Are you set on fiberglass? While the Marvin Infinity is a certainly a pretty window, it does not stack up well against the upper end performance windows by any stretch. If you are not opposed to vinyl, you will find 10X as many windows, at a better price point and with better performance data.

No. Not really set on anything. The company was running a sale on infinities. He downplayed vinyl significantly, making it sound like it's a poor option, but he really wanted to sell me on infinity. I am definitely open to vinyl.

Check out Windsor Windows.

I am interested in comparing against simonton 5500. Right now, they have a free upgrade to triple pane. We have a 5500 patio door which is satisfactory, but a little on the chunky side for it's frame. Also, we prefer to do complex new Windows vs the replacement inserts.

Ranger,

There is a bunch of good vinyl out there. Some of it is regional so it will depend on (general area of the country) where you are located. Soft-Lite Elements, Sunrise Restorations, Kensington Quantum II, and Okna Envirostar are all solid units.

Good advice above. Some of those manufacturers have regional availability, so it really depends on your location.

Thank you all for the advice. I am in Wisconsin. I will check to see which ones are available. Based on what I've been reading on here, all of those brands are better than even the 5500 triple pane, correct?

What part of Wisconsin? You have the best window contractor in HomeSealed right above you there.

Madison

Besides the triple pane 5500, the contractor I've talking to said he can quote on enviro star 800, as well.

What contractor is quoting that?

The 20k infinity windows was ganser roofing. Jordan exteriors would be quoting on the others.

Jordan is a good resource out there in Madison. Chris runs a tight ship... The Okna is the best choice of the bunch

Okay, that's good to hear. Thanks all for the recommendations.

So, doing a little more window research. Read a lot of good things to about Okna. I found this (see link) article dated 2012, that pretty much says vinyl isn't all that great.why we don't install vinyl windows

I'm in Wisconsin, so my main concern would be the big temp swings we have from -20 on a bad day in winter to almost 100 on a very hot day in summer. So, I am concerned about expansion/ contraction. Also, are are any of the other claims in that article still applicable to vinyl, especially when considering Okna 500 or 800?

No issues to worry about where you are. I have vinyl windows installed and performing great in even more harsh temperature swings.

Coming from someone that installs wood, fiberglass, and vinyl Windows, that article is uninformed at best. My personal opinion is that the motives are more nefarious.

1) On the energy efficiency, every product is rated independently for thermal and structural performance. This takes the guesswork and salesmanship out of comparing one product to te next, and is what I'd advocate that you take a close look at.

2) construction. The part about vinyl coming apart at the joints is a highly outdated problem. Older , mechanically fastened units of poor quality could see some failures in that area, but nearly all vinyl Windows are fusion welded today ( most have been for probably 20 years now) which rectifies that issues.... Funny thing along that same line is that based on the article date of 2012, vinyl Windows have not only been around for far more than 15-20 years, but they have been extremely popular for loner than that. They may have had a more "sketchy" track record back then (20+yrs), but they are highly proven at this point for long lasting durability and performance provided you choose a good product.... Ironically enough, far more proven than fiberglass at this point.

Agenda-driven is kind of what I felt was happening in that article. Thanks for confirming.

Very well stated by Ultra.

Just spoke to Chris from Jordan Exteriors. Very honest, straightforward guy!

Unfortunately, I have 5 windows surrounded by aluminum siding, so he can only do replacement windows, instead of doing full tear-outs. Disappointing because I don't want to lose the glass space. I have a tudor-style home, currently with 17" wide glass panels in each window. My aluminum siding is in great shape, so it's something I would not consider replacing anytime soon. I suppose I don't really have a choice then. The silver lining would be that, the overall cost should be reduced, which is nice. Any thoughts/advice on this?

We will plan on replacements. Received a quote on okna 800s, which is higher than I was hoping for. Always the case, right?! It seems that we don't have the option for Okna 500 due to the size of our windows.

Anyhow, we also have a soft-lite dealer that I can check into. Curious where those windows fall in terms of pricing vs the Okna 800.

They have several lines from very good to marginal. The Elements would be the proper comparison

+1 The Elements is the comparable product.

I'm getting closer to making a decision, but have a couple of questions.

1. For Okna, how much of a performance difference does it make to get the deluxe version. That runs about $80 more per window.

2. Casement vs. Slider - We were considering sliders for cost reasons, but concerned about how well they can seal. I know casement is the better of the two, and I am concerned about drafts developing over time with sliders. Considering the quality of Okna 800, would sliders be worth considering with approx. $450 cost savings per window?

3. Price - For reference, one 800DX lite replacement casement w/ contour grids, brown exterior, white interior (60'x52') installed is $1524. I don't know if you can comment on if this price is reasonable or not, but I thought I would check.

1. The foam option is a nice performance bump in the case of the Okna window. I prefer it and most of our customers opt for it.

2. The sliders are better than they used to be, however, you can't beat the air tightness of a casement. If you are at all sensitive to drafts and want the tightest unit you can get, casements are the way to go.

3. Very reasonable give the split finish and the fact that is a twin casement.

I agree on all points. The key is that is not ONE window but TWO as a twin casement. Split that cost in half and figure for size, grids, and the two-toned color and that is very reasonable.

Thanks much. It's looks like I omitted an important number, which is, that window is a 3-lite window, so casements at each end and a stationary window between them. Appreciate the vote of confidence in price too.

It's nearly decision time. Choice is definitely between Soft-lite Elements and Okna 800DX. Windows will be a mixture of casement and sliders. Between these two windows, trying decide if one gets the nod over the other. I think Okna has a slimmer frame, which is a big plus to me. One thing the Elements window has is a kevlar reenforced sash keeper rail, which sounds like a good idea. Any thoughts in particular between these two windows would be great.

I have not seen the Okna yet, but I saw an Elements slider window sample from the salesmen. The interior frame seem flat and boxy, so not sure how that compares to Okna.

Objectively between the two products, the performance will be very, very similar. The Okna has sash reinforcement as well. If there is any advantage one way or the other in my opinion, it would be in appearance which of course is subjective. The Okna will have more glass area, and what I believe is a more elegant look. Either way though, you are not going to wrong on product.

After that, I'd look at the installation company. I've already mentioned this before and hate to continue beating that drum, but Chris and his Amish craftsman over at Jordan are really second to none in that regard.

Best of luck on choosing, and congrats on narrowing your choices to two of the top performing products on the market!

Thank you. So much to think about. I cannot find any literature on Okna Sliders and whether they have the ability to clean the exterior glass from the inside.

Sliders will generally have the same function (lift out sash panels) regardless of manufacturer. The somewhat common exception is a tilt in slider, which Id avoid like the plague. I've installed them years ago and they still haunt me to this day with service calls.

One more comment on the reinforcement would be to beware of a little salesmanship. Look at how this or any option actually affects the corresponding rating (dp in this case) for a measure of how it will actually improve the performance of the product. I recommend the same approach for foam filling and other items.

So, we are planning to go with the Okna 800 DX windows. For the internal dividers, Chris said his quoting software would only let him quote as full dividers.

However, we have to two picture windows with flanker windows. Ideally, I would like full dividers on the flankers, but then only across the top on center picture window. Does anyone know if this can be done with the Oknas? See image.

Should not be an issue. That is something that just needs to be sent in for a custom quote.