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SilverLine (by Anderson) , Geld-Wen or another?

eleena
12 years ago

I am so glad I have found this board!

We want to replace our rotting single-pane doors and windows in the next month or two. I had a window company and an installer come and take a look.

The house was built in 1991 and is located in a sort of "up-scaled" subdivision where some expensive houses are "mixed" with not so expensive ones (like ours). The house looked great and had so many customized things, including French doors, when we bought it but all windows and most doors were builders-grade single-pane. We did not notice that simply because it did not occur to us that single-pane double-hung windows were still used, especially in such higher-end subdivision.

Our electric bills are horrendous and many exteriors are rotting, so we want to replace them before the scorching summer heat.

The window guys told us that vinyl and aluminum windows do not exist for our openings. Plus, we have to maintain the looks to preserve the value.

I saw the thread about best lines but this company (recommended by a friend) only installs SilverLine (by Anderson) and Geld-Wen. The installer said that Geld-Wen is just as good as Anderson if not better.

Is that true?

Also, they want to install pressure-treated wood with aluminum clad exterior. I don't have the final quote but have an idea what they'd cost - and it is hard to swallow. I did not see any wood windows with vinyl exteriors on either brand website (SilverLine or Geld-Wen).

Should I look for a local Marvin dealer or these brands are good?

Any other advice?

Thank you!

Comments (27)

  • GulfBreezeWindows
    12 years ago

    I think my head is going to explode!
    You need to find another "window guy".

    1. Vinyl and Aluminum are custom sized so they will fit any opening.
    2. SilverLine is a Vinyl only company (wood is made by Anderson).
    3. Jeld-Wen makes both Vinyl and Wood windows.
    4. Jeld-Wen and SilverLine are probably on the same plane as quality, i.e. it will get you by, but there are much better windows out there for the price.

    Let me ask. Do you want Vinyl or Wood? Lets Start there.

  • PRO
    Windows on Washington Ltd
    12 years ago

    There are vinyl and composite windows out there with paintable interiors.

  • eleena
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Oh, I think I quoted correctly. The "window guy" said that that Geld-Wen was just as good as Anderson (not SilverLine).

    Is he wrong?

  • eleena
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I do not want to "get by". I want them to be problem-free and NOT to have to replace them again in 15 years when we sell the house.

    I have found two other companies in town. One is a dealer for Marvin, another is for Weather Shield.

    My GC recommended the former, my ID - the latter.

    HELP!

  • eleena
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Windowswashington,

    Which brands? And which composite windows?

    Thanks!

  • GulfBreezeWindows
    12 years ago

    Marvin is a good brand. They make wood and fiberglass windows.

    Weather Shield is a brand that I have seen, but not had any experience with. I haven't heard anything negative about them.

    You don't want to paint vinyl, you will hate yourself in a year for doing it. :)

  • PRO
    Windows on Washington Ltd
    12 years ago

    Marvin Infinity and Integrity have paintable interiors.

    Starmark is also a composite window with a paintable interior laminate.

  • mmarse1
    12 years ago

    expand your search. marvin infiniti make a very nice window with paintable interior as well as Starmark. I would not consider anything by Silverline, its low quality. there are plenty of higher quality vinyl companies but silverline is not one of them.

  • eleena
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thank you!

    Is Atrium better?

    I am not sure how to expand my search. Every manufacture says theirs is best. Every local window companies sells only certain brands, nobody has them all. So, of course, they'd recommend only what they sell. How would I know who is telling the truth?

    If you know of any that have better vinyl windows, could you name a few?

    TIA!

  • iflyvfr
    12 years ago

    eleena, you need to do some searching on this site to find previous posts. There are lots of recommendations for very good vinyl windows that you could go with.

    Gorell, Simonton and Sunrise keep coming up as reputable manufacturers from what I have read. Maybe check them out?

    Here is a link that might be useful: Gorell Windows

  • HomeSealed
    12 years ago

    eleena, look at the performance ratings as they will be very telling as to the quality of the window. Sunrise, HiMark, Okna, and Softlite are widely considered to be the cream of the crop in vinyl. Simonton and Gorell are good as well, but probably a notch down from the others imo.

  • millworkman
    12 years ago

    Silverline and Atrium are bottom of the barrel vinyl choices in my opinion with Jeldwen slightly better. Also from what I have read Gorell is or was being purchased by Softlite.

  • mmarse1
    12 years ago

    gorell is still a good window. simonton is a step Below gorell in my opinion. both atrium and silverline are builders grade quality.. by the way, pella make a poorly designed vinyl window as well.
    Okna, /Himark, sunrise, gorell, and soft lite are all quality and will serve you well for years.

  • eleena
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thank you, now I understand better.

    I have just gone to the recommended websites.

    No OKNA/HiMark, Sunrise or Softlite in my area (yes, I live "in the woods", LOL), only Gorell. Simonton has some presence here.

    I talked to SoftLite and the guy said that the Gorell purchase is not yet final. If Gorell is in that "being bought" state, I won't be surprised if their quality is down (like someone said on another thread).

    So, as you can see, my options are very limited. :-(

    In terms of the rating, what should like for, besides U-value and Air-infiltration?

    Thanks again!

  • GulfBreezeWindows
    12 years ago

    Were about do you live? State wise.

    U Ratings
    Air Infiltration Ratings
    SHGC
    visual appearance (preference)

  • eleena
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    South-East, so it is hot and humid here for about 6 months and humid the rest of the year plus strong winds quite often.

    Isn't SHGC sort of "tied" with U-value?

  • skydawggy
    12 years ago

    U-factor is tied to SHGC but there is some room to affect overall performance. As an example, one of the Sunrise Windows we carry will have a U-factor of .29 and a SHGC of .28 with Ultra-U-Plus Glass. If we substitute Ultra-U-12, we get a U-factor of .28 and SHGC of .21. If we use standard softcoat we can get a U-factor of approx. .30 and a SHGC of .44. There are other configurations that will get the U-factor down to .26 and the SHGC down to .16. So you can see how properly designing the right window for the right elevation can have a pretty dramatic effect on comfort and energy savings

  • eleena
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Oh, thanks!

    I have been told to look for U-value of 0.26 or less. However, even Marvin dealer didn't know if they had such option. The lowest they had was 0.30.

    I know that OKNA have 0.26 U-value but we don't have OKNA, Sunrise, SoftLite here.

    And I have absolutely no idea what SHGC I need in S-E.

    Can you help?

  • skydawggy
    12 years ago

    What city?

    I would not restrict my search to a window with a u factor of. 26 because there are good windows in the. 28-.29 range. Don't be fooled into thinking there's any real world energy savings between. 26 and. 29. Those claims are generally made by window salesmen pushing their product. Windows are rated on a scale of .01-1.0 so a difference of. 03= 3% difference in efficiency, not in savings.

  • HomeSealed
    12 years ago

    The sale of Gorell to Softlite is done and over. I suspect that person's comments were due to the fact that they would prefer to sell you a Softlite product rather than the Gorell line. Both are good, although the softlite will have better ratings in most areas. I'd agree with Sky's comments with one caveat: A small difference in one area (ie: .26 vs .29 shgc) will not be a meaningful difference if all else is equal. That said, a small difference across the board (ie: u value, shgc, ai, dp, cr, etc, etc) adds up to a substantial cumulative effect, and is indicative of the level of quality in a given product as well.

  • GulfBreezeWindows
    12 years ago

    Depending on how far SE you are, I typically keep my windows U: around .29 and SHGC between .19 - .27.

    Wind and driving rain, look for a higher DP rating.
    Also keep in mind a good AI number, around .1 or less if you can.

  • eleena
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Softlite does not have presence here, so I don't think the rep was trying to sell me their product. He did say that the acquisition was not final but it is possible that he sort of meant that they did not have full control over Gorell products and couldn't stand behind it.

    Yes, we have wind and almost "horizontal" rain quite often. (I do not normally mention my city for privacy reasons - not from this board but from the Internet in general as GarenWeb is open to search engines, kwim?)

    An instaler recommended by our local Simonton distrubutor came over last night and did not know much about U-value/SHGC. From the booklets he gave me, Simonton Reflections only have .33/.29 and .30/.30 available. I did not see anything about DP.

    At this point, I am inclined to go with Marvin Infinity b/c I really do not want any wood in this climate. I have not looked into their ratings and the "Marvin guy" did not know the best possible rating they could achieve. He said, he'd look into it but I don't trust anyone anymore, LOL.

    I have already spent days calling the window companies directly, but the reps quite often don't know either.

    Do you know what kind of best rating I can get in Marvin lines?

    Thanks!!!

  • jmcfly01
    11 years ago

    12 year update on the Silverline 8000-8500 series. We built a new house in 2000 and asked the local window distributer for the windows he would use in his house. He stated that the Silverline windows were the best on the market and came with a lifetime warranty. So, we placed the order for 28 new windows. These were ordered with all of the bells and whistles. Double hung, Low-E, Argon filled, and internal grates. When the windows shipped they were nothing more than replacement windows with nailing fins attached to the frame.
    After the first 5 years most of the sashes were replaced for one reason or another. The biggest issue was they used a rubber seal between the panes of glass to keep the argon gas in failed under fluctuating hot and cold weather as we get here in New Jersey. When this seal fails the argon escapes and the glass quickly becomes visually streaky because the Low-E film sticks to the glass. The second issue is the plastic clips that keep the windows in the track have become brittle and have been breaking.
    By year 10 the majority of the sashes have failed and have been replaced under warranty. The main problem is that they will not replace the upper and lower sashes in pairs. They will only replace the unit that failed. When the new sash's were delivered they never matches the original sash. Now we have issues with air gaps and upper sashes that don't stay up when the windows are opened. Now every time we open a window the upper sash creeps down and the bugs are free to enter the house freely. Lower screen only, no full length screens were available for these windows. I've resorted to using white vinyl tape to keep the upper sash in place and keeping the air out.
    I called customer service regarding this situation and I was told that since Anderson bought Silverline they had no ability to accurately match up the sash dimensions exactly. I requested that they replace the sashes in pairs and they said this is not covered in the warranty. At year 12, I give up! I'm looking to replace all of the windows in the house (again). I guess the "lifetime" warranty really isn't worth the paper it's written on. I'd crumple it up and throw it out the window, but I can't open the windows anymore! (Or see out of them either!!!)

  • MercedesBenz
    9 years ago

    I realize this topic is a bit old, but I had to weigh in here on these windows. Something has clearly changed since the positive reviews were written, as we have just had to halt installation on 16 SilverLine windows for our atrium area. To say the quality is poor would be an understatement!! Some of the issues can be put down to poor handling (cracked and bent frames) but there are clearly manufacturing flaws as well. On every single window the caulk is exposed, missing or generally slopped all over the glass. One window looked so bowed to the naked eye that we measured it. Sure enough, it measured a full 1/2" wider in the center than at the top or bottom. On several windows the glass is so loose in the frame that it flexes significantly to the touch. All the frame corners are mis-aligned and not sealed properly. In short, they look far worse than the 22 year old Peachtree windows we are replacing.

    I would strongly recommend considering a different manufacturer as the current SilverLine product is definitely substandard. We will have the windows already installed removed and replaced with another brand.

  • mmarse1
    9 years ago

    This is very common with Silverline since they are such junk. further, they look very cheap and are one of the most poorly designed vinyl windows right up there with MI Windows, JeldWin, Pella thermastar, and Excalibur: all cheaply made garbage.
    Vinyl is a great material but you need to invest in the higher end vinyl window brands such as Sunrise, Okna, Soft lite, Kensington, and Energy wall by Polaris.
    You guys are asking for problems by trying to save money, it always costs more in the end,

  • fenmaster
    9 years ago

    yep, was discussing this today.
    You may be to poor to afford doing it twice.