window help QUICK!

11 years ago

Hello all - I have been lurking in these forums for years getting all sorts of useful information, and today, I need quick help. My husband and I have to decide on new construction windows for our house ASAP and I just don't know what to do. The windows we have to choose from are MOSS and I believe VIEWPONT (which are exclusivly sold by Norandex). All the numbers are similar so I don't know how to choose.

Moss vs. Viewpoint

U factor .28 vs. .29

SHGC .21 vs. .20

LowE/U4 vs. Ultra Low E/Argon

similar advanced spacer systems

50 year warranty with no glass breakage covered - vs. Limited lifetime warranty including breaking of glass

my questions are:

Does anyone have ANY experience with either of these companies?

Does anyone have ANY experience with the u-4 coatings vs. argon filled?

What other questions should I ask to help make my decision?

Thanks in advance!

Also - am in NC where we are more interested in keeping cool that warming up!

Featured Answer

sunshine_4_jt
Original Author

11 years ago

To be honest - the builder choose the Atrium window, which I read so much negative about, so I questioned him. Now we're at this point. I wanted a good window, and looked into some of the names given in previous posts such as milgard (which aren't on the east coast) anderson, which are wood and pella just to name a few. Our main building supply told me yesterday they stopped carrying the major name brands because they had nothing but trouble with orders and service, and he stands by what he sells. He is still in hoots about the last set of Marvin windows he had put in over a year ago.... I know he used to sell Anderson, Pella, Marvin, M&W and now he only sells Moss and another house brand (don't remember the name.) The other two local builders are Norandex, which is the Viewpoint(Atrium window) and Lansing which carries the Simonton and thier hourse labeled Atrium, but we were quoted the Atrium. They claim the Atrium is the better window(vs. the Simonton, all other points the same) NONE of our quotes from anywhere got U factor below .28, not even with Low E and argon, and not the Simonton either.

Comments (9)

EcoStarRemodel
11 years ago
Viewpoint is Norandex's private label window made by Atrium. I a not familiar with Moss.

U4 is probably a made up name for triple coated LoE, based on the SHGC you posted. I don't recall whether Atium uses Cardinal or PPG but they would be the equivilent of 366/SB70XL respectively.

I think you are confused about U4 coatings vs argon filled. What you want is LoE glass with argon gas.

Viewpoint is a lower end window made for house flippers or poor newlyweds.

I would look for some other brands. Norandex carries Simonton Prism Platinum and Softlite Classic, so you should be able to get either of them and they are both better windows than Viewpoint.
PRO
Windows on Washington Ltd
11 years ago
+1

Windows can make or break the home in terms of performance and unless the home is sticked out, you have time.

Get a better window and some of the brands that Eco mentioned are really solid performers.
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sunshine_4_jt
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks for the info. We have looked into a few other window brands but they are WAY out of budget for our home. We have to install 44 windows - and Yes - the house is already sticked out, and wrapped and waiting on windows. Here is the link to the U4 info, and yes I believe it is just another Low E coating on the inside pane of glass.
http://www.mosssupply.com/U4CoOpBrochure.pdf

BTW two of the three of the local window salesmen we're dealing with are saying that argon is not recommended in our area, and will leak out anyway within a few years. I was just hoping someone had experience with the u4 coating.

Here is a link that might be useful: U4 brochure for Moss windows
PRO
Windows on Washington Ltd
11 years ago
Two of the three salesmen should stop selling windows that leak then.

A well prepped glass spacer will not leak the argon out and certainly not a rate that makes it foolish to get in the first place.

The air leakage rate is higher than recommended and the thermal number (U-Factor of 0.29) with an interior low-e is not very good either. Most window with the interior Low-e are getting U-Factors of 0.24 and below (the one I can think of off the top of my head is a U-Factor of 0.22 which is +30% better than the unit they have listed).

Why did you builder leave it to this stage to make a material decision?
millworkman
11 years ago
I would be very leery of using any supplier who told me he had issues with all of the name brand window manufacturers he is naming. Sounds to me like the issue is in his company or office and he is passing the buck.
EcoStarRemodel
11 years ago
It's not that Atrium is that bad of a brand, it's just that there are better windows available in the same general price range. Anyone who tells you Atrium is a better window than a Simonton Prism Platinum/Reflections 5500 is not telling you the truth. It's likely they make more profit on the Atrium and that's the reason for the deception.

In NC, I would be looking at a combination of dual coated and triple coated LoE. I would not buy any window from a salesman who claims their windows will leak out all the argon gas. It is a further indication they are selling junk.
PRO
Windows on Washington Ltd
11 years ago
If you can get Simonton, get that window before the Atrium.

+1 to both Eco on Millworkman's comments.
toddinmn
11 years ago
You need to get some prices on the windows to compare.
My local Norandex dealer does not like Soft-Lite and will not mention them unless asked. They like to push the ViewPoint, Simonton and Walsh. They don't even display the Soft-Lite. That being said the the Soft-Lite Classic has a good price for what it is and is good at what it does.The Simonton's are a little overpriced and the Atrium's are priced for what they are.