Hey...hey.

I don't back up everything that Millworkman says...unless it is positive about me. Then yes.

But in all seriousness, Millworkman has more experience with wood windows than I do and my lesser experiences all echo his recommendations.

Regardless of the "technical" evaluations of the windows, I would suggest that you examine how Jeld-Wen has previously handled warranty claims against their product. I don't know the Sierra Pacific product but I can speak about how Marvin has previously handled warranty failures and it is above board.

They have posted on here and sought to help out in any manner than they could. That speaks volumes about a company that doesn't really need to do that to secure their reputation.

What technical evaluations are you looking for. Most of the feedback here is based on in the field observations of window failures, deficiencies, and general construction.

As you stated, the warranties are similar so everything on paper looks the same so what good would technical document that reflects that same scenario benefit.

There are certain things in wood windows that tend to translate into a better overall product and are representative of a company approach to longevity.

The first would be extruded vs. roll formed cladding. Roll formed is cheaper, easier, and less wasteful by its very construction. Extruded is thicker, more resistant to expansion/contraction, and generally more difficult to work with.

I would opt for a window with extruded cladding because it indicates a companies construction tenor and dedication to materials selection.

Second would be engineering. I have handled some extremely large Marvin units before and they work as flawlessly as the more modes sized units. That indicates an attention to detail and thoughtful selection of components. By contrast, I have taken other wood windows out of the paper and not had them work and require field repairs before setting them.

The last would be warranty handling and see my notes above.

You are definitely a big time heating degree dominated climate up there.

That being said, do either of these windows, or any that you have looked at, get you the energy performance that you need to see?

Wood in and of itself, might night be the best choice unless you have something in a super efficient option.

A modern style home will look good with the more narrow profile and modern frame style.

You are close enough to Canada. Have you examined any of their higher end fiberglass options. Most would be available with a wood interior for a wood feel to the inside as well as have much higher efficiency glass and air tightness ratings.

Hopefully this gives you a bit of information outside of what Millworkman might so I can shake off my "parrot" tag.

Good luck with the project and please feel free to post up as I am happy to volunteer any feedback on products or options.

I have experience and have heard some issues with the Sierra Pacific product. The quality is just not on par with it's competitors. How the cladding come together is sloppy, they have ugly beads where the cladding comes together on the stiles and rails of their doors. I've seen whole houses of windows that they failed to glaze the glass in properly, and their response is that it's easier for them to fix problems as they come up than making sure it's done correctly in the plant. They also paint their own cladding which has had some problems lately were the paint did not adhere properly and hundreds of homes have been effected. Now these are things I've heard from customers, I'm sure Sierra Pacific took care of the problems. But it's their attitude of we can fix everything later if it ends up being wrong, that is concerning. No attention to detail and quality. That's how they keep their prices low.

The Jeld-Wen W-2500 line is their lowest line, I personally don't see the quality in their products, but I have no experience with them so I can't comment. It is true though as WoW said that they have had issues with honoring warranties.

I think the main point to take away from this is when it comes to wood/clad windows, paying a little bit more usually pays for quality.

If budget is your concern. I'd also look into Fiberglass as WoW said as well. Integrity All Ultrex casements can look very modern if you go with the Ebony or Bronze exterior. If you're still wanting wood it seems like you know your options.

Rereading my post I might have been harsh on Sierra Pacific. They sell a lot of product on the west coast. Plenty of people have success with them. The problems that have come up though, I find concerning. They are a budget oriented product. It's true for any product category, lower budget, more risk.

Thank you for your thoughtful responses.

It seems like in the end, how the company deals with problems is the most overriding factor. Perhaps because we are in an area where Jeld-Wen and Sierra Pacific manufacturing are close by, builders and homeowners have had good customer service experiences with these companies which translates to why they continue to use these products over and over again.

I have read about the roll form vs. extruded concerns. As a layperson, it is difficult to know what that means in terms of cost/value. Both the Sierra Pacific and Jeld-Wen Siteline EX are made out of extruded aluminum and appear to be well made to me, but I guess that is why we are struggling with the decision. As I said, Sierra Pacific seems to be one of the few manufacturers that meets AAMA 2605 for their clad products and have the warranty to match. Interesting that they are perceived as a "low budget" window. Neither their pricing (that we have received) nor their materials selection would seem to correspond with that perception.