MI Windows are still very low quality in my opinion and that will probably never change due to their market ( building supply stores) where contractors look for the cheapest products. If you don't have a lot of money you need to do your project in stages. If you skimp on quality again just to save money, you will be spending ALOT MORE in the future AGAIN by doing the project twice which is what you are essentially doing now. I do feel bad for homeowners such as yourself that get conned into using cheap windows by contractors who don't have a clue about quality.
That said, skimping on quality again is the old " fool me twice" adage.
Look into the higher end brands such as Okna, Himark, Soft Lite, Sunrise, or Gorell and do the job right this time around..lesson learned.
Some more advice, hire a true window contractor; trying to save money with the installation is just as bad, if not worse, than purchasing a low quality window. You can't take short cuts, you will always pay for that.

This post was edited by mmarse1 on Mon, Mar 18, 13 at 7:58

At that number you mention, did you install the windows yourself?

Have you checked with a local building supply house as to what they have available.

WindowsonWashington - we replaced the first 8 ourselves. I think that is what you are asking.

I don't know what a Building Supply House is??

I'm really confused and upset here. I used to think (before coming on forums like these) that Lowes, Home Depot, my local White's Lumber & Building Supply, Aubuchon, Ace Hardware, etc. were the places you went to buy things like this. More and more I am reading things here and on other forums that these are not the places you want to buy these things from - from paint to windows and a lot of stuff in between. I don't get it. Aren't these the places that are suppose to help us build and replace??? Where do we go if we don't or shouldn't go to these places??? We live in such a rural community that some of the places that offer top brand windows mentioned are at least 2 hours away. This is really really discouraging.

That helps clear up the pricing question then.

Are their grids in these windows or the replacements?

A contractor supply house will have expanded options and better products available to you.

One of the more widely available windows that is solid, is the Simonton window.

There are no grids in the current windows - they are the old storm window type - regular window on the inside and the extra storm window you can take in/out - both wood but we are replacing with vinyl. Late 1940s early 1950's house.

We do not wish to have grids in the replacements either - mainly because we can't afford it - I am assuming they are more expensive.

We are trying to find out from a couple of our local contractors where they purchase for clients. A contractor that replaced two windows at my mother's did it with Erie Windows. Maybe we could also ask them of the names for contractor supply houses as I am not knowledgeable in this area - as you can tell :-(

I just went to the Simonton website and they do have a dealer within 45 minutes of us - thank you for that suggestion.

This post was edited by MsKitty31 on Mon, Mar 18, 13 at 9:11

Why not contact one of the window manufacturers mentioned above? This way the installation is done by the one supplying the windows as well as everything being done correctly. . No finger pointing if anything goes wrong. I think that's the smart thing to do.

This post was edited by mmarse1 on Mon, Mar 18, 13 at 9:33

MMarse1 - I think you are probably right. Since the Simonton seems to be the closest to us maybe we can drive out there and see what they have to offer and see how much installation would be if they do it.

I saw this on the Simonton website where you look up a dealer closes to you: "Installers listed in the search results of this site are independent contractors and are not employees or agents of Simonton Windows. Simonton Windows is not responsible for installation or any other work performed by these installers; all questions about installation services and the professional experience of installers should be addressed directly with the Installer. When evaluating constructors, we recommend that you seek an installer that is state licensed, insured, abides by all building codes, provides references of homeowners who have used the installer for similar installation projects in the past, and warrants their installation work."

Would this be standard for the other top companies too - HiMark, Okna, Soft-Lite, etc.?

Simonton 5500 and 9800 are decent mid range offerings but they are sold to anyone with a pulse which means installation is a gamble. The higher quality offerings are sold through a select group of dealers which means the dealer has to meet criteria in order to offer those windows. There is a MUCH LESS chance of a sub par installation because of that.

I could always have the licensed contractor that put my mother's windows do ours if we go with Simonton. Maybe that would be better. On our budget I am really afraid we wouldn't even be able to afford one window from the other manufacturers mentioned above - sad but true.

I have no doubt that your moms contractor is licensed, virtually everyone is licensed today but that doesn't mean he knows proper window install procedure. I get this all the time; we have a family friend you got work from a contractor and they are happy" . Happy because nothing went wrong yet or what he did incorrectly isn't showing up yet. I just hate seeing homeowners waste money and have problems. It's much cheaper to do the job in stages.

I don't understand. I am not getting who exactly should install the windows? I think what you are saying is if I go with Simonton there is no guarantee that the install will be correct because of the clause that I mentioned above on their website. If I go with the other brands - HiMark, Okna, Sfot-Lite, etc. then I am safe because they install themselves??? These higher ends don't have the "Installers listed in the search results of this site are independent contractors and are not employees or agents of Simonton Windows. Simonton Windows is not responsible for installation or any other work performed by these installers..." clause? Aren't all these brands sold through dealers? Why would Simonton have that clause on their website and not the other brands?

I apologize for my ignorance.

No window manufacturer (except for some small local companies, and a few large nationwide companies like Champion) installs their own products. They all sell to installation companies either direct through a dealer network (best), or through a third party distributor such as a lumber yard or box store. The latter is a bit more risky as the contractors that purchase there are not as well vetted. No manufacturer is going to warranty the installation of their product, only the product itself. Further, some manufacturers have clauses that will void the warranty if it is not installed by a licensed professional.
Hopefully that provides more answers than it does additional questions, lol.