Brands for double-pane windows ?

Question

hi, I plan to get double-pane windows. I plan to hire contractors for the job and i got a few bids. Seems like the price varies a lot for diff brands. The top brands like milguard cost about 50% more. In your opinion, how important is the brand of the double-pane windows, and what are the decent but not top brands, if the quality does vary a lot from brand to brand.

Answer 1

Pella, Anderson, Marvin are all good brands.  Marvin in my opinion are top of the line, but I've had them all in my home and they perform equally.  My neighbor sells the Sears brand and swears by them and they are cheaper than the ones I mentioned, but I've never had them myself or used them for a client, either.

Answer 2

It comes down to your budget.  Brand is important because certain brands use different types of assemblies.  For instance, if the window is aluminum wood clad, things to look for is whether the metal is extruded or rolled.  Other things to consider is the type of glass, divider treatments, special proprietary features, wood species, warranty, operation, and hardware.  I specify Eagle Windows often since they offer the best bang for the buck.  I steer clear from Sierra Pacific because of their lack of service.