Which window manufacturer provides the best value in their premium lines: Anderson, Pella, or Marvin? Please speak from personal experience.
We found this on Consumer Reports:
The best windows from our tests
In our tests of wooden, vinyl and fiberglass double-hung and casement windows we found 12 that performed well enough to recommend including four that we named CR Best Buys. Here is the top model of each type we tested.
Wood double-hung: Andersen 400 Series, $310 per window
Vinyl double-hung: Simonton Pro-Finish Contractor, $260
Fiberglass double-hung: Integrity from Marvin Ultrex, $450
Wood casement: Andersen 400 Series, $400
Vinyl casement: American Craftsman by Andersen 70 Series, $260, sold at Home Depot
For more choices see our full window Ratings and recommendations and read our recent reports, “How to choose replacement windows” and “When to repair and when to replace your windows.”
All three are great manufacturers of Windows and doors. It really comes down to personal choice based on design and what the customer is looking for as far as looks and what is offered in an interior and exterior presentation. Each manufacturer stands by their products with pride. Based on my experience I can tell you all three manufacturers Windows and doors hold up very well (when installed properly) in the most extreme conditions.
You should do research on the exact technical specs of the window series/styles you like best from each brand from a price and aesthetic viewpoint. Most people who install new installation windows do not consider maintenance or repair down the road. Some series of windows from each of these companies are non-reglazable, so if your glass unit’s seal pops and starts fogging or collecting water between the panes you will have to replace the entire sash which is more costly than getting a reglazable sash where you can just replace the glass unit as long as the frame is in good shape. I would also look for Energy Star certified products to reduce utility costs and redeem tax credits. I have found that as long as the windows are maintained and installed professionally, Andersen holds up the best over time. We replace rotted Pella and Marvin sashes quite frequently. Pella and Andersen are also the most expensive to replace sashes and hardware when they fail.