For anyone needing some ballpark pricing on windows, I was just quoted approximately $1,130 for a fiberglass double hung Serious 725 window, with simulated divied lites on the upper sash only (6/0). Size was egress compliant at 40" x 62". Price included shipping but not tax.

This window is out of my price range but they also said they are coming out with a new fiberglass window which will be less money in a month or two. The above price reflects the price increase they will be instituting shortly. It also included full screen and nailing fin, but not installation.
Just thought this might help someone get an idea of cost.

I got some window quotes last week for Marvin Integrity All Ultrex Fiberglass frame windows. The bulk of the windows I had quoted are single hung windows. All are double pane low E II w/argon. I had a total of 19 windows and 2 sliding glass patio doors quoted. Prices include delivery. The following is a sample of what I had quoted.

(1) 3050 (36"x60") single hung base price $237.38. Rect Grids Between the Glass (GBG) = +$51.38. Half screen = +$10.01. Sheetrock return = +$12.87. Cashmere exterior finish = +$11.44. Total price = $323.18.

(1) 3060 (36"x72") single hung base price $266.69. Rect Grids Between the Glass (GBG) = +$77.22. Half screen = +$10.72. Sheetrock return = +$12.87. Cashmere exterior finish = +$11.44. Total price = $378.94.

Before I got the quote, I thought the GBG were standard or no cost. I like the look of them on the front of the house, but now I'm thinking about no GBG on the back windows and patio doors since it just blocks my view of the woods and river and also reduces the solar heat gain in the winter, not to mention the $1000+ it will save not to have them installed.

I looked at the Marvin Integrity all Ultrex website. Is "stone white" really the only option for interior color?

That appears to be the case.  Which was fine with me.  But since it is fiberglass, I guess it could be painted any color you wish.

Sarayale

The price for a DH is out of my range as well. I am very curious about the new window that Serious is coming out with. What else can you tell me about it. Where else can I get more info about it and pricing. Any help would be great. Maybe it's worth waiting for...

Thanks!

Don't know too much yet, except that the u values will still be better than most windows out there but not as good as the 725. The two dealers I am talking to still don't have exact pricing or details but that info should be coming to them in about a week. I will keep you posted. You can also go on the Serious website and ask them for a dealer in your area.

Is Serious the same as Inline? I just read on the Window and Door magazine that they have a new R-11 fiberglass window. Is this the new window you were mentioning? I checked their website and didn't see anything.

Inline is a different company and from what I could tell, their windows are less expensive than Serious. The inline new window does not have anything to do with the Serious new window, as far as I know.

Serious currently uses the Inline fiberglass extrusion to manufacture their fiberglass windows. Serious then does their own glazing, assembly and inject foam into the frames (Inline insulation is EPS slid into the hollow frame). Serious has quad glazing in their 925 series, Inline is limited to triple glazing, and Inline doesn't use heat mirror film (a positive or negative, depending on your opinion of heat mirror).

The most recent triple glazed Inline windows we used on a job had a U=0.17 / SHGC 0.30 for the low SHGC windows (Cardinal 272), U=0.20 / SHGC = 0.50 high SHGC (LOF glazing) for their low profile 325 fixed unit.

They look identical from the outside and inside, it's extremely different to tell them apart. We budget $45 - $50 / SF for Inline, $65 - $70 for Serious.

Cascadia Windows is also the same window as Inline, based out of BC. They have a better website than Inline currently, more details and better pictures: http://www.cascadiawindows.com/

Hello Jesse. Thanks for sharing this helpful information. Regards, Steve

Actually Inline does offer Heat Mirror film I have purchase two patio doors from them over a year ago with the Heat Mirror installed. I also believe they have started offering a quad pane glazing glass on the outside and 2 layers of heat  mirror inside.

Thanks, good to know.

Back on Jan 25th eguion wrote:

"........In my math, double pane, argon filled, low-e windows - never - gained more BTUs than they lost during the winter months in the Northeast US.  Of course, the math works out differently depending on location.

If you want to learn how to do your own calculations read this:  http://www.easternct.edu/energyscience/EES%20305/305_PDF/Heat%20Loss.pdf     "

I was surprised at eguoin's conclusion that double glazing without low-e was more energy efficient than double glazing with low-e. I suspected he hadn't been able to consider a high solar gain low-e.

So I downloaded the fact sheet linked his post and compared several window choices over the heating season.  I used a 5 month heating season (Nov.-Mar.) because this is typical of a better bult and insulated new house.  Older and less well insulated homes would have a longer heating season.

According to the linked fact sheet and my math, over this time period there are 4837 HDD in Hartford CT .  Over the same 5 month period a south facing window would receive 144,670 Btu's from the sun, again according to my math and the data in the fact sheet.

I ignored window air leakage, because it is relatively small load (loss) for a hinged or a fixed window.  I used, perhaps not surprisingly, data from our windows, specifically our casement windows.  The results are listed below:

R-30 Wall
- 3,870 Btu/ft^2 (Net Loss)
             based on: SHGC 0.0, U 0.033 /R-30.0

Double glazed, low solar gain low-e
+ 8,119 Btu/ft^2 (Net Gain)
              based on: SHGC 0.27, U 0.27 /R-3.7

Double glazed, clear glass
+ 27,459 Btu/ft^2 (Net Gain)
                based on: SHGC 0.53, U 0.42 /R-2.4

Triple glazed, clear glass
+ 33,911 Btu/ft^2 (Net Gain)
                based on: SHGC 0.48, U 0.30 /R-3.3

Double glazed, high solar gain low-e
+ 38,109 Btu/ft^2 (Net Gain)
                based on: SHGC 0.51, U 0.30 /R-3.3

Triple glazed, 2 low solar gain low-e
+ 39,992 Btu/ft^2 (Net Gain)
                based on: SHGC 0.45, U 0.19 /R-5.3

Other windows would have different characterisitcs and would give different results. However, while the absolute energy flows for each glazing option will likely change by manufacturer, the relative ranking of the glazing options would not likely change for this location.  In other words, as an example,  the high solar gain low-e will produce the lowest heating bill of any of the double glazed options.

Hope that helps.

Hello Stephen. Thanks for taking the time to put up a great post! I believe that your comment about the high solar gain/low-e is very instructive. In short SHGC is extremely important. ............. I did my own modeling via Excel spreadsheets that created a matrix of BTUs, crosstabulating SHGCs and U values. In short, my results mirrored what you showed in your post. ............ Hence, the "holy grail" for those of us planning fenestration for passive solar house designs is low U/high SHGC. Very few US companies offer that now. An example of the best one can do is to get a window like an Andersen 200 casement with U = .45, SHGC = .60. That window will outperform, in my New Mexico climate with 5500 - 6000 HDD, another window with lower U and lower SHGC. According to my model, U.50/SHGC.61 is approximately the same performance as U.25/SHGC.44. Again, the higher SHGC can, and often does, trump the lower U value. ..... Now, having said that, I do have other choices, such as the windows made by your company, German makers, and the US company, Serious. I wish that I could strongly consider Thermotech windows, but I cannot find anyone around here who is a dealer. Hence, I fear transportation costs would kill me. FYI, I did receive a nice email response from one of your people about your windows............. Be Well, Steve

altovitner:

You should also consider Milgard and Robert/Permaglass out of Canada. I am also looking for high shgc and low u values and they will give me that in fiberglass for about $600 a window (approximate price for double hung egress compliant), much less than Serious (although the u values of Serious are better).
Inline, Comfortline and Owens Corning I think are also offering similar products in fiberglass.
Cascadia and Accurate Dorwin were more expensive and out of my budget.

Whoever you deal with, ask them about changing the glass package. Many window companies can get you a different glass for very little extra to get you the high shgc with a standard u value (around .30). Don't just look at what the dealer tells you, or what you see online because they can usually switch out the glass and their distributors usually have the high shgc glass.

Hello sarayale. Thanks very much for your information and tips. I most certainly will be on the lookout for the companies you mentioned. Moreover, your point about asking for different glass is a good one. Regards, Steve

To back up Stephen, there are very few companies who understand tuning glazing as well as Thermotech, it's a big added value in purchasing windows from them.

Have any of you experience with Cascadia windows?  We are thinking of using them for a four story condominium building to replace rollform Kolbe wood/aluminum windows.  Is fiberglass our best choice?

Cascadia priced out really high for me for double hung fiberglass. Don't know if that has to do with shipping to NJ, but I would get a sample price on a typical window to see if it is in the budget first.