questions on windows for a new build.

I'm not a window expert, but have a good friend that's a rep for one of the better window manufacturers, so I hear about the industry often, and have for years. And I shopped for them on my new build a few years ago.

Sounds like you're comparing two extremes. Visit a few lumber yards and find their window expert to walk you through what they offer. Vinyl doesn't mean bad unless you get the lower/lowest product lines available. Sierra Nevada is good, but they have lower lines to consider. Maybe check out JeldWen and Marvin. The lumber yards will probably be pushing the least problematic and least leadtimes. Edit: Sierra Pacific (I guess my brain defaults to beer brands)

I don't think you're going to find what you want at Lowes or HD. Go to the lumber yards where builders buy their lumber, doors, trusses, etc.

And secondly, do this quickly, and place your order asap. The whole industry seems to be suffering for varying reasons, and lead times are long.

The look of windows can make/break a house, and window performance can certainly make your home more comfortable.

Best of luck.

Don't buy Atrium windows.

I had my windows replaced with vinyl windows from Wincore (if I remember correctly). They function very well. No complaints in the 7 or 8 years they’ve been in.

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And this has been my biggest question was that my experience from a house that remodeled 20 years ago, just that, a bad experience? I talked to another guy that has loved his vinyl windows the last ten years or so too.

I just don't want to regret buying shite windows and they are expensive and a pain to replace down the road.

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Do you have a Window World local to you? I have a couple of friends in the window business, and they both say that when they're trying to sell windows to someone, they can usually beat the quality/ price of any competitor except window world for some reason. I know we have them in Texas, but not sure where you are.

How many windows are we talking here? $20k for windows is a lot. Buys a lot of electricity for a long time. Is the whole window package $20k, or is it 20K more than the builder grade option? Lastly, if you're going to be in the house for a long time, I personally will usually spend the most money in areas that reduce costs down the road so energy efficient windows would be something I splurge on.

Not a window question, but I’ll be GC’ing my own home build this year and it sounds like you are as well. How’s that going? Any tips? 300k for a 2250 house sounds like a great price. Do you mind expanding on the house specs?( ceiling height, floors, brick/hardy-board) . Also where are you building at.

Thanks in advance.

if the only reason you are doing clad is because of the color, you should look into doing a vinyl window with a custom color instead. if you picked SP clad and they also have a vinyl line, you should be able to get that vinyl window in the same color as the clad. there are plenty of vinyl window lines that offer custom colors to match the clad colors. you'll pay extra to have that custom color but it wont be anywhere near the price tag of clad.

Most of the people I know who put the clad wooden windows on their house (I think it was Anderson vinyl clad at the time) had to change them in about 15 years due to the wood rotting.

I used vinyl windows when I built - they seem to be holding up fine after almost 20 years.

All in south Louisiana - may be different in dryer locations.

Bout all I have to offer

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if the only reason you are doing clad is because of the color, you should look into doing a vinyl window with a custom color instead. if you picked SP clad

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The color is the least of my worries on my windows honestly. I was doing just a plain white anyway. I was looking at nicer clad windows due to my poor experience in my old house with those. It sounds like vinyl has come a good ways from when mine were done or the ones I had in mine were just trash to start with.

I appreciate everyone's opinions on this and it really is helpful. I will be looking at some of the vinyl windows and will go by to talk to my SP vendor about the vinyl options on that.