.

Thanks again for any insight.

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HomeSealed
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Re: Vinyl New Construction Window Recommendations

#5 Post by HomeSealed »

You are definitely ahead of the game in that you are researching the window choices or your new home. Most people just assume any window would be fine, and focus all of their efforts on choosing the granite tile color, etc... If you want a window that is going to last and perform, I'd suggest a shift away from the windows that are traditional "builder's choices". In SE WI, you pretty much have access to every premium product that is out there. A review of this site, as well as others will consistently turn up the following manufacturers as universally well-regarded: Sunrise, Okna, Softlite, and Gorell. Every company offers a single-hung, but again, if you are looking for premium choices, I'd shift toward the double hung options. All can be made with nailing fin for new construction application. These will likely cost more than the builder-grade stuff that you've seen, but I highly encourage you to at least give it some consideration. We replace wood and vinyl windows in 10 yr old homes on a regular basis because they have an excessive amount of seal failures, leak air like crazy, don't lock anymore, etc, etc.... Just food for thought.
Attachments
sagging ca.jpg
This is the sagging head jamb on a cheap vinyl window that is less than 10 yrs old. It also happens to be one of the choices on your list... and let me tell you, the pic doesn't even do it justice. Looks far worse in person.
(37.67 KiB) Downloaded 367 times

momcilovic
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Re: Vinyl New Construction Window Recommendations

#6 Post by momcilovic »

HomeSealed,

Thanks for the insight. Checked out your website and it wasn't apparent to me what brand vinyl new construction windows you carry and what you recommend?

Regarding the whole double vs single hung, I have come to the conclusion that for our needs, the negatives of double hung (cost, less performance, more moving parts) outweigh the positives (2nd tilt sash and extra airflow).

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HomeSealed
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Re: Vinyl New Construction Window Recommendations

#7 Post by HomeSealed »

momcilovic wrote:HomeSealed,

Thanks for the insight. Checked out your website and it wasn't apparent to me what brand vinyl new construction windows you carry and what you recommend?

Regarding the whole double vs single hung, I have come to the conclusion that for our needs, the negatives of double hung (cost, less performance, more moving parts) outweigh the positives (2nd tilt sash and extra airflow).
I recommend any of those that I mentioned above. I sell a couple of them, others I do not. I try to be as impartial as possible in my recommendations as I do not contribute here to advertise my own products. :)
On the SH vs DH, I'm afraid that only one of the items that you've mentioned is accurate as it pertains to the pros of SH, and that is cost. I don't know of any company that makes a premium SH. The reason for that is that the only reason people choose them is cost. Thus, they are made rather cheaply. Have you noticed that SH's never offer the same options as the DH counterparts, such as premium glass packages, etc? A double hung will in fact offer superior performance (U value, design pressure, air infiltration, etc) as it will always be a manufacturer's flagship and mid-grade window choices, with SH bring up the bottom. The exception to this would be companies whose primary business is new construction, although most of these companies are regarded as having poor quality. On the "more moving parts" point, technically that could be true, however, in my experience I have actually seen SH's require more service calls, which imo is attributed directly to the difference in quality.

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Window4U (IL)
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Re: Vinyl New Construction Window Recommendations

#8 Post by Window4U (IL) »

My suggestion would be to have Homesealed show you the Okna windows he carries. They are available with fins and extension jambs, are super efficient and you can't find anything more airtight on the market.
They also have the Powerlift balances which are far preferred for new construction as debris won't damage this balance system like it can with the constant force variety.

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Re: Vinyl New Construction Window Recommendations

#9 Post by randy »

HomeSealed is right unfortunately there are no high-performance single hung windows in vinyl. Single hungs are built to be budget friendly and therefore are typically built with fewer weatherstripping points, cheaper glass packages, fewer internal chambers, cheaper balances, etc.....

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