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mc510

Affordable "Sash Pack" for DIY installation?

mc510
9 years ago

I'd like to replace some traditional wood sashes with a "sash pack" having lowE thermal glass. I gather that this is a really easy installation so I'd like to do it myself, but it's not easy to find out what products are available!

Marvin makes the Tilt Pac; I can get this at a local lumber yard, but at a huge markup that probably makes it more expensive than just hiring a window installer for the whole job. Too expensive!

Jeld Wen seems to have dropped its sash pack product, yes? Too bad, because Home Depot around here sells JeldWen and is the easiest way for me to get contractor-pricing.

Andersen is also available at Home Depot, but as far as I can tell they don't have a wood-sash replacement product. Same for Milgard.

Lincoln doesn't do custom sizes.

Kolbe seems to be widely hated by people who have them.

Anyone recommend a good sash replacement product that I can buy at something close to the contractor price (something around $200 per window would seem reasonable)?

Comments (7)

  • PRO
    Windows on Washington Ltd
    9 years ago

    Not a huge fan of sash packs but if you are going that route, the Marvin seems to be the best out there.

    Windsor seems to have a decent system as well based on the small sample size that I have seen.

  • HomeSealed_WI
    9 years ago

    +1, not a fan of sash packs. They are simple in theory, however given that relatively few existing windows are square, it can be pretty tricky to get them to seal well. A replacement by comparison is self-contained within its own frame, so it is not dependant upon the current opening being square to seal and operate properly.

  • millworkman
    9 years ago

    And a sash pac for $200 in my opinion would be not much better than what you have now.

  • Karateguy
    9 years ago

    I refuse to do sash packs. Too much headache, especially for the price.

  • mc510
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks everyone; interesting (and unexpected) feedback!

    Lets say I could confirm my windows to be perfectly square (say, less than 1/8" out of square)? Is that sufficient to make a sash pack a reasonable approach?

    Tell you why I'm asking. I like the fact that a sash pack looks reasonably like original windows but aren't crazy expensive. And that it sacrifices little or no glass area. Is there a better way to get at what I'm wanting?

  • PRO
    Out of the Woods Inc.- Window & Door Specialists
    9 years ago

    I've sold Kolbe sash kits for decades in our area. I think we probably sell them more than the average window dealer. It is more of a task than on would think for a DIYer. Like mentioned already the only issue is when the window is out of square, but it's still able to be done. I'd say maybe one or two in every other job we do the sash needs to be planed a little bit to ensure it closes perfectly. The price for Kolbe is reasonable when you do a simple primed sash (close to price of an average vinyl). If you do the prefinish KKRON it can get expensive but there's certainly benefits to that prefinish. I would not go with clad for sash kits since it can be a problem fitting them in an opening that is not square.

    Sash kits look much better than insert windows, they look more historically accurate than vinyl and the price if you get it done by a reasonable dealer is decent. The problem is most dealers have little experience with them, they over price them because there's not much to be made on them. The money you make from sash packs is on the instillation and many don't want to do that so they avoid them.

  • toddinmn
    9 years ago

    That is sound advice from Fen-Ten.The cladding on the sash kits I use have extruded aluminum which does not roll over to the bottom of the sash. This allows a cladded window to be cut down.For me It is not uncommon for to have to cut down over half the windows on every job unless the house is 1950 or newer, then they tend to be very square.
    The biggest problem I see with sash kits is usually installer who think they go in like a vinyl window and don't know basic sash kit 101 or painters painting the tracks.
    You may want to check some of your local lumber yards, here we one that makes them and a local window company that specializes in them.
    I would clad the window well and blindstops with aluminum coil, it will give a cleanable surface and eliminate hard to paint area's. Sash kits are pretty easy if you know the basics.I would not use them unless I had good storm windows, so they can get spendy if you need new storms.