[markschaffin]

Our house is in need of replacement or repair of several casement windows.

I'm looking for information on quality contractors in the Wichita, Kansas area. If not specific contractors, things to look for in contractors. I am extremely suspicious about most contractors and it is very difficult to find much information on the web.

Is it possible to replace the window portion of the casement window as opposed to replacing the entire window and frame?

Thanks for any help.

Mark

[KBC]

By contacting a window company you can get their prices and insight as to your needs.

Contractors are of all capabilities, and expertise, a reputable contractor will provide many references, at your request, to allow you to judge for yourself whom to choose.A friend or neighbor can give you a good, or bad, reference on someone in your area, ask around, lumber yards, building supply, Menards, Home depot, Lowe's, they all have contractors which they stand by.

As to replacing the glass only, sure you can replace it.
Are the frames in that good of shape to just repair them?If so, contact a glass company and let them measure the openings( then if its off they have to fix the error).

If you can replace the windows,replace them,It just makes sense to upgrade, improving the worth of your home, and weatherproofing to a greater extent.

Hope this helps,

Ken

[markschaffin]

Thanks for the reply, Ken.

We had the first of 4-5 reps from window companies come out last night. His company sells replacement windows made by a company called Sunrise. They are vinyl. His company has been in the area for almost 20 years, so I don't really worry about them, but I can't find anything on the web about specific window manufacturers other than the manufacturer's own web site. Remember when you could get actual opinions on the web and not just advertising?

I'm not sure what the other guys will want to sell us.

[KBC]

Keep us posted,the more you look, the more you learn.

The web isn't a cure all,yet. Some leg work and diligence is still the best way.


Ken

[markschaffin]

The more I look and hear, the more I learn. We've had 4 window contractors come out and talk to us this week. The first three were selling vinyl windows. Two were selling replacement, and one was advising a complete window replacement. The 4th contractor was Renewal by Andersen. They had nothing good to say about vinyl and are pushing their Fibrex material. We don't have any firm numbers yet, but it is clear that we could easily spend $30k on windows.

I find it interesting that the vinyl window guys are offering lifetime warrantees, while Andersen only warrantees the glass for 20 years, the installation for 2, and everything else for 10. Given that our existing windows are 10 years old, paying $30k and only having the frames/sashes warranteed for 10 years seems odd.

We've also learned that our original Pozzi windows have a long history of rot and problems. Surely some of these problems are due to installation and maintenance, but above a certain failure rate, some blame has to come back to the manufacturer.

The search continues...

[markschaffin]

Any rough numbers on what I should expect to pay to get windows replaced? Three of the contractors are bidding about $1000 per window. The fourth seems to have forgotten about us. I've found lots of folks online (contractortalk.com, diychatroom.com) saying that $1000/window is much too high. One posting suggested that $500/window was too high. A guy at work today said that some salesmen base their price on the neighborhood and quality of the house. The truth is that I don't know who to believe. I've resigned myself to the fact that I will be paying a lot of money to get this work done, but that doesn't mean that I want to get ripped off. I didn't go into this thinking I would have to negotiate.

Mark

[KBC]

Any replacement/repair project can have a better deal made of it if you, the consumer, are educated in what you want and you know prices.

If you go for purchasing the windows yourself, how much would you be willing to pay someone to do the work?$25.00 per hour per man, $35.00,$50.00.

A job is only worth what a customer thinks its worth.

I educated my customers as much as they were willing to listen to,most wouldn't want to hear the details and would grumble under their breath, but pay for the work, no problem.Others would need a good explanation,which I was more than willing to do,and even show them how I did the work,windows are not that hard,they are a moneymaker for the installer

BUT, if you think its easy,try installing one for yourself(I understand it's a new idea and you won't know all the ins and outs of this kind of work)

As a seasoned installer, I can say, most windows are just not that difficult,but they need kid glove handling and expert finishing to make them work properly for the long haul.

If you go too cheaply on a good window contractor,you probably will get what you pay for.

If you go to the highest bidder, you will also get what you pay for, just at a higher rate, most likely more professional,finish work done expertly, but at the expense of it too.

As to your original post, I would think about contacting not a contractor, but the specific window manufacturer, say, PELLA window store, or ANDERSON,any brand name with their own installation,quoted on site, they have more than a reputation to uphold, they have a corporate name behind them.

Good Luck,

Ken

[markschaffin]

I'd be willing to pay someone $100/hour to teach me how to do the job right. I fully understand that installation is a huge part of the equation. The folks we have talked to have their own installers, and don't subcontract the work. All the real numbers I have are from salesmen. No offense intended to salesmen out there, but while I am sure they can be honest, they also are at a bit of a conflict of interest in giving me objective advice. At this point, I am trying to learn what their actual prices are. If they charge $500 for the window itself, what kind of markup is in that? Same for labor, wrap, paint...

As for Andersen, we've pretty much written them off. They gave us an incomplete bid, only have a 2 year warrantee on installation, only a 10 year warrantee on the non-glass components (using a material that cannot rot and is better than vinyl according to them). And, they want to charge me $80 for a screen on a $1000 installed window. SHEEESSSH!! I'm going to drop $1000 and they can't even include screens? Their margins are not that tight...

Mark

[KBC]

LOL on the Anderson bit,, been there, done that too... ")

I wish you were a close by customer, I would like to educate you on installation,proper measurements are essential to a proper installation.(and I like your attitude)

Yes, how much is too much for a mark-up? Honestly, whatever you(the salesman) can get!

I am in Northern Illinois, we have a vinyl window (Crestline) which is all I have installed since I moved here 12 years ago, Good and better than good qualities,like all Mfgr's they have 'better thans' for a better price...lol

They run anywhere from $100.00 to $1000.00 depending on the size, accessories,,,etc

How much can I make installing them when I take 30 minutes to remove the old window, tops,30 minutes to replace it,including trim(inside) and 45 minutes to wrap outside(when necessary)

All businesses need to make money, and do professional work,referrals are paramount.

BUT, when they overcharge,don't include, say, the screens, and don't offer a comparable warranty to other companies, this invites frustration and discord in the consumer.

I use a 'local' lumber yard(local for us is within 50 miles) The manager does the actual measuring of the windows(if they are measured wrong, its on their heads to replace with proper sized units),I have never had a problem with his measuring.

You could do the same(not knowing your local) Find a small, local,contractor,someone with references for windows,,,etc, and let them measure,order,and help you with the initial installation, might be a weekend learning process, might not be all that bad,,you might even make a friend in the trades!

I only mention this as you have had problems with"Anderson" and the like, Just another way to get the windows done.

Ken

[markschaffin]

I appreciate your advice, Ken.

I'm all for the companies making a profit, believe me. It just seems that the more I deal with these companies, the more I am reminded of car dealerships. I can imagine sitting in an office and having the salesman running in and out to talk to his manager. I can just see it coming. I'm all for paying for value, but I certainly don't want to get ripped off. I've always felt that at the end of the deal, if the salesman is smiling, you didn't negotiate hard enough. BTW, I'm not a good negotiator.

I've had folks recommend I try doing this myself, or hire an independent contractor to do the work with the windows I buy. I'm pretty sure I don't want to buy windows from a big box store, but where else do I find windows?

Thanks again for the help.

[KBC]

Is there any smaller lumber companies in your area, We have several,they all compete with the Home Depot, Lowe's,Menards,. etc, we keep 'em on their toes, no one gets ripped off around here unless they are not doing enough searching.

Again, I would call a local handyman, perhaps a saw sharpening outfit(They would know who goes through blades faster and who buys quality blades,getting them sharpened, instead of throw away blades)

ANY friends/neighbors/co workers with a reference for a contractor.

A lot of builders use Sub-contractors to do their windows, try a few of them.

I don't know much more than that, other than doing it yourself, like I said, Installing windows really isn't all that tough, the key is proper measurements for the replacements.

Ken

[markschaffin]

Bump

Okay, my wife and I are getting off our rears and are going to get this done. We've decided to bite the bullet and do the whole house at once and we are down to a couple of local companies. Renewal by Andersen is out, partly due to the cost, but also due to the ineptitude shown by the salesman. I don't trust him, or his advice.

The two windows we are trying to decide between are Restorations made by Sunrise and Soft-lite. The bid for the Restorations is significantly lower than the Soft-lite, but only the Soft-Lite windows carry the AAMA certification, only NFRC. Soft-Lite has both, but will cost at $5-10,000 more to do the whole house.

Does anyone have any input on AAMA certification on windows? My gut says to pay more. However, I'm not sure I will be able to get a much lower price on the Soft-Lites. The salesman was just here telling us about his upcoming trip to Mexico for being the top salesman, prices are going up (but not for us), business is booming, etc, etc, etc... I can't stand salesmen

[working]

Casement windows do NOT
A.have locks B. open with a crank C.open out D.slide up and down

[working]

Casement windows do NO
A.have lock B. open with a crank C. open out D.slide up and down

[peter030205]

Casement windows do NOT
A.have locks B. open with a crank C.open out D.slide up and down

A. have locks

(Everyone, please don't tell me I'm wrong... just trying to make homework boy do his own work)

Why not do your own homework? Hell, type in casement window in Google and get the answer that way... at least then you might learn something? :confused:

[jim23]

I have Pozzi windows in my house too. I lost several seals - they replaced the glass (prorated warranty after 10 years). Very easy to replace the glass within the casement. You remove the frame from the opening, remove a few screws to take the frame apart, remove the glass pane, remove the rubber from the window. You then put the rubber around the new glass, then install the new glass. Re-assemble the frame and install the window. Can be less than 15 minutes.

[srusten]

I am having a similar problem to the person who was inquiring about replacing the Glass in an Anderson Casement Window. I recently discovered that there was a hole and crack in the outer pane of my Anderson window. As I'm looking at it and as I've been told, since the glass in its sash opens out of the frame with the Operator, one has only to remove it from the operator mechanism and replace it with a new Anderson Double Insulated Glass rather than having to remove the whole frame. The problem I'm having now is finding instructions on HOW TO do this. I've got no problem with people making a living doing this work but I see no sense to paying to have the entire window replaced which work I did myself originally with no problems when all I need is to remove the present cracked glass and just replace that part of the window. Any help as to how and where I can get the instructions on doing this would be greatly appreciated.

[hkstroud]

Many different operating mechanisms. Open window. Can sash be removed by removing screws attaching operating mechanism to top and bottom edges of sash?

[OpalEnterprises]

Replacement casement windows are a beautiful compliment to any home. I would suggest Andersen A Series casement windows. They look great. You can see some that we've installed on homes on our website: Windows - Siding - Roofing - Naperville, IL - Opal Enterprises

I would also have to agree that choosing the right contractor is just as important as choosing the right replacement windows. The home improvement industry has some very negative stigmas associated with it, and contractors must continue to do their best to gain the trust of homeowners.

Best of luck!