Replacement Windows Pay for Them-self

[Fly Rod]

REPLACEMENT WINDOWS

Last year I replaced all the windows in my house with that expensive double-pane energy efficient kind, and today, I got a call from the contractor who installed them.

He was complaining that the work had been completed a whole year ago and I still hadn’t paid for them.

Hellloooo,............just because I'm blonde doesn't mean that I am automatically stupid. So, I told him just what his fast talking sales guy had told me last year, that in ONE YEAR these windows would pay for themselves!


Helllooooo? It's been a year! I told him.


There was only silence at the other end of the line, so I finally just hung up.

He never called back.
I bet he felt like an idiot.

[UserRemoved1]

hahaha!!!

[nightfighter]

That is a good one..... Truth is, Uncle Sam is paying for 30% of your qualifying window, door, insullation, up to $5000 spent, via a $1500 tax credit (not a deduction, a credit) through the end of the year. Applies to the materials, not labor. I'm hoping this helps keep me busy through yearend......
As for the windows paying off in terms of energy saved, it depends on how bad the old ones were, how many you replace, and how well insullated your home is. On average, without taking the tax credit into consideration, Andersen 400 replacements will pay for themselves in saved fuel dollars in approximately 5-7 years. Less if installing a lower price point window, such as Silverline.

[ecduzitgood]

Thats funny but I hope it was just a jokeGetting jerked around waiting to get paid sucks.

[gf2020]

Over the past year+ I have been in the process of replacing all the windows in my 57 year old house with Andersen 400 series new construction windows (as mentioned by nightfighter) and replacing the wood siding with HardiPlank siding. We are also replacing all of the trim inside and out.

Trying to justify the window upgrades just based on heating fuel usage is a tough sell. With heating oil around $3.00 per gallon or less, the payback is really hard to justify. I will save enough to pay for 1 window per year. With 20 windows you can do the math.

However, if fuel prices rise to $5.00 per gallon, the payback timeline shortens, and what we really noticed last year is that the rooms with the new windows are quieter and just seem nicer with the new trim, etc. So the intangible benefits make it worthwhile.

[Saltheart]

If you are handy and just paying for the window , the 30 percent tax credit has to get that payback period way down.

I have been doing a few every now and then , I'm down to only 5 old windows left on the house but I do have 1 big Bay window that I need to do. maybe I should buy the damned windows while the tax credit is still around even If I store a couple that i may or may not get to this year. HMMMM.

What do you guys think between Andersons and Pellas? There were lots of people who say the Pellas are a better window. All my sliders (1 6 foot wide door , one 5 foot wide window and one 4 foot wide window) are Andersons. I got both windows at a steal but did have to pay high for the big sliding door. All the windows I bought other than the sliders are Pellas. Just curious about what the thinking is today on the relative quality between Pella and Andersons.

[Fly Rod]

I was in the home building industry for 35 years, Pella SU@#S. Anderson gives you 20 years no questions ask when and if the window or sliding door fails and they will send you the replacement to your door.

As far as vinyl replacement windows, you can not beat the Harvey vinly replacement or their wood interior model. I had installed over 2,000 vinyl replacement windows from Harvey and never had a call back.

Even tho I'm a wood window person, being from the old school you can not beat vinyl, is final.

[nightfighter]

Mike, I hate to tell you, but I am one of a number of local contractors who will not even install Pella windows. Here's why...
There are two houses on the Neck here, one new construction, one a total rehab, different contractors. Both are oceanfront, both had multiple windows fail in a matter of weeks. Pella said it was installer error. Pella had their installer replace them at contractors' cost. Both had failures again. Both are in court fighting Pella. Both houses have had Marvins installed. Pella just won't stand by their warranty, or their product. Furthermore, their awning window is their casement turned sideways, no change of operator position.... I know their regional rep too. Local guy, striper fisherman. But no help when problems arise. Always throwing contractors under the bus.
That said; their sliders and storm doors are good.

[Saltheart]

I double checked and on the addition I built myself in 1993 and I did use all Anderson windows and as stated above , all my sliders are Anderson. It looks like I have just 3 Pellas on the older part of the house. It jars my memory that two of them were an odd size that Home depot had available in Pella but Anderson was a special order. The third window is in the same room as one of the odd sized Pellas so I guess I decided it was inportant for the interiors to match. I also was wrong on how many more I need to do to finish the house. I am down to just 3 full size windows and a little half size one left to do. That's good!

Thanks for the replies Ross and Fly Rod. I'll be getting Andersons for the remaining windows. One of the good things about a forum like this on a striper site is you get honest answeres which are hard to get in stores etc because you never know who might have an incentive program or whatever going with a particular manufacturer on any given day.