Replacement windows from big box store or lumber yard

[newbury]

I had Window World put mine in. All weird sizes, etc. They did a great job, cleaned up and hauled the old ones off and the price was "extremely" competitive.

I second Window World. I had them replace windows in 3 of my homes and never had a problem. Cheaper for them to do it than to do it myself. Only $189 per window no matter what size and all double pane windows. The cheapest model has special features like double hung, safety latches to lock the window slightly open, etc.

All places try to upsell you but just tell them you want the special $189 and you will get a quality, good looking window with a good installation.

One tenant broke a window 3 years after installation and they came out and replaced it free.

I just did major renovations on a rental property so my son and family could move into it and I had about a dozen windows replaced. The "prime" contractor was/is a friend of my son's and he recommended Window World. They installed them for less than I could buy them from the big box stores. Plus they were careful with the ones they removed and I'm reusing them in my workshop in Mississippi.

 

[sld]

We just replaced all of ours with vinyl casements from Champion. They replaced wood Pella's and the difference is very noticeable.

Can't believe how quiet they are and heating and cooling bills have gone down. I took the day off when they were installed to supervise each one and they did a very good job. Pretty happy 2 years later...so far.

 

[JDgreen227]

We just replaced all of ours with vinyl casements from Champion. They replaced wood Pella's and the difference is very noticeable.

Can't believe how quiet they are and heating and cooling bills have gone down. I took the day off when they were installed to supervise each one and they did a very good job. Pretty happy 2 years later...so far.

Query here...please define what quiet means as regards a window. Having a complete hearing loss, I wonder what that means.

 

[Don H]

Big Box stores put their window contract out for bid every few years. So the window you buy from them today might not be the one they stock when you need parts. Many low bid window manufacturers don't last long, again problems getting parts. I'd go with a company that's been around for many years. Buy direct or though a distributor, make sure they have a good warranty and hope the company will be around for the next 30 years.

When I built my house I put in Andersen windows, they are now 28 years old. I've had to replace a few balancers and one sash.

 

[KennyG]

Query here...please define what quiet means as regards a window. Having a complete hearing loss, I wonder what that means.

My next door neighbor shoots skeet and, once in a while, a black powder musket. With my Andersens closed, I can't hear it.

 

[Sprinklerman]

I got my windows from Lansing , they are a distributor , a friend of mine works there , they were made by Simonton , They are replacement windows . 12 windows , $ 2900.00 ( contractor price) It took me alone 5 hours to install alone , and another day to wrap the outside trim . Estimates to install were $ 9000 to $ 14,000 .

 

[EddieWalker]

Can you just replace the glass?

All the seals of our then 32-year old home were leaking when we moved in 11 years ago. They had moisture and dirt between the panes but the wood frames we good. The local window store came out and measured all the windows, ordered sealed glass panes and installed them for a very reasonable price. They removed the outside 3/4" wood strips to take the windows out and cut new strips. As EddieWalker recommends, they put double-sided tape on the new glass panes. They peeled back just enough of the vinyl tape covering on the inside face of the tape strip so it was accessible once they put the window in the house frame. They removed the tape by carefully pulling it out between the inner house wood surface and the glass. Here are some photos:

View attachment 417044

View attachment 417045

EddieWalker, I'm curious about your statement regarding reflective glass. Our new windows have some kind of one-way reflective glass on one of the double panes. It is not a coating, and is not noticeable except it is very slightly darker than ordinary glass. I specified we wanted the windows designed to KEEP HEAT OUT in the summer. We find them very effective. They just replaced the living room windows the first day. It was sunny and warm, and we immediately noticed a big reduction in heat.

In the summer we often enjoy cool early mornings on the deck on the east side of the house. When the sun reflects off second storey windows it can generate enough heat that one needs to move, even though 15 to 20 feet from that window. The coating seems very effective and did not add a lot to the glass cost.

Are you asking if it's good? Yes, but it's pretty standard on every window I've installed. There are extra coatings that some specialty stores try to add on to the cost of the window that you will never notice. A decent window will come with everything needed to make it pass all the energy requirements out there. Then there are the bonus things that will not improve anything.

Eddie

 

[kco]

Thanks, Eddie. Yes, I was wondering if some options are good. I'm not sure what we got, but just one of the two panes had it, and it just works one way. We did not want windows like those ones in office buildings that look like mirrors. Whatever glass they used keeps heat due to sunlight out much better than plain glass. As noted above, they were not much more expensive than all plain glass.

We were lucky that our window frames are all sound and of simple construction. And we were very pleased with the local business that did the work. They seemed very diligent in sealing the new windows. In fact, on one of them the helper broke the shiny protective cover (that is removed so the tape sticks to the wood) when removing it after installing the glass in the frame. Some of the glass was stuck to the frame and it was a chore to get the glass back out. But they did it, cleaned everything, and reinstalled the whole thing with new tape. It's really nice to have diligent contractors.

 

[TnAndy]

I got my windows from Lansing , they are a distributor , a friend of mine works there , they were made by Simonton , They are replacement windows . 12 windows , $ 2900.00 ( contractor price) It took me alone 5 hours to install alone , and another day to wrap the outside trim . Estimates to install were $ 9000 to $ 14,000 .

Exactly. And Simonton makes a very good vinyl window. You probably had another couple hundred bucks in trim coil, caulk and insulation. So for two days labor, you 'made' 6 to 10 grand you didn't shell out. You normally make that at work ?

For the most part, especially if one has standard, wood, double hung windows, installation is not all that tricky. Wrapping the outside trim is probably the hardest part for folks not used to using (or having) a sheet metal brake, and while that makes a much neater, more professional looking finish (IMHO), it is not a requirement. What is does is make the exterior nearly maintenance free, but if you don't mind painting, you can skip that part.

I worked for a window installation company for several years, and used to cringe at the prices they would charge people (and they had no standard price....it was however much the salesman could extract from the homeowner) knowing what they had in the window and my labor cost to install it. I later went out on my own and charged $60/window labor over the cost of the window and other materials, and made a dang good living for many years doing so.

If you want to save thousands (and I mean THOUSANDS, as above) and not do the job yourself, go find an aluminum/vinyl supply place that also sells windows to contractors like Sprinklerman did, and get the names of a couple of small contractors. Call them for LABOR only estimates (you'll likely find they will install them for under 100/ea even today), have THEM come measure ( I always preferred to work off my own measurements), you buy the windows/materials, and they come put them in.

 

[TnAndy]

Thanks, Eddie. Yes, I was wondering if some options are good. I'm not sure what we got, but just one of the two panes had it, and it just works one way. We did not want windows like those ones in office buildings that look like mirrors. Whatever glass they used keeps heat due to sunlight out much better than plain glass. As noted above, they were not much more expensive than all plain glass.

It is called LowE glass in the window industry. Stands for low emissive glass. The glass is manufactured with iron particles in the glass, or it is added later as a surface coating, and it reflects radiant heat....either outward in summer due to sunlight, or inward in window due to your heating source. Almost all high end windows, new or replacement, will include it standard. Some lower end replacements, it will be an option over standard glass, simply so they have an option to up-sell, and over price, their window.

It is not a highly reflective glass like mirror glass....you will notice a slight tint to it over normal glass, or if you get to one side of the window, you can sometimes see more of a mirror effect if they used the surface coat method, but mostly you will not notice the difference. Good stuff. Everything I've ever read on it suggests it makes a window 30% or so more efficient, which, when you consider a window is mostly a huge thermal hole-in-the-wall, means you probably ought to have it.