If you are looking for vinyl windows, I'd avoid Pella and Andersen.

The rest of your post doesn't provide enough information to give you any advice w/r/t what window configuration you should be looking for. It seems to just be a rant about a salesrep who rubbed you the wrong way.

briant73- i agree with the turn-off on the pushy sales guy. times are tough now and they will push harder than ever. Do your homework in advance- the web will give you plenty of opportunity for advance research. I'd say look at fiberglass over vinyl- the expansion and contraction of the vinyl is huge and makes for poor operation and rapid deterioration of the material ( colors fade and material gets brittle and cracks) Do some research on the superspacer- sometimes old-school is best because it is proven overtime. Look at Cardinal glass- the nations largest supplier to window manufacturers. They have assorted spacers but readily endorse what they call the XL edge- it has a seal failure rate of .5% compared to 9% average with other spacers. Also with the recent stimulus package- you can get a $1500 tax credit if your window purchase qualifies. It must meet a .30 U-Factor and .30 solar heat gain coefficent- so research that so you get your tax credit- it's not a deduction, it means an actual $1500 added to your tax refund next year if you get a refund.

Thanks for the responses. I'm new to this so I really didn't have a lot to say what I'm looking for.

As to the sales call, it wasn't bad up till the end, I want to take my time and think about things and I felt pushed.

Who is a good manufacturer of fiberglass and what is the price range for a quality window in that material.

"I'd say look at fiberglass over vinyl-"

Why? Fiberglass is much more expensive and the only advantage it has over vinyl is it is paintable. You do realize fiberglass window frames and sashes are glued together as opposed to welded?

"the expansion and contraction of the vinyl is huge and makes for poor operation and rapid deterioration of the material ( colors fade and material gets brittle and cracks)"

Complete and utter non-sense with vinyl used in todays windows. Please provide one shred of evidence this is true. This is part of an old 1980's sales pitch that claims there is a huge difference in the expansion and contraction of vinyl. More recently it is used by fiberglass and composite window salesmen to bash any product that isn't fiberglass or composite. Again, please provide one shred of evidence other than sales training material.

"it has a seal failure rate of .5% compared to 9% average with other spacers"

More utter nonsense and again I challenge you to provide one shred of evidence this is true. While Superspacer "may" do a better job of retaining inert gas, other spacers do not have a rate of leakage anywhere approaching 9%.

To the poster saying it sounds like I had a bad sales experience and was griping, you might be right I was put off by what otherwise was an ok sales experience.
As to what I'm looking for/wanting : I live in NW PA, and am trying to get three quotes for replacement windows for my house. I have checked out two of the local brands and hopefully will be able to work with someone who installs Simonton windows.

I accidentally posted this in another thread but here's where it should be.

My home is 30-40 years old, with what looks to be original Pella casement windows whose time has come to be replaced.

I have looked at two regional vinyl products and one national brand and have some questions -
Seaway Encore with superspacer and lowE argon
ThermoTwin (no model given)superspacer and lowE argon
Simonton (waiting on quote) asked the contractor about superspacer and he said he will look into that.
May call a second contractor about Simonton.

I'm not an expert but the install specs/pictures shown me by Seaway and TT seemed alike caulking being used, the Simonton contractor said he uses foam between the window and the window frame.

I have told all three that I'd like to get windows that qualify for the energy rebate. Two said it justs the windows that qualify, a third said you get more back if the install is done by installers with a certain certification.

So my questions are what questions should I be asking, what features should I want other than I listed, and are some of things I mentioned correct?

To Skydawgyy from the other thread I mistakenly posted in.

One salesman got very aggressive at the end of the meeting which put us off somewhat.
The other salesman said many right things but SEEMED to say something to the effect that installers had to be certified or some of the tax credit got taken away. Maybe I misunderstood him. He did say the windows meet all the specifications regardless.
The third contractor had the shortest install warranty and hadn't heard of the superspacer but would be looking into it. He is the one who said he uses foam on Simonton installs.

As I posted previously, the installation has nothing to do with the tax credit. However, installation is a very important aspect and should be given as much consideration as the quality of the window. I would have a problem with a salesman who tried to make-up for his own deficiencies by becoming frustrated and aggressive, an installer who tried to BS you with intentionally misleading information about the tax credit, and another installer who doesn't even know what Super Spacer is.

I know not one choice is standing out so far. I called the one who talked about installation and the credit and asked him to explain it better because I might of got confused.

I also requested a fourth contractor who carries Simonton to stop by and give a quote. Hopefully I can figure it all out soon, thanks for your help so far.

Keep looking, there are some really good companies out there who will be straight with you and also do a good job.

I'm curious what the installer who claimed the tax credit had something to do with the installers certification said when you confronted him with the truth? I haven't heard that one before and I thought I'd heard it all.

Skydawggy,

I did ask the person to clarify things, saying that I see nothing about installation and maybe I misunderstood things. I also asked what kind of low e coating, I take it soft low e is more desirable?

So looking at Simonton (I have not heard back from OKNA) what windows/features should I try to get if I can?

I did a window replacement to vinyl 5 years ago. I think the best thing you can do is get out and talk to some people in your neighborhood who may have done the same thing. We chose our windows and installer based on very favorable reviews and got great service.

However, when I compared notes with some other people all over the US, their experiences with the same company were very different. Your local service people and installers can really make a difference.

Yes references are a good way to get an idea. Problem is a lot of my neighbors have newer homes and haven't replaced their windows yet and the ones with older seem to have originals.

As for references given by the companies only one so far brought it up and he gave me a list of a thousand or more customers that he claims are willing to talk to any customers. This is the same salesman who said something about installation and tax credit but again I want to stress I could of heard him wrong or he more meant to say the installation is a major key to getting energy efficency.

Either way thanks for the advice keep it coming.

Ok I went today and talked to the saleman who was talking about an additional rebate. Here is what they claim -
30% off the window cost upt o $1,500. Now because there installers are certified by the american window door (i forgot the rest) they can get an additional 5% off for insulation. Does that sound feasible? Either way they are promising the full amount off the window cost, and they did
have the insulation rebate down on paper which they were showing people at their open house.

There is nothing in the 2009 Stimulus Bill that includes any tax credit for a certified installer. You may be talking about the InstallationMasters Certification program offered by The American Architechtural Manufacturers Association but, it does not add another 5% on to the tax credit. In fact upgrading your furnace to a 95 AFUE will net you a rebate but not in addition to the $1500 max. The total amount you can get for all energy improvements is $1500.

Here is a link that might be useful: EnergyStar

Thanks, i have gone over that website. I wish I could explain it better but the gist of it is they are saying that their install being done by their certified installers is Tight enough it actually qualifies as insulation and can be put towards the credit. To say another way but I could have this wrong is it's not the install that is credited but the meeting of certain insulation values by the install.

Either way they do say their windows meet or exceed the requirements for the rebate which i have verified at nfrc website for various models. I spoke both to the salesman and the operations manager and like I said they are putting this down in writing.

The insulation credit isn't going to sway my choice but if it's true and does qualify I wouldn't say no to extra money back because currently the quotes I got I'm under the $1500 limit.

$1500 is the maximum available credit for windows and actually is on the purchase of qualified products and has nothing to do with "certified installation". You could buy the windows and set them in your garage and claim the tax credit.

The are lying in regards to the insulation credit and trying to defraud you or the Federal Government. In either case, you will be the person that has to answer for it if you claim in on your taxes.

I am just relaying what they are saying but to make it clear -

I understand $1500.00 is the maximum amount the government will credit back and that it's on the cost of the windows and nothing to do with installation, as I said from the quotes I'm getting my window cost times .30 is going to be under that. I did misunderstand the sales person and misrepresent what I was told.

So Saturday I visited the company and asked both the Sales person and his boss what they are exactly trying to say about this credit. From what I gathered they are saying you can qualify for an insulation credit with their window install. I decided to google about this part and here is what I found - this is site that I arrived at from the AWDI site http://www.awdi.com/. Again I am only relaying what I am being told and in no way stating this is true.

Here is the link about the insulation rebate.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tax Credits

Ok just got done with another salesman/contractor who came in recomending Simonton 5500 line of windows. I asked about low-e and superspacer and he said he can get them that way. His suggestions were in line with most of the dealers have pushed for double hungs except in the dining room where there is room to do a 3 lite slider. This latest dealer recomended 2 smaller double hungs with a picture window in the middle over a 3lite slider saying in his experience sliders don't perform as well sealing wise.

So here are my questions
Would his suggestion of 2 DH and a picture be better than a 3 lite slider?
Other than superspacer what other options should I request/think about on the 5500 line?
How does the Simonton 5500 compare to the Seaway Encore windows (with super spacer/argon/low-e)

Thanks for everythng so far.