I am looking at replacing the windows in my house. I currently have crank out windows in my house that was built in 1992. When I moved in 2001, the windows which are wood on the inside were already starting to have mold, softness and loosing the finish. When I added on about 7 years ago, We put in Anderson crank out windows. They are wood on the inside. We have not had any issues with them. My husband would like to replace the older windows with double hung windows. He is able to do the work himself, so it is just a matter of finding the right window for our area. We have so far looked at big box stores and reviewed Anderson, Crestline, and Jeld Wen. We haven't looked at Marvin or Pella. We would like wood on the inside to stain so that we can match the woodwork. I have been reading all the reviews above. I feel more confused than I was when I started. We live in Eastern Wisconsin. I would like an opinion on:

1. Best window for the do it yourself-er (in other words, we can purchase the window without being a contractor).

2. Windows that are wood on the inside, double hung, prefer to be able to tilt in to clean.

3. Double or triple panes? What kind of gas between the panes? We have hot, humid summers and bitter cold winters. We have snow, ice, sleet, rain, heavy rain, and significant winds. We really have everything except hurricanes.

4. Which type of windows within the brand would you recommend?

Thanks for any comments.