Renewal by Andersen opinions archived
May 5, 2012 at 10:53am
I hate Andersen windows. I do all my own work and the Pella contractor series are excellent and very affordable.
afa said:
Can you elaborate as to why you hate Andersen?
They are expensive and the build quality isn't close to a Pella.
These are nice. I've installed a # of them. :-|
http://www.windsorwindows.com/
http://www.windsorwindows.com/
RVM, are you talking about the Andersen renewal or the 200/400 series? We're thinking of getting Renewal, not the new construction windows (which i think are what contractors generally use). Regardless, yes they are VERY expensive which is why I'm looking for some opinions!
afa said:
RVM, are you talking about the Andersen renewal or the 200/400 series? We're thinking of getting Renewal, not the new construction windows (which i think are what contractors generally use). Regardless, yes they are VERY expensive which is why I'm looking for some opinions!
I used mainly new construction in my renovations. I tend to be cost-conscious when I renovate as there's so much of it to do. I haven't bought a window in 4 years though so the price delta may have changed. Good luck.
Afa, I think our windows are probably in the same condition (thinking back to your other postings). I'm considering al options, but back when we moved here we set up a meeting with Renewal by Anderson and I found the sales person very pushy. That was just the biggest turn-off for us. We're going to talk to the following for pricing and quality:
Lenny Berk, American General Windows 732-570-9693
Jamar Construction (good ratings on Angie's list)
Marvin Sash replacements from Jaeger Lumbar w/ replacement tracks (getting rid of old pulley system and insulating in surrounding area). Would need to find an installer.
Bi-glass system: bi-glass.com (I like the sound of utilizing the great old wood from existing windows vs. plastic or metal of new replacement windows, since it's lasted 75 years). I know this is an old argument on here, so not trying to open that can of worms.
Let us know if you get more info/opinions and what you decide to do.
Lenny Berk, American General Windows 732-570-9693
Jamar Construction (good ratings on Angie's list)
Marvin Sash replacements from Jaeger Lumbar w/ replacement tracks (getting rid of old pulley system and insulating in surrounding area). Would need to find an installer.
Bi-glass system: bi-glass.com (I like the sound of utilizing the great old wood from existing windows vs. plastic or metal of new replacement windows, since it's lasted 75 years). I know this is an old argument on here, so not trying to open that can of worms.
Let us know if you get more info/opinions and what you decide to do.
Thanks for the info, Ecogirl--I keep looking back to my old posting for different ideas! We've just decided to NOT go with the Andersen Renewal. Everything I'm reading online is that while they're good, you can probably get very similar windows for way less. If we got the Andersen, it would wipe out all of our savings and not leave us with any cushion money for other little projects we need to do (like get new exterior doors that DON'T require a key to leave--what a safety hazard!)...and god forbid our boiler goes out or anything else. It scares me to not have a good financial cushion for things like that.
Thinking of calling American General Windows and also heading to Windowrama tomorrow to see what the options are. Also getting someone from Lowes in to see what they can offer. We don't want crappy windows, but we have 36 to replace (they really are quite awful so we just want to do them all at once) so we really need to think about cost as well. My husband has completely removed himself from the window-buying decision (now that he's seen Andersen he can't look at something else without wanting the Andersen) so it's all up to me now. Yipes. I'll PM you once I get some info from other companies and commiserate. In the meantime, if anyone else has excellent window suggestions, I'm all ears!
Demolitionman--those are nice, but do they have to be installed from the outside...? :/
Thinking of calling American General Windows and also heading to Windowrama tomorrow to see what the options are. Also getting someone from Lowes in to see what they can offer. We don't want crappy windows, but we have 36 to replace (they really are quite awful so we just want to do them all at once) so we really need to think about cost as well. My husband has completely removed himself from the window-buying decision (now that he's seen Andersen he can't look at something else without wanting the Andersen) so it's all up to me now. Yipes. I'll PM you once I get some info from other companies and commiserate. In the meantime, if anyone else has excellent window suggestions, I'm all ears!
Demolitionman--those are nice, but do they have to be installed from the outside...? :/
What do you have on the exterior of the home? Wood, vinyl, brick......?
Cedar (I think?) clapboard. We really don't want to mess with it, so we're hoping whatever window/company we go with will do installation from the inside...
You don't mess with the clapboard, unless you are installing a larger window. See Pic. You just need to remove the exterior casings. It also depends on what your expectations are, replacement window or new window. Shoot me an email, I can set you up with my rep from my supplier. claytoncontracting@yahoo.com :-|
http://forum.maplewoodonline.com/vc/discussion/22367/windowrama-me-and-mol/p1
Thanks, demolitionman, I will be sending you an email tonight.
And, GAH, really with Windowrama??? I'm starting to think buying windows is worse than a used car. I don't know who to trust at all. Thanks for the heads-up, Dave. I had called them last week and the guy was kind of flippant on the phone so this is confirming that maybe I'll try somewhere else.
And, GAH, really with Windowrama??? I'm starting to think buying windows is worse than a used car. I don't know who to trust at all. Thanks for the heads-up, Dave. I had called them last week and the guy was kind of flippant on the phone so this is confirming that maybe I'll try somewhere else.
Afa,
First, you don't have to replace the doors with a key on the inside. Only the lock cylinder has to be changed, something that a locksmith can do in about ten minutes.
Second, go to the library and look at the Consumer Reports articles on replacement windows. It is about the most factual information you will find.
Third, Anderson has franchised the dealer/installers of the Anderson Renewal windows. This doesn't allow for any price competition. I don't know anything about the actual windows, but any single source product is going to be more expensive than products sold on the open market.
First, you don't have to replace the doors with a key on the inside. Only the lock cylinder has to be changed, something that a locksmith can do in about ten minutes.
Second, go to the library and look at the Consumer Reports articles on replacement windows. It is about the most factual information you will find.
Third, Anderson has franchised the dealer/installers of the Anderson Renewal windows. This doesn't allow for any price competition. I don't know anything about the actual windows, but any single source product is going to be more expensive than products sold on the open market.
Bob, thanks for the idea about Consumer Reports at the library--I hadn't thought of that, and I have a feeling that will lead me in a good direction. I'll head there tomorrow.
Also a great point about the doors. I hadn't thought of that either, but our doors are so warped and coming apart at the seams (and two of them are actually supposed to be interior doors) that I don't feel like throwing more money at them when we're probably going to replace them soonish anyway.
Also a great point about the doors. I hadn't thought of that either, but our doors are so warped and coming apart at the seams (and two of them are actually supposed to be interior doors) that I don't feel like throwing more money at them when we're probably going to replace them soonish anyway.
I wouldn't trust Consumer Reports for just about anything anymore after they hired a competitor of ours (who was also a manufacturer in the same industry as us) to report on ratings for products for our industry. The competitor used to be a customer of ours and went out and manufactured our product in a different material than us and called it a different name. In addition even though we were multi-patented guess who's product came out as number one in Consumer Reports?
Anderson Renewal are replacement windows pretty much with Fiberglass frames. Their glazing and Energy Star ratings are below average. You can get a better window AND it will cost less from Serious Windows. Serious was chosen as the replacement window in the Empire State Building because of their energy efficiency.
Their windows can be seen here: http://www.seriouswindows.com/residential/insulated-windows/fiberglass.html
I actually just installed their vinyl replacements because I didn't want to spend the extra money on the fiberglass frames. The glass options were the same as the fiberglass.
Anderson Renewal are replacement windows pretty much with Fiberglass frames. Their glazing and Energy Star ratings are below average. You can get a better window AND it will cost less from Serious Windows. Serious was chosen as the replacement window in the Empire State Building because of their energy efficiency.
Their windows can be seen here: http://www.seriouswindows.com/residential/insulated-windows/fiberglass.html
I actually just installed their vinyl replacements because I didn't want to spend the extra money on the fiberglass frames. The glass options were the same as the fiberglass.
My whole life I heard from my family to never buy Andersen windows; to always buy Pella. Don't know their reasoning, but it went along the lines of "always serve string beans with lamb, spinach with steak and broccoli with chicken". 
)
) Our contractor also raves about Pella replacement windows. We went with the architect series, which are aluminum clad exterior and wooden interior. We paid extra to get them painted at the factory. Our guy swears by them and has them in his own house. We also have cedar siding and didn't want to mess with it. These windows are custom built to fit exactly in the space of the existing windows. I think you can just walk in to the Pella showroom on Morris turnpike if you want to take a look at their products. Because we are working through a contractor, he did all the measuring and pricing for us but we did go to the showroom to see what the different types of windows look like and pick out what we wanted. Pella has vinyl windows which are a bit less expensive. Good luck. Windows are stressful. I would recommend trying to find a contractor you trust to do the windows rather than go through window dealers. From what I understand, it doesn't do much good to have expensive windows if they are installed badly. We're waiting for our new windows to be delivered so our guy can get started on installation. We'll see how it goes.
We had Pella replacement windows installed last year on our 2nd story. We chose the Architecture series (alum outside, wood inside)... the grids look amazing from the outside and the inside. They are gorgeous, as far as windows are concerned, and have character even though they're new. We used a great window installer in Summit called HG Edwards -- http://hgedwards.com/ -- They are the extremely professional and reliable, and they don't subcontract. Haven't had any issues and would highly recommend them as installers. Let me know if you want to drive by our house to look at the windows.
You can not reply as this discussion is Closed!
Thanks!