Need suggestions, buying custom windows

[RationalExpectations]

Originally Posted by hunterseat

Custom is a great term!

The whole south side is windows - great in the winter. I'm wearing myself out opening & closing blinds. Those will be powered if at all possible!
I'm not familiar with triple pane. I'll have to look it up.

Right now we're freezing at night, 65 daytime. Summer temps are consistently triple digits (scary hot).
Single wall block construction. It's not huge or super sophisticated but I love it. I tried to post a pic. It's too big & I'm on my phone.

I have custom windows floor-to-ceiling windows and glass sliding doors in my custom Las Vegas home. It isn't merely about the window manufacturer; it is about the glass specification, the gas fill between panes, and several other manufacturing details.

I spent a fair bit of time on energy efficiency, including specifying the glass blocked both IR (summertime heat gain) and UV light (furniture fading) as much as feasible. I spent some time on the phone with application engineers at a couple of window companies to get into the weeds. In contrast to your house, mine is ultra-modern; for example, the exterior stucco doesn't have paint on it (paint in the sense of the noun, not the verb). It is covered with a ceramic coating that reflects infrared energy, thereby cutting down on summertime solar heat gain.

In my case, most of the windows are north facing. The south facing windows have architectural details above the prevent direct sunlight. Almost no west facing windows.

I suggest calling a few window manufacturers and asking to talk to an applications engineer, and describe your application & your environment, and get advice on what glass they recommend for your environment and application. I suspect you'll find them more than willing to help you specify a product that is right for you.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by ChessieMom

I am spending about that much on my replacement windows and that includes installation. Okna windows. I only have 13 though. Not doing it for resale as I don't plan on moving. But since my old windows are wood, and many are degrading now - I am over it. I've repaired and replaced over the years but I am tired of maintaining wood windows.

That's quite cheap on your side of the pond. It is quite expensive to do in the Interior of Alaska, unless one buys the cheaper windows at the local chain stores. For example, the 3-pane fiberglass windows I am replacing at my house are assembled locally by a small company, and I install them myself. I paid around $3,200 for one bedroom window and two small ones for both a bathroom and the kitchen. Then around $7,000 for three more windows that are about the same size as the bedroom window. The living room window consists of 2 egress and a panel between them. This window would cost me around $5,000.

By the time I have all the widows replaced the cost for the windows should be around $15,000. If I pay one of the major US window manufacturers to replace the windows, it would cost me around $22,000 or more since the installation must be done by one of their approved contractors.

[hunterseat]

Update: I had a local contractor out who re-measured the 4 really bad windows in the back. He advised me on purchasing and I'll work on getting them ordered & delivered.
He has a great idea about the other windows that don't open. I'm really glad he came over. I'm trying to do many things at one time so it will be a little while before I can get the windows here & installed.