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hudsonleigh_gw

Replacement brand suggestions in downstate NY?

hudsonleigh
10 years ago

Hi,

I live in northern Westchester County, NY, and I need to replace some windows in my 48yr old home. The current windows are the original wood Andersen's. I'm in a quandary between vinyl & fiberglass. Also, none of the replacement brands being offered (Sunrise, Harvey, etc) are familiar to me, although I am researching them.

I searched this forum, but what I've seen so far are several posts from folks in the Southwest -- where I understand the manufacturers are different (and of course the climate is different!). Can anyone in (or who has knowledge of) the Northeast offer some insight, suggestions, or recommendations? Any and all help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Comments (6)

  • HomeSealed
    10 years ago

    Actually the vast majority of the posts here are from the NE and MW regions, it just happens that a few recently popped up from the SW.
    Both vinyl and fiberglass can be good options, forget all of the garbage that the FG guys will tell you about vinyl. The key with vinyl is getting a well-engineered product. The Sunrise that you have seen fits that bill, along with Okna, Softlite and some others. The easiest (and most unbiased) way to determine the quality and performance of a vinyl or fiberglass product is the independently tested ratings. U-value, shgc, air infiltration, and design pressure will tell the story.

  • mmarse1
    10 years ago

    Sunrise is much better than Harvey.

  • PRO
    Windows on Washington Ltd
    10 years ago

    +1

    If those are my choices....Sunrise would be my top pick as well.

  • hudsonleigh
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks guys! Btw, HomeSealed, please forgive my ignorance, but what is "shgc"?

  • PRO
    Windows on Washington Ltd
    10 years ago

    Solar Heat Gain Coefficient

    U-Factor

    U-factor measures how well a product prevents heat from escaping. The rate of heat loss is indicated in terms of the U-factor (U-value) of a window assembly. U-Factor ratings generally fall between 0.20 and 1.20. The insulating value is indicated by the R-value which is the inverse of the U-value. The lower the U-value, the greater a window's resistance to heat flow and the better its insulating value.

    Solar Heat Gain Coefficient

    Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) measures how well a product blocks heat caused by sunlight. The SHGC is the fraction of incident solar radiation admitted through a window, both admitted through a window, both directly transmitted, and absorbed and subsequently released inward. SHGC is expressed as a number between 0 and 1. The lower a window's solar heat gain coefficient, the less solar heat it transmits

    Visible Transmittance

    Visible Transmittance (VT) measures how much light comes through a product. The visible transmittance is an optical property that indicates the amount of visible light transmitted. VT is expressed as a number between 0 and 1. The higher the VT, the more light is transmitted.

    Air Leakage*

    Air Leakage (AL) is indicated by an air leakage rating expressed as the equivalent cubic feet of air passing through a square foot of window area (cfm/sq ft). Heat loss and gain occur by infiltration through cracks in the window assembly. The lower the AL, the less air will pass through cracks in the window assembly.

    Condensation Resistance*
    Condensation Resistance (CR) measures the ability of a product to resist the formation of condensation on the interior surface of that product. The higher the CR rating, the better that product is at resisting condensation formation. While this rating cannot predict condensation, it can provide a credible method of comparing the potential of various products for condensation formation. CR is expressed as a number between 0 and 100.

  • hudsonleigh
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Very helpful...thanks so much!