Find our Andersen E-Series windows reviews here. We’ll look at the options, colors, efficiency, warranty and more to see if these windows make sense for you.
Many people know the Andersen windows name, but that doesn’t mean that they only make great windows. There are advantages and disadvantages to everything so let’s see if these windows are any good.
What are the advantages of Andersen E-Series windows?
The main advantage these windows offer is the look. They can really look nice. Unfortunately that’s where the list of advantages seems to end.
If you were comparing these windows vs vinyl windows you’ll find vinyl windows tend to be more energy efficient, have better warranties and cost significantly less. Really the only reason I see to pick windows like this is if you must have the look of a wood window.
If you’re in that camp and you just love the look and feel of wood windows then these can be a decent choice. Otherwise, you might want to explore other options.
What are the disadvantages?
The main disadvantages to Andersen E-Series windows are the cost, the not-so-great efficiency and the short warranty. We’ll get into more detail below, but there are reasons that these aren’t the most popular windows in the world.
They are pretty though. Let’s do one more glamour shot before getting into the style options and more of the downsides.
What colors are available for Andersen E-Series windows?
There is a pretty wide range of color options for Andersen E-Series windows and that’s one of the selling points. Below you can see the standard colors. When you read about windows as much as I do you start to notice some interesting things. For example, see their note about the colors being unaffected by the sun.
As you can see in red above, Andersen advertises that these windows are unaffected by the sun if you pick one of the anodized finishes. That seems a little odd so I read the footnote and reviewed the written warranty. Here’s what I found:
As you can see, the anodized finish is only covered by the warranty for 5 years. After that if it flakes or fades you’re out of luck. So much for being unaffected by the sun!
They also say that if the finish fails within in the warranty period they might repaint it and the finish may not be the same. Or, they can replace it but they won’t cover the labor so you’re on the hook for that. Or, they might refund you the original purchase price. Not great options.
The warranty on painted finishes actually looks to be better, but they reference anodized finishes as being unaffected by the sun. Marketing is strange.
One more thing about the colors
The footnotes are often my favorite part when reading window info. It’s where they tell you what they actually mean vs what they said in big print.
Funny that they list mahogany as an available wood species, then say it’s not actually mahogany at the bottom of the page. I guess writing Mahogany-ish would have been confusing too…
Is the Andersen window warranty any good?
It’s decent for a wood window, but substantially worse than most vinyl window warranties that we review. There’s a lot to understand.
For example, you’ll notice right off the bat that they want to limit your right to sue them if you have a problem. That might not be a great thing. Here’s a relevant section:
This sounds to me like they very much want to avoid a class action lawsuit. I suppose that’s understandable for them to want, but I don’t think most customers are aware that their rights are being limited in this way.
If you’re buying these windows I’d opt out of that limitation. I can’t think of any reason why you’d want to limit your rights like that.
Other interesting limitations of the Andersen E-Series warranty is that the glass units are only covered for 20 years with no labor coverage for replacement.
Exterior wood is only covered for 5 years, interior for 10 years. The painted finishes vary from 5 years to 20 years and the hardware, blinds and screens are only covered for 10 years.
Overall the warranty is rather short compared to the other warranties I’m routinely reading. We’ll have another post on the Andersen E-Series window warranty soon. Here it is! In the meantime I’d make sure you understand that despite the high cost of this product the warranty is still on the shorter side.
Are Andersen E-Series windows energy efficient?
Not really. I just reviewed efficiency ratings for dozens of packages in the E-Series casement windows as an example. I couldn’t find anything with a U-Factor lower than 0.27 for a triple pane window. Lower is better when it comes to U-Factors and 0.27 for triple pane isn’t great. Most of the products I frequently deal with will have U-Factors in the range of 0.22 or lower for a triple pane casement window. That’s a big difference.
Also, they only list air infiltration rates in ranges, but the ranges aren’t great. For most casement options it looks like they’re advertising < 0.20 which means the air infiltration rate could be as high as 0.19. For comparison, options we deal with frequently will be 0.02 or lower for a casement window.
What’s the bottom line?
overall the Andersen E-Series windows can look very nice. They cost quite a lot, they’re less efficient than other options and they have shorter warranties too.
So, if you need that look and you’re less concerned about the price and the efficiency these windows might be a fine choice. Otherwise, I would suggest you can find other options with longer warranties, lower prices and better efficiency too.
Other Andersen window posts you might find helpful:
- Why you should NEVER buy Andersen windows
- Andersen windows FAQ
- Renewal by Andersen Complaints – What’s going on?
- Andersen sells Silver Line and American Craftsman brands
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That part is easy. Check this section for recommendations of window companies all over the country. There’s no better way to get new windows.
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