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Help choosing window materials & brand for new NW contemp. build

10 years ago

Hi everyone. I'm building a northwest contemporary house outside of Seattle, and I could really use some help choosing window materials and brand. While designing the house, we and the architect assumed we would use aluminum windows (we love the dark color inside and out as well as the very minimalist frames). But now that it's time to pick materials, my builder told me that aluminum isn't a good choice because of expense due to energy ratings as well as the fact that they sweat in our climate. So yesterday I went to a local window showroom and got a bit more education about this. After seeing how "dark" the glass looks after putting 3 panes and the coating needed to meet energy ratings, I am not excited about aluminum even if the cost and sweating issue wasn't there. The guy at the store recommended Andersen's E-Series/Eagle because they are able to achieve narrow frames using a laminated wood interior (like beams use). I only saw a big sliding door in the showroom, so I don't feel like I have a great sense of how they would look compared to the aluminum look I love. The sales guy also asked to see my plans, and after looking at them, he said the sizes and configurations of the windows rule out vinyl unless we are willing to revise the drawings. Does all of this sound legit? I'd love to hear recommendations for material and/or brand for what I'm looking for (dark interior/exterior, minimal framing, large picture windows with adjacent casement windows). Thank you in advance!!

Comments (10)

  • 10 years ago

    In case it helps, you can see 2 of our elevation drawings here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2NVcmEEVjLcS0lJbGViaDVoV2M. For reference, the tall large sliding doors are 10'high.

  • PRO
    10 years ago

    He is likely incorrect on the vinyl assertion as they can make those windows and door is huge opening sizes.

    That being said, based on what you have indicated, I think that fiberglass will be a good fit for you. Narrow profiles, flatter detailing (i.e. like aluminum), available with a dark exterior, etc.

  • 10 years ago

    I agree with wow, either fiberglass or a quality thermally broken aluminum. Definitely not a wood look type of house.

  • 10 years ago

    As I mentioned on the other thread, we looked at thermally broken aluminum but ended up with Milgard fiberglass because we could get black inside and out. Also wanted to note that you don't have to have the same coating on every window to meet the codes (although you wouldn' want to change on the same wall.) We had a spreadsheet with the square footage of each window and the performance of each coating and tweaked it considerably to get the average to meet the code, which is what is required. It's a little odd because the code seems to assume we are in an air-conditioning climate, so solar gain is considered a bad thing, whereas we were trying to get some solar gain on our south side. (think we ended up with 3 different coatings on different window orientations.)

    Good luck! (There were some additional specs with the Milgards that you'd want to take into account if you go in that direction. I'd have to look them up.)

  • 10 years ago

    There are several aluminum window manufacturers that can meet the Washington energy codes without resorting to super-dark triple pane glass.

    Also, it's somewhat of a myth to say that aluminum windows will "sweat". The fact is that ALL windows will sweat if your house is not properly ventilated.

  • PRO
    10 years ago

    All windows will sweat if the Relative Humidity is high enough in the home, however, even thermally broken aluminum windows have a lesser CR (Condensation Resistance) rating that most of the other frame material types.

  • PRO
    10 years ago

    VistaLuxe by Kolbe would be perfect for that application. Better thermal numbers than any all aluminum product. The interior is wood so it could be painted any shade of dark you want. Square and narrow profiles on the exterior and interior.

  • 10 years ago

    Thanks everyone for the info. My builder got bids for the following options, all of which can be done in black or bronze inside and out (what we were looking for):

    Anderson Eagle $34,455 Wood interior(Pine)/ al clad bronze exterior. Upgrade to Fir interior will probably bump it up to the same as Windsor.
    Windsor $38,400 Wood interior (fir) aluminum clad exterior
    Innotech $43,000 Vinyl tilt and turn; black/black
    Coure de lane $43,253 Vinyl; black/black
    Marlin $60,035 Aluminum black frame
    Fleetwood $72,561 Aluminum black frame

    I asked them about Kolbe and Milgard fiberglass, but for some reason I don't see bids from those. Aluminum is out of our budget, so we're trying to decide between the other options. I saw the Innotech windows in a showroom and was impressed by their functionality, strength, look, and warranty. But I haven't been able to see the other windows in person yet. Any thoughts?

  • PRO
    10 years ago

    Innotech is a great window.

    Just ask Oberon.

    Aluminum should be in the budget if high end wood is in the budget.

  • 10 years ago

    Did you say you wanted them black on the inside? If so, and you get the wood, you have to add the price of painting on to the total.

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