Gorell energy, thermal, or ultra master windows and quote

I got a quote for Gorell energy master 3 windows. This is for 7 casement and 2 picture windows. The quote is 7310.00 installed. Is that a good price? I was wondering if the thermal master 3 or the ultra master 3 would be a better window for my region. I live in eastern Nebraska.

The installer said that the difference between the thermal and ultra is more of a marketing  thing. It jumps up about 100.00 to 150.00 per window in price. (value). I have always felt that the other two  for the cost was not a great deal.

What are your thoughts?

the ultramaster is krypton with super spacer which is a solid window. the price isnt out of line for a quality window with krypton.
HomeSealed ( Brandon) may be able to shed more light on this question.

As masterext said, that price is not out of line for a krypton, TP offering. That said, my feeling is that the best "bang for the buck" comes in typically with a high end double pane offering or a triple pane with argon. IMHO, the best offering for your climate from Softlite-Gorell is the EM3. It offers a very nice U-value, moderate shgc (ideal for your region), and a nice price-point. The Ultra master offers a great u-value, but sacrifices slightly in other areas which can mitigate its benefit. Either way, I would definitely go for the non-metallic spacer option.

From what I am reading from the Gorell website, the energy master windows come argon filled. Am I correct?

Does the EM3 windows come without the non-metallic spacer or do I have to request it is not included?

Thanks for the replies. Just trying to figure out what windows and options are best.

Mark

EM3 is argon filled. The spacer system used depends on how your particular dealer offers it. Personally, I'd opt for the super spacer.

+1

If you are going to go with the triple pane option, you might as well have a non-metallic spacer on it.

They will give you getter CR numbers as well as edge of glass performance.

So correct me if I am wrong. The best choice for my region would be the Energy Master III with the super spacer? The Gorell website shows the PPG Intercept
spacer system is installed in this window. Which spacer is this? Is this the one I should get?

Would there be an advantage in getting the Thermal Master III over the Energy Master III?

Super spacer is an upgrade from the standard Intercept. My recommendation would be EMIII with Super spacer. Nice bang for the buck glass package.

So we are not sure if we should get more quotes on some different window manufacturers. Is the Gorell EMIII the best window or are there better window manufacturers that we should get some quotes for?

The only other quote we got was one from Thermal Industries and it was more than double what I mentioned earlier.

Another question is how does the Gorell EMIII look in appearance compared to other windows?

Gorell is a solid window.

Other premium choices that are often discussed are Soft-Lite, HiMark, Okna, and Sunrise.

+1 to WoW's recommended options. Regarding the look of the Gorell, the glass package (EMIII) has nothing to do with the overall appearance of the window. In terms of the product overall, that is one area that some folks are not crazy about. It is a bit of a tank, so you lose some glass areas in comparison to the slimmer lined models. That said, it really is a solidly built unit. One of the most "installer-friendly" product that I've come across... Ultimately, the appearance is very subjective. Some people really like it, some don't.

So we have decided to get a couple more quotes. Probably from Soft-lite and Sunrise. There is no Okna dealer in the area. When we receive all our quotes I want to come back and get your opinion on them.

Thanks for the information so far. Very helpful.

Good idea. There is no such thing as "TMI" when you are looking at an investment of this magnitude.

We got quotes from a few different companies. All excellent ratings from the Better Business Bureau. What are you opinions on the following quotes?

These are the window types and dimensions in our house as they are right now. We thought we would go with the sliders in place of where the casement windows are so there was less gap in the middle of the windows.
1 double casement window 41 x 34
2 picture windows 24 x 70 tempered
5 double casement windows 57 x 46
1 single casement window 20 x 34 tempered

Gorell
Windows only: $7535.00
The Gorell quote was for 6 Casement, 1 Casement tempered, and 2 Picture windows tempered.
Energy Master III, Triple pane with Argon, Super Spacer, white on white, 10 year warranty on windows, 5 year warranty on installation, Foam and caulking at installation.
Payment due at end of project.


Restorations by Sunrise
Windows: $7550.00
Slider patio door: $2400.00
Total $9950.00
6 Two-lite Sliders, 2 picture windows tempered, 1 casement window tempered.
Triple pane with Argon, white, Lifetime Non-prorated transferable warranty, glass breakage included, Foam and caulking at installation.
Ultra-U+3 glass package. Well exceeds proposed 2014 energy star qualifications.
Slider patio door has same Ultra-U+3 glass package.

The proposal reads: Install Restorations by Sunrise replacement windows with triple pane U-3 Glass with Ultra 8 LO-E with Argon Gas heat reflection. Color to be white and includes full screens. Includes trim coil on outside brickmolds. Install a Restorations vinyl patio door system. Includes tempered triple pane U-3 glass with Ultra 8 LO-E with Argon Gas heat reflection. Includes a brushed nickel handle and lock set and a base kick lock. Color to be white. $2500 due at beginning of project, Balance due on completion.


Soft-Lite Elements
Windows: $16215.79
Slider patio door: $3517.91
Total: $19643.70
6 Two-lite Sliders, 2 picture windows tempered, 1 casement window tempered.
Full window replacement, Ultra-S glass package, Triple pane with Argon, Lifetime warranty, Full screens.

Thanks,Mark