Forgot to add: Low e 366 cost 18$ more per window...

This post was edited by sethramesh on Mon, Jul 7, 14 at 23:45

Also the soft-lite elements costs 50% more compared to Reflections 5500. (U$2900 Vs U$4300 for 7 windows). is element worth this much extra?

Thanks

This post was edited by sethramesh on Mon, Jul 7, 14 at 23:50

The soft lite elements is a better window, there is just no disputing that fact, so it will be more of an investment..
In your situation, you could consider low E 366.

The Simonton window will probably serve your purposes just fine and with the Low-e 366.

That being said, that number is crazy low in both cases and had you said you would be getting 7 Elements windows for $4,300...I would say to jump all over it anyway.

Yes, Low-E366 is advisable in your area and that's a reasonable upgrade price.

The Soft-lite Elements window is heads and shoulders above the Simonton 5500 in build quality and performance. The 5500 is an old design that needs upgrading. If you decided to go with it I'd upgrade to the optional sash reinforcement for your climate. By the time you add all of the things that a decent vinyl window should have, you'll be closer to the price of the Elements.

As to whether or not it's worth 50% more, only you can answer that question, but I'd consider the general rule that higher performance windows are typically sold by more quality oriented contractors while mid-grade windows are typically sold by contractors with the "good enough" mentality. Again, this is a general rule and not an absolute.

"Ultrawindows" nailed it. Cant get a better explanation than that.

+1 to the great advice above. I strongly favor the Elements and that is a bit lower than I typically see it being sold.

Thanks you all so much. I am inclining towards the soft-lite element. The Soft-lite is NOT Low e 336 but with the following spec: Is this is better than Low e 366? or should i ask for Low e 366?

SB70XL (Solar Low-E) with argon and Super Spacer.
U-Factor 0.26, Solar Heat Gain .20.
Glass thickness is 7/8" with double strength glass package.

Just want to be sure if this the element.

This post was edited by sethramesh on Tue, Jul 8, 14 at 18:44

PPG's Solarban 70XL is roughly equivalent to Cardinal's Low-E366, no worries there. Both are good packages for your climate.

Thanks for the clarification