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OP~ It sounds like you have a custom home. That means custom, high-quality windows.
Do you want "Power" windows?
Or, just triple pane?
Pella
Anderson
These Co's should have products.
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.
Any of the bigger players will make you windows...Andersen, Pella, Marvin, and you might be able to get them delivered through the orange store or Lowes and save a lot on shipping....if you have HD you must have a Lowes nearby. They seem joined at the hip.
For better ideas and more specificity, join Sawmill Creek Woodworkers https://sawmillcreek.org/index.php or browse for free and those guys will give you the local custom manufacturers and just about anything else which you need to know. Thy are a great bunch and have dealt with just about every imaginable challenge. They tend to be a frugal bunch, so you will have thoughts on how to save while getting excellent product as well.
Sorry for the confusion. It's the actual procurement process I was asking about.
I thought there may be someone here who has some experience, good, bad or otherwise, in the ordering process. Lessons learned, etc.
Being a builder (wholesale buyer), my experiences are not relevant to a typical consumer. Plus, over the years I have rarely ever used “National/Regional” manufacturers. The overwhelming choice for me has been “jobber windows” built by my building material supplier. The exception has been “Millwork” windows (specialty windows i.e., palladium, trapezoids, arch, etc.), those I usually supply through local specialty Millwork shops.
On the few custom homes l have been involved in, those architects spec Kolbe; and the few restoration/preservation jobs- Kolbe also. But, those were exceptions to the rule- most windows/doors were usually restored, not replaced.
So for the typical consumer, rarely will you be able to buy directly from the manufacturer. Most buyers would have to deal with a local vendor/resaler/retailer. There’s really no way to circumvent the cost of shipping- other than to find a manufacturing facility in your backyard. The less distance- the less cost. But, that certainly doesn’t guarantee a superior product.
National/Regional being Anderson and that type? I really want to avoid HD (no Lowe's in the area, btw).
I'd like to go with quality. The wall under the window is only about knee high. And each window consists of 4 huge panes with an aluminum frame. Between the windows is a pipe which is actually structural support. I'll just have to get a picture.
Anyway I want fixed windows at the bottom with the top window opening. (I'm pretty sure). I worry about pets accessing the lower half. If there were screens at that level they could be damaged.
I don't know why I always read your name as Knowledge Bird. I didn't realize you're a builder.
My builder guy is in New England. He's found a great window place there but it's a distributer. I don't know who makes them. He did windows in a house, they wanted to keep the diamond pattern pane shape (I'm so technical) because the neighborhood was filled with houses that had them. So this company got those for him. That's a little far but I wonder if he could get me a price break. Or military discount...or senior discount. Lol
Anyway I want fixed windows at the bottom with the top window opening. (I'm pretty sure). I worry about pets accessing the lower half. If there were screens at that level they could be damaged.
You can’t have that type of configuration in bedrooms- think “emergency egress”. There you could do double hungs- just lower the upper sash.
Other windows could be “awning” type. They could be made to look like a double hung, but the bottom sash is fixed and the upper swings out being hinged at the top. Just remember, the look is one thing- the operation can be many. And I certainly wouldn’t have chosen aluminum framed windows for a desert climate unless the house had huge/deep soffits that kept direct sun off of them.
We live in the desert southwest where it is hot just like the Mojave. We contacted Pella and Marvin. Didn't get a quote from Andersen. Marvin was about 1/3 cheaper than Pella for custom windows for the whole house. It did take about 6 weeks for them to arrive but I felt they did a great job in installation. We are very happy with the windows as they were custom ordered with the amount of panes per window with the UV protection from our blazing sun.
P.S. The Pella salesman that came to the house was very friendly and chatty. He let it known that he had two houses, one in the desert and one in the mountains. With the price difference, I could see why. LOL
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