Triple glazed window manufacturers
hunterchap
| Posted in Green Products and Materials on
Good afternoon folks! I’m posting because I’m wondering about triple glazed window manufacturers that are worth getting a quote from. I’ve only gotten a quote from Logic so far for some tilt&turns, but I’d like to get a few more quotes before deciding on a window. Just curious what your preferences are whether it’s Alpen, Loewen, Marvin, etc.? I am pretty budget conscious so I have some limitations, but would love to hear from you guys regarding your past experiences! Thanks and have a great weekend.
– Hunter
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Replies
Hi Hunter,
For budget tri-pane windows, we've used Alpen and a "local to our market" manufacturer called Thermo-Tech. I don't have longevity data on either, but the products we've received from both manufacturers have been good. An architect I work with prefers fiberglass over vinyl, Silex (out of Canada) is her preferred manufacturer.
Randy
I have Alpen and would hardly call them "budget". I love the windows, but they were 23% more expensive than Marvin Elite double glazed.
We used the Zenith Series casements in triple pane on a couple recent projects, the costs were slightly less than Marvin's or Andersen's upper end double pane windows. It's been a couple years, so maybe pricing has changed. We haven't used the Tyrol Series because of the higher costs and our customers didn't like the options for interior window coverings (tilt and turn).
Randy
No kidding. Here in MA we generally use upper end Pella/Andersens, but If I can get my clients a better window for a similar pricepoint, definitely worth looking into. I appreciate the feedback.
You mention Logic so I'm thinking maybe you're close to Maine? Reach out to Viking in Belfast if you would like US made aluminum clad wood options that cost less than the other wood/clad brands you mentioned. Specifically, Sierra Pacific Windows H3 line is a mid-priced option that offers triple glazing at a reasonable price. If you need u-values as low as .16 switch to the Aspen series. Cheers
Thanks man, I'm actually down in Massachusetts but have been speaking with Logic quite a bit. Down here, our vendors generally carry Pella, Andersen, Marvin, etc. The main builder brands, but I'm trying to hopefully introduce clients to better options in the near future, like the triple glaze, tilt&turns, etc. Appreciate the feedback.
I wouldn’t describe them as budget, but I wound up getting Laurel Windows, which are manufactured by Oknoplast in Europe. The quote was less than Logic. I ordered out of the Boston showroom. I wound up getting all my exterior doors from them as well.
They have a ton of customization options. I wound up with hinged outswing screens on my tilt-turns, multiple locksets on my doors, one window with a hidden sash, and three old-world style outswing windows with pull-shade type screens.
The service at Laurel is phenomenal. They have quote/service specialists, and for technical questions they have several people who are architects (unlicensed but have the degree).
Unsolicited tip: You need to plan out your sill pans/extension jams if you are mounting any inswing doors or windows ‘innie’ on thick walls. Depending on how you do it, that can add a big cost to the exterior finishing of the home.
Hey Jemmi, are you in MA? I'm in Western MA outside of Springfield. I did not know that Laurel had a Boston showroom, unless you're referring to EAS, which I've been to. Place is incredible. I had forgotten about Laurel as I always confuse them with Loewen. I'm definitely going to reach out for a quote, thank you!
Not doing innie windows, my fiancée hates the look which helps because it takes away the headache of all the detail work/cost.
If you're in MA, feel free to reach out! I love talking Building Science and there aren't many people in my area that have any interest in it whatsoever.
- Hunter
Hi Hunterchap,
I am in Maine, but I lived outside Amherst for a while so I know where you are. The climate is very similar to Maine. You get more severe thunderstorms due to the valley effect. I get more fog and sleet/freezing rain due to ocean effects. I might have bit less sun and more humidity, but our climate zones are extremely similar.
Laurel has only been around a few years, so not everyone has heard of them. It's a small company that imports windows made by Oknoplast with offices in Brevard, North Carolina and Boston, MA. EAS, (also out of Boston) imports Schuco and Salamander, which are German. Oknoplast is in Eastern Europe, so they are more affordable than Germany. (The Polish government is subsidizing the window manufacturing industry to help them become a major manunfacturer for all of the EU). I have seen the Schuco and Salamander windows, and I consider them equivalent to Laurel. Oknoplast is a giant, global window manufacturer. We just haven't been getting them here in the states, but they are a major name.
I started out with the "Pixel" pvc line quoted by Laurel, but I upgraded to the "Pava" PVC line to get better u-values. For the fixed windows and the outswing windows I got "Miru Evo" aluminum windows. In general, the PVC is more affordable than the aluminum, but for fixed windows using a standard powder coat, the aluminum winds up being cheaper than PVC for the same windows because of the cost of the thermo-foil on the PVC window.
Communication with the factory in Poland regarding minimum requirements can be convoluted and the quote specialist isn't always technical enough to parse everything. If that happens to you, ask to be escalted to one of the Laurel architects.
The only thing I found wasn't a good solution with Laurel was an outward opening awning for passive ventilation near the ceiling. I didn't care for the design of the manual pole operated option, and the motorized option required two motors (one on each side) for a longer horizontal window, which made the price stratospheric. I tried to get a quote from Schuco North America but the guy just wouldn't get off his a$$ and generate a quote. EAS didn't return my call. I could have gotten a quote from Big Foot Door out of Canada, but I wound up just making those windows fixed and going with Laurel.
I also got a quote from NZP out of Canada - Quebec I think. They were similar to Logic in price. Nice windows, but not as many options, challenging communication, and price not as good as Laurel. Marvin had some nice product options, but the performance was poor compared to Logic, NZP, and Laurel.
Understood! I went to UMass Amherst, small world. I reached out to EAS for their Schuco window, but I doubt I'll go in that direction because the last time I had them quote a project, it ended up in the $70,000 range for a roughly 2,000 SF house. Just didn't make sense for the client whatsoever.
Did you end up going with tilt&turns from Laurel, or a mix of fixed, awning, casements, etc.? Curious how their tilt&turns perform. I couldn't find too much info on their website about U-Factors, SHGC, or other performance measures. Sounds like at the end of the day, I'm going to end up with Logic or Laurel.
I really appreciate all the insight, thanks so much for taking the time!
- Hunter
I got a little of everything in terms of window styles and operation types, with 45 total windows. My U-values vary from 0.15 for fixed aluminum windows, to 0.27 for Pixel PVC in areas that didn't need as much thermal performance. Most of my windows are Pava PVC tilt turns, and are 0.17. The doors, (lift and slide or swing PVC) are 0.20.
I wound up with Laurel for a few reasons. If I was out west, things might have been different:
- Not having had any experience with ordering windows, I wasn't comfortable laying down that much money without looking at and touching/operating the windows. I decided flying around the West and Canada to go to window showrooms was completely rediculous. None of those companies out west even had a single commercial building in New England that they would reveal the location of, or had a booth at a single trade or home show. So I limited myself to places where I could look at the windows in New England. That narrowed my list down to about a half dozen companies.
- Laurel had the best price, and best solutions of those companies. I didn't get quotes from Schuco NA or EAS. I suspect the Shuco rep out of CT just didn't want to deal with the clerestory window I was describing. The fellow out of the Schuco NA corporate office was fantastic, but the sales rep had no desire/motivation. I suspect EAS screened me out because I am the homeowner, although I was doing the footwork for/representing the builder.
- I have friends in NC who had ordered windows out of Laurel's Brevard office, and they had a fantastic end to end experience.
- I realized an outswing awning window in a clerestory was a challenge, so I led with that window with each company. Laurel jumped through hoops offering a lot of different options to solve the challenge I had. I learned a lot about windows and about each company in that process. I might go back to those other window companies for more standard windows on another job, but for problem solving (and training a newbie), or dealing with a manufacuring issue, Laurel was the right fit. The company name is the name of their first child, and they let their employees bring their kids to work during school vacation week. They are just good people trying hard to help you. That vibe isn't easy to find in the construction industry.
Hi Jemmi! Just wanted to reach out to say you were right. I got a quote back, and even with a Schefield Oak interior, which my fiancee loves, and anthracite gray on the exterior, Laurel came in cheaper than Logic. Ironically, their U-factors and SHGC's are almost identical to Logic, with Laurel's VLT being a bit better. Had I opted for custom interior/exterior colors with Logic, the price jumped by about $8,000 I believe?
Furthermore, the customer service has been exceptional. A few emails back and forth and they feel like family. I'm visiting their showroom next Friday. Thank you so much for all of the incredibly helpful information, I truly appreciate it. Hard to come by. I will keep you updated as I progress with them if you'd like, because I think Laurel is going to be the one.
- Hunter
I would absolutely buy Alpen Tyrol windows and doors again. I bought 57 windows and doors. The quality is great and the customer service has been good as well. Long lead time require planning, but so far everything has been great.