Anderson 400 series are very good windows, IMO; I've had them in 3 homes now. If your handyman/carpenter is capable of doing a quality install, I see no problem.

I think the main problems talked about here have been with the box stores and/or independent contractors that do window installations part-time; sounds like with many the installation quality is just not there.

If you went with a full-service Andersen dealer, on the other hand, I think you would find the installation quality to be first-rate.

The window comes with written installation instructions. If your carpenter can comprehend the instructions, he can certainly install them.

There is no guarantee that a window company will install the windows per specifications. I'm ashamed to say it, but 40% of window installations are faulty.

Michael

Do you mean Andersen 400 casement, 400 Woodright double-hung, or 400 Tilt-Wash double-hung? These window models have litle in common so it is impossible to answer your question other than to say the only model I would consider is the Woodright.

Does Home Depot sell the same quality of Andersen 400 Woodright windows that other lumberyards would sell? I am getting ready to order a bunch of Woodright's and I am thinking of ordering from Home Depot because I can get the best price from them (my builder will be installing). I will have a few different grill types but they will all be permanent grills with the spacer in between.

The units Home Depot sells are the exact same window as the lumberyards. Only the boxes are different. A word of caution, however. The service you'll receive from the box store will not be nearly as good as with the full service lumberyard. Product knowledge, available options, and how to order products can sometimes challenge a big box store. With different grilles types, or any variation, you will need to check over all your paperwork very carefully to insure it's all correct. Ask questions, and double check everything the box store employee writes down. The full service dealer can better take this pressure off of you. In most cases, it's worth a little extra money to go with the full service dealer. Hope that helps.

I just got my Andersen 400 Series Tilt wash double hung ... these were ordered from HD .... as I see it (and as it was explained to me by Andersen's rep ... I called to be sure) HD is basically just a middleman ... they place the order for you with Andersen and therefore you only need to pick up from the store .....

by the way all of the installation instructions including special instructions such as replacing sashes/removing them etc can be found online at www.andersenwindows.com