My wife and I are considering replacement windows for our house.

I'm not interested in having every window company in the city calling us with their best deal, but I really want to know what I'm looking at from a cost perspective.

We have 16 windows in the house, most are about 35 inches wide and some are a little taller than others. 1 is a small closet window.

They're you're average size vinyl clad double pain windows and I'd assume we'd replace with something along the same lines.

Any help would be much appreciated.

John
:confused:

We just signed a contract with a company to replace all our windows in the house. I didn't want to go to the expense and boy were they pricey but we won't have to do them again. I'd be curious in what others have to say but in the meant time I will put my 2 cents in.

It depends on what kind of place you go with as to what kind of info your going to get. This company took 3 hrs to demonstrate their product. Some may not take that long to go over product. There are some things you will have to consider when doing this:

What area do you live in (weather-wise)
How long do you plan to live there
What are you trying to accomplish with these windows

For example, we have a lot of drafts coming through the windows. Even though the insulation isn't that great, we thought the windows will help a lot in our fuel bills (we live in the Northeast)

I won't tell you exactly, but I will tell you we arespending over 10k (which is way over our budget but worth it)

You may not expect to pay as much depending on what you want to accomplish.

Hope this helps

I just got 10 windows replace with vinyl replacement windows and I paid about 300.00 per. Lifetime warranty, nice, double pane with whatever that gas is they put in them. This was middle road as far as the company I went with. Don't plan on being in this house more than another 5-10 years. Hopefully they'll last that long

I just got 10 windows replace with vinyl replacement windows and I paid about 300.00 per. Lifetime warranty, nice, double pane with whatever that gas is they put in them. This was middle road as far as the company I went with. Don't plan on being in this house more than another 5-10 years. Hopefully they'll last that long

Yeah, they should last. That is probably about average for a company installing them. Ours were a little pricey but they are filled with krypton which they claim is better than argon (which is probably what klmgb's are filled with). Either way you might want to go with a little more than a home depot window or something to keep the heat in in winter and cold in in the summer. Good luck.

By the way, I live in a planned subdivision, all houses built about the same time, about the same. I stopped at a couple of houses that had the window replacement signs out front and asked them how they felt about the companies they used, took all that info in, did a little research asked a few friends, then decided. Took the company all of 8 hours to replace all of them, That includes the time they had to wait on the ambulance because one of the guys cut himself pretty good when a chunk of glass fell out of the frame and sliced his wrist. (make sure they have insurance)

If your handy why not trying to replace them yourself? They are not to hard to install. On most of them, 4 screws hold the window unit in.

I replaced 17 windows in my house for about $4500.

Double hung, low-e, etc...

Took me a day and a half - would have been less, but I have 3 HUGE picture windows. (4x5 feet), they took a little while longer :)

I estimate I save about 50-60% of the installed cost - I have a quote for about $9500, but the windows I chose to install myself were higher quality than the ones had quoted. A friend of mine had the companythat quoted me do his... wishes he went the way I did, but I do excellent work (HEHEHEHE).

Good luck.

I just got 10 windows replace with vinyl replacement windows and I paid about 300.00 per. Lifetime warranty, nice, double pane with whatever that gas is they put in them. This was middle road as far as the company I went with. Don't plan on being in this house more than another 5-10 years. Hopefully they'll last that long

Thanks for the response. Was the $300 the cost of the windows only or windows and installation?

I had 23 windows installed with transferrable lifetime warranty... it includes free replacement of even the screen and labor IS covered in my contract approx $600 per window installed.. they are the Simonton Renovations 6500.. included the insulation and trim and vacuuming of my rugs around each window.. which they did without question.. so much better than the old single pane rope and weight windows.. good luck and if I had the time and knowledge of bending trim I'd done it myself to save the labor also..

John,
I'm an installer in the northeast I can tell you the window will cost you between $160 - $240 each depending on your options, Low-E glass, argon filled, dbl locks, full or half screen, dividers?? then avg install is $100 - $150
Per window total avg is about $360 each installed, if your handy you could do them yourself take about 1/2 hr each for experienced, about 1 hr inexperienced per window, no matter what the key is to make sure these windows get sealed properly, these prices are providing there is minimal work on the inner and outer trim.

Tommy, I had windows recently done from the same mfg but not sure if it si the same company that installed them, for a little more than the cost your talking about. The salesman also said the windows were lifetime transferable warranty. I signed the contract which didn't have the warranty info on there, they wrote it in the description. I get the brochure from the actual company and it talked about labor costs and the next owner having to pay $50 to have the transferable warranty. I questioned it with the company and they said "uh huh, after 2 yrs you have to pay labor costs". I foguht this and as we speak they should be sending me a ltter stating they will replace anything for free for the life of us owning the house plus send us a $50 check to us when we go to sell the house for the next owners. I realize now you have to be very careful of what the salesmen sell you as opposed to what the actually truth is.

I'm in the process of having contractors give me prices on installing replacement windows. It is more expensive than I thought. For someone with no experience in installing windows how difficult is it to seal the windows properly. I just bought a house and I have learned how to install doors and trim. Is it as difficult as installing a door from a rough opening?

Appreciate any help,
Gregg

Are the windows the old wooden rope & weight type? If they are, it is pretty simple to install replacement windows.

The windows currently in place are wood slider windows.

I would like to install double hung windows. Thanks

i had 23 windows installed with transferrable lifetime warranty...it includes free replacement of even the screen and labor IS covered in my contract approx $600 per window installed..they are the Simonton Renovations 6500..included the insulation and trim and vacuuming of my rugs around each window..which they did without question..so much better than the old single pane rope and weight windows..good luck and if i had the time and knowledge of bending trim i'd done it myself to save the labor also..


Tommyp!972 Can you tell me what size windows you have? I got a quote on 15 windows same as you renovations 6500 and one patio door but I think it is real high, $17000. Thanks for your help inadvance.

Tommyp!972 Can you tell me what size windows you have? I got a quote on 15 windows same as you renovations 6500 and one patio door but I think it is real high, $17000. Thanks for your help inadvance.
22 windows ranging from 90-105 linear inches
Just sent 1 back getting full refund... didnt need the 23rd window... the addition it was going into is being torn down.. heck if you want I'll show you my order invoice when he measured all the windows... lend me a email and I will scan ASAP and then you can show the salesman he's taking you for a ride... that price you got quoted sounds very very high...

Thanks so much Tommyp!972 here is my emai
[email protected]

Depending on how handy you are and how long you are going to stay in the house should help in your decision.

If you are going to switch window styles (double hung to casement) you would probably want to hire a contractor.

If you are going to stay with the same style, then there are lot of options. Andersen and Marvin make replacement pacs for double hung windows. If your frames are in good shape, they will supply you with window kits that include jamb liners that replace the old rope, pulley and weights. (Just make sure to fill the old weight pocket with insulation)

Another option is to use the replacement windows from a big box store. You will typically replace the whole frame but, you can get some good windows from them.

In the local paper, a company is offering vinyl replacement windows for $189 installed.

I didn't look at them when we replaced ours as my wife wanted to go from casement windows to double hung so we looked around and decided on Marvin Infinity. They are made of fibrex which is a fiberglass material. Which means that they should expand and contract at the same rate as the glass in the windows which should help prevent seal failures. Vinyl has a much higher expansion/contraction rate than glass so may be more prone to seal failure.

Just make sure that the contractors are licensed, bonded and insured. And check with the state to make sure their license is up to date.

You should also check with your local building inspector to see if you would need a permit. We did and we ended up installing 12 smoke detectors in our house at the last minute. Which was a good thing, but, still a pain.

The $189 guy is only a basic uninstalled price for replacement window. You are then shown a menu of add-on options to purchase in order to make the window the equal of those with low e and argon gas, and installed ! The real price is closer to $300 or 350. And they DO NOT open the weight pockets and insulate - which you should have done. They just want to pop the windows in quickly, make a profit and leave. So I did not choose this company.

Here in the midwest, I have had windows installed in a couple of places. $189 installed. Vinyl double hung. With screens. Sounds to me like prices are a lot higher on the east coast.

Homer2

An excellent site for window shopping. I mean shopping for windows LOL

Compare Pricing Online For Installed Windows And Doors Instantly!
http://www.thewindowsite.com/siteinstructions.htm

My brother just had his windows replaced.
He had his contractor do the deed. The contractor screwed up on 3 of the windows and on the patio door. The screw up was which way the window opens. The windows they could get
Replaced at a fee. But the patio door was a custom order. So my brother had to eat that
$1000 + door. Case in point. Be very involved with the window purchases. Thus the link above to do your homework. Also it is true that 4 screws hold in the window basically. Yes sealing the window both inside and out is very important if you plan on DIY.

I used to sell windows wholesale to contractors only. Some of the brands I carried were Marvin, Ellison, APC, and GAPCO. Here are just some tips that I learned while in the business.

First of all, the contrator.. . Call a local wholesale distributor such as ABC supply or Marsh Building Products if you happen to have one of those in your area. They will be more than happy to refer you to some of their contractors. Then, I would call the contractors and ask them for names and phone numbers of window jobs they have previously done and call their customers to see if they were satisfied with the work. I don't usually trust the Home Depot's and the Lowe's or Champion as they subcontract out all the work. You don't really know who you're going to get to do the job and 90% of window failure is contractor error.
Second, the windows themselves. First off, you must decide which astetic look your going for. If you want to have a wood window, be looking at future maintenance as even though exterior cladding is available, the interior portion will still require painting or staining. Vinyl windows are less maintenance, but you tend to loose some light as their frames are tend to be wider and you can't have that nice wood interior. I have seen some vinyl manufacturers with a laminated wood trim on the interior, but they seem somewhat of a poor quality laminate and I wouldn't recommend them personally. The most important element on your window is the glass and the seal holding that double-pane insulated glass in place. You can once again get this information from local wholesale companies. Triple insulated glass is what I would consider a waste of money. Triple insulated glass windows have twice the seals to go bad and make your window much heavier which is harder on the mechanics of the window. You want to look for a manufacturer with the widest space between the 2 panes of glass. It is the dead air between the panes of glass that insulate your window, so the wider that space, the better. I usually do not suggest gas injections between the panes of glass. Although gasses such as argon are heavier than air and do help for a period, they tend to leak out over time or settle. I do highly suggest low-e glass and azurlite tint. Both low-e and azurlite are uv inhibitors in the summer, but azurlite actually helps to warm your house in the winter by boosting non-uv rays. Plus, once their on, they are there forever. Also, if you look down between the 2 panes of glass on your sash and see black sealer, that is called butylpropolene or "butyl" for short. I would stay away from windows that have a butyl sealer between the panes. Glass shrinks and expands in warm and cold as everything else does and as it expands, it pushes butyl back. Then, when it gets cold and shrinks, the butyl stays in place and you now have a bad seal. I suggest going with a window that has an metal sealer. I used to sell a window that had "swiggle strip" between the panes. It was a piece of metal that was bent in a swiggle pattern and then had an elastic sealant on both sides to keep the metal from coming in contact with the glass. The swiggle was good because the bends in the metal made it stronger from side to side so it wouldn't bend.
The frame and the sash are another thing to consider. In vinyl windows, there are mechanical frames and sashes, which are screwed together at all four corners, and there are welded. Most vinyl windows come with a mechanical frame and a welded sash. The welding makes the sash much stronger. You can tell if a sash is welded by looking at the corners. If you see overlap in the vinyl, it is mechanical. If you see a 45 degree seam in
Each corner, it is welded. The frame should have a high damn. The damn is on the bottom portion of the frame where your bottom sash meets on what would be the inside of the house if the window were installed. Vinyl windows have weep holes to help move water outside of your siding or brick when it rains. But, if these weepholes get clogged, the damn will be the determining factor on keeping water out of your house. The bottom of the sill should also have a noticeable downslope to help keep drainage away. The mechanics of the window are another thing to consider. There are string and pulley systems and there are balances in vinyl and some wood windows. Many wood windows have a jamb that you have to push on to tilt your sash in. Although it is very difficult to work, it is the most reliable. A good balance is preferred over the string and pulley system. If you look on both sides of the sash, you'll be able to tell which it has. A balance does not only last longer, but if it does ever break, it is easier to replace than the pulley strings.
If your thinking of installing windows yourself, here are some tips. When measuring, take 3 measurements for both width and height. One on each side and one right in the middle. Use the smallest of these measurements and this will be your "rough opening." DO NOT USE EXPANDING INSULATION IN THE CANS. As this expands, it puts a lot of pressure on your windows and can cause improper sash movement or stress fractures in your glass. I always suggest that once you shim your window in level, use another shim and just lightly push fiberglass insulation all around your frame.
I hope this offers some good advice. Good luck to everyone on your home projects!

Whew, that is a lot to digest! I have a question though... Why are you considering replacements? You mentioned that you already have vinyl clad dual pane windows throughout. What is wrong with the ones you have? Most people replace their old wood or metal single panes, because they are inefficient with insulation and or built crappy and are heavy and stick a lot... if you already have the upgraded version... save the money.

I don't know where you live bgolfer, but you might want to check if you have any wholesale direct warehouses in your area or builders warehouses that you could get a deep discount on quantity, or negotiate a deal for a certain number, then ask a few of your neighbors and friends if they were considering replacing their windows... and go in on a deal to get a huge lot at a volume discount!

john,
im an installer in the northeast i can tell you the window will cost you between $160 - $240 each depending on your options, Low-E glass, argon filled, dbl locks, full or half screen, dividers????, then avg install is $100 - $150
per window total avg is about $360 each installed, if your handy you could do them yourself take about 1/2 hr each for experienced, about 1 hr inexperienced per window, no matter what the key is to make sure these windows get sealed properly, these prices are providing there is minimal work on the inner and outer trim.
(I Agree with this Price as to install and them being Wrapped or cased out with Coil. At least this is the price we charge in the South East):)

We currently have APC Building Products solid vinyl prime window system and are looking for who may now have these windows (manuf. That is) to find out some info. On them. Can anyone help or know who may now have these windows?

Tks.
D

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