thewindowdog, Author at TheWindowDog | Replacement Windows Reviews

Why Do Most Salespeople Sound the Same?

You may not know this, but there are window sales consultants all over the country teaching salespeople the “best” ways to separate you from your money.

When you invite a home improvement salesperson into your house you may be getting someone who has spent years honing his craft. He’s worked on various closing strategies, he’s practiced handling your objections, he has a plan to drop the price at a certain point after you’ve said no enough times. He’s going to call his manager at just the right time to make you think you’ve really warn him down.

Every day people ask me why these companies require both the husband an date wife to be present for the quote or why window salespeople are all so pushy. One of the reasons is that they all learn from the same sales consultants.

You may think you’re just having someone come over to measure your windows at 6:30pm when you get home from work without understanding exactly what you’re getting yourself into. Before you know it you might have signed a $20,000 contract for windows that could have cost $8,000 after a 3 or 4 hour sales pitch. It happens every day, don’t let it happen to you.

Now I should say that I typically really like sales consultants. I like anyone who takes their work seriously and tries to do better today than he did yesterday. Unfortunately I think some companies and salespeople spend too much energy on getting the order at any cost rather than providing a great value and that leads to our whole industry getting a bad name.

It’s certainly the case that there are many good people in the home improvement business, but it can sometimes be hard to separate the good from the bad.

Here I’ll show you a handful of videos about these closing strategies. Notice the people in the audience, sitting there taking in this info. These are the salespeople that work for many of the largest window companies in the country. These are the people who could be sitting on your couch tonight for your free window quote. Or maybe they just left with your deposit last night.

If you have any questions or comments about these videos or any sales tactics feel free to post a comment. This might become an interesting section on the site!

What is the you deserve it close?

What will they do if you want to think it over?

Why do they want the husband and the wife to be there for the quote?

Have a question or comment, post it below. You can also find our explanations of other common sales tactics and replacement window reviews here. Want to get a quote from a reputable company? Find our list of fantastic window companies here.

Should You Replace All the Windows in Your House at Once?

I was recently talking to a very friendly and capable reporter for a window industry trade magazine (yes that’s a thing) about partial projects. That’s the term for projects that include some, but not all of the windows in the house. The conversation got me thinking that this is a topic our readers are probably interested in.

It happens pretty frequently that people will want to only replace a handful of windows that have a specific issue and leave the rest for later. Is this the best strategy? As with most philosophical questions, the answer is “it depends”.

Replace some of your windows now and some later — Mismatched windows can be a style choice for some. Ha!

Before we get into the meat of this topic I’ll suggest that if you’re considering a partial project because of the cost you may want to make sure you’re talking to the type of company that offers fair and reasonable pricing.

We frequently hear from folks who think they can only afford 5 windows due to an astronomical quote they received from an old fashioned high-pressure company. Companies like ours will offer much more reasonable prices so the customer who thought they could only afford a handful of windows might be able to afford the whole house.

When should you only replace some of your windows?

Folks typically want to do this when they have an acute problem with some of their windows. Maybe they have seal failures causing foggy or cloudy glass or windows that don’t operate properly. Sometimes folks do this because one room or area of the house gets very cold in the winter or hot in the summer.

This can be a great strategy, but you’ll want to consider the risks.

What could go wrong when replacing only some of your windows?

First, you’ll want to understand the costs of your project and how the cost will vary based on the size of the project.

For example, in most of our stores you get the best labor pricing when you order at least 5 windows. The windows cost what they cost, but the labor costs more on a small project. The per window price is then the same for projects between 5 and 200 windows. That means if you replace all of the windows except one and then you decide to do the one remaining window later it’ll cost a little more.

In fact, just today I got a text from one of our field reps who was working with a customer for whom we had just completed a $15,000 project. That customer wanted to replace two more windows and he was upset that they would cost more.

The answer is that’s just how it works. Replacing one or two windows just costs more on a per window basis than replacing 20 windows. I’m never happy to have a customer who is not feeling great, but we need to pay the installers for their work or they won’t stick around. If we want great quality results we pay for great quality team members and that costs a couple bucks.

If this customer had split up the projects into groups of 5 or more he would have been a happier camper. I asked our rep why he didn’t suggest that and it turns out the customer was planning on closing up those windows and has since changed his mind. It sounds like a situation where there wasn’t much we could have done and ultimately the last 2 windows are going to cost a little more. Sometimes that’s just life, but if you’re thinking about a partial project this is something to consider.

Will you be happy if the windows look different?

Another factor to consider when replacing some of your windows is that they’ll look, operate, and feel different than your old windows. You’ll have some that are new and pretty and efficient and some that are not.

That might bug me as I like things to match and feel the same. You might not care about that, but you want to be aware of it.

partial window project — Here’s an unusual look. If I had been working with this customer I would have suggested replacing both sides of this window.

It’s also possible that the window manufacturer makes a change to the model so your plan of buying some windows now and some later will result in them being similar, but not quite the same. This is not a big deal to a lot of people, but you’ll want to consider how you’ll feel about it before making that choice.

What about the hassle factor?

It’s also important to remember that any home improvement project can contain a little bit of hassle. I know in our company we try to make the process as simple as possible, but we’re going to need to make at least two trips to your house (one to measure and one to install). There may even be a service call needed. That’s 2-3 visits to your house.

If you replace all the windows at the same time you’ll then be done. If you split up the project into two phases you’ll be looking at 4-6 visits. That’s not the end of the world, but those are days that you could spend doing something a little more fun (edit: don’t get me wrong, windows are pretty fun!)

So what should I do if I’m considering a partial window project?

First, check with the company to see what the pricing will look like if you do part of the project now and part later vs doing it all now. A company probably can’t guarantee what the pricing will look like in a year or two, but they can give you an idea.

Next, consider how you’ll feel if there was a style change and the windows can’t match exactly. You can also ask the company if they’re aware of any upcoming change or if there have been any recent changes.

Then, look at financing options. Many companies offer 0% financing that might make the project a little more affordable than you imagined.

So what’s the bottom line?

Ultimately only you can decide if replacing some of your windows is better than replacing all of your windows. I know many of our customers decide on partial projects for a variety of reasons and ultimately it makes no difference to us. If you’d prefer to do some windows now and some later we’d love to have that business. I just want to make sure that you know the pros and cons so you can make the best decision for you.

If you’re looking for more info on replacement windows you can check out our list of common window sales tactics here and you can find our detailed replacement window reviews here.

If you have any questions or comments about this article post a comment below and I’ll do my best to get back with you. Have fun out there!

BF Rich Windows Out of Business!

You heard it here first, BF Rich windows will cease operations immediately. They informed their customers and employees earlier this week that they will be closing their doors for good. We received this tip several days ago and waited to verify the information before publishing. It is certainly unfortunate news.

As a business owner myself it’s not easy to talk about any company going out of business. Their employees, suppliers and customers will surely be negatively impacted. The biggest challenge here will be for their customers with pending orders and their past customers whose warranties will likely be useless.

Folks bought these windows with the expectation of a lifetime warranty and they will likely not receive that benefit. Even worse, there may be folks with pending orders that can’t be filled.

We haven’t heard any news about how pending orders or future warranty claims will be handled. We’ll update this post with additional info if and when we receive it.

BF Rich was founded in 1957 and currently employs approximately 130 people in their window manufacturing facility in Delaware. They have a very long history in the industry. I know one of our installers in the area was a huge fan of their products and was frequently trying to get us to carry them in our retail stores.

Remember when folks ask us for recommendations of replacement windows we often talk about the risks associated with working with a small manufacturing company. Just in the last several years we’ve seen Gorell, Republic, Schuco, Kensington, Serious and BF Rich windows close their doors for good.

These companies often have great brochures and convincing salespeople. Unfortunately, they can’t help you when an issue like this arises.

Smaller window manufactures are faced with relatively high fixed costs in a very competitive business. When they’re faced with a slowdown in sales, the need to retool a plant or the expiration of certain credit facilities they can quickly find themselves in a bad situation with very few options.

I saw a comment from the VP of Sales at BF Rich windows saying that their troubles stemmed from the great recession of 2007. This likely means that they were unable to secure the financing they needed to maintain their business. In my experience most retail replacement window companies have fully recovered from the slowdown of that period. That would mean their wholesale sales should have recovered, but there is probably more to the story.

Window manufacturers may still be feeling the effects do to the way their fixed costs, equipment and manufacturing facilities are financed. Many manufactures have also updated their product lines in recent years which is undoubtedly an expensive process. This means new designs, new tooling and much more. A company with limited financing options may not be able to make that investment in the business. That would cause them to have less competitive products, which would cause difficulty in attracting new customers and achieving much needed price increases.

It’s a shame to hear of a window manufacturer going out of business, but it’s likely to continue to happen. The industry is very fragmented and is undergoing a period of consolidation.

We’ll continue to report the industry news as we receive it and I’ll do my best to recommend products that are offered by companies that are likely to stand the test of time.

We thank the tipster who sent in this information and if you have any more info on this situation or anything else going on in the window industry please feel free to reach out to us at tips@lx4.faf.myftpupload.com

How to Repair Foggy Windows – It’s pretty easy!

One of the most common calls we get in the office is from folks looking to repair foggy windows. I think we’ve all seen what this looks like, but just in case, here’s a picture of the window dog himself trying to look for intruders through a foggy double pane window. It’s not easy to see the bad guys coming!

fix a window seal failure — The little fella works so hard to keep us safe. The least we can do is provide him with a clear view!

This happens when the seal fails allowing outside air into the glass unit. That air brings moisture with it and instantly you’ll see condensation or a film on the glass. This is ugly and it’ll never go away by itself.

Luckily for you we’ve made a quick video demonstrating how we fixed this problem. Enjoy!

It is important to note that even after your window is repaired it’s still an old window. You may find that replacing the window doesn’t cost much more than the repair and in that scenario you’d get a whole new window.

In this case, this is a wood 3-lite casement window with a clad exterior. The cost to replace this window would likely be over $2,000 so a repair makes sense and the results were fantastic.

fixed glass in replacement window — Now thats better. Frisco has a much better view and those pesky deer don’t stand a chance!

Now we’re still having some trouble with this window. The old cranks are a little shaky and it just doesn’t operate as well as a shiny new window would. It’ll probably get replaced sooner or later, but this repair will give it several more years of life and the whole room looks much better.

If you’re thinking about repairing your existing windows it certainly is possible although not always as easy as it looks. Replacing a sealed insulated glass unit in a vinyl replacement window can be tricky because the vinyl trim pieces can be brittle and if they break you may have a very hard time finding a replacement. We’ll have another video coming out soon on repairing or replacing glass in a vinyl replacement window.

Why am I having a hard time finding a company to do this?

Because it’s a bit of a hassle for the amount of money folks will pay. A professional may have a tool to measure the glass without removing it, but still you’re talking about 2 trips to the house, a few hours of work and taking the risk that something breaks or some unexpected problem arises. Factor in the driving time, the ordering, picking up the glass and this quickly turns to a project that requires many hours of work.

If you’re looking to pay $50 for someone to do this you’re going to have a real hard time. It’ll probably cost several hundred dollars to hire a professional, but if you’re comfortable tackling it yourself you could get it done for much less.

My Windows Won’t Stay Up – Easy Fix

This is a first in our series of posts on trouble shooting your windows. We hear from people all the time asking how to address a window problem. You’ll likely find that many common replacement window problems can be fixed pretty easily. Here we’re looking at what to do if your windows won’t stay up.

The first step is to take a look at the window itself to see if you can tell what’s going on. In all double hung replacement windows there are balances in the sides of the frame that support the sash and hold it up when you open it so it doesn’t fall.

We’ve made a quick video that may help to diagnose your problem.

There are only 2 likely scenarios if your windows won’t stay up:

The first one is that one or both of the balances are not connected to the sash. This would mean that the balances are there and they may be working fine, but they’ve become disconnected from the sash so they are not helping to keep the window open. In the video above we show you how to address that, it’s typically an easy fix.

The second scenario is that one or both of the balances are connected to the sash, but they are not working properly. In this case you’ll probably need to replace the failed component.

To do this you’ll need to identify which part has failed. There are 3 parts that might need to be replaced.

The pivot bar is a small metal bar that is attached to the bottom of the sash. This bar sticks out of the sash and connects to the balance shoe inside the frame. If your pivot bar is broken, twisted, or otherwise not engaging with the shoe you should remove it and take it to a local window distributor to see if they have a similar part.

if your windows won't stay open the pivot bar could be the problem. — Here’s a broken pivot bar. Most of this bar is inside the bottom of the sash of the window, the end of it should be visible.

If your pivot bars look good, check the shoes. The shoes are small plastic or metal blocks that are inside the frame. They connect the balance in the frame to the pivot bar in the sash. It is possible that the shoe could be cracked, stuck or otherwise defective causing improper operation. I you can remove the shoe try taking it to a local distributor to see if they have anything similar.

This is a balance shoe. If your windows won't stay up this might be broken. — This is a balance shoe. You’ll find a part similar to this inside the frames of your double hung windows.

If the pivot bars are looking good and the shoes appear to be in fine shape then your balances themselves must be defective. There are 3 types of balances, spiral, constant force or coil, and block and tackle. Be careful when removing the balances as they may be under tension and they could snap out when released. Balances can typically be removed with just one or two screws.

Once you have the components taken apart it will likely be pretty easy to see what is not working. If your windows are older or if you don’t know who manufactured them you may have a hard time finding compatible parts. Many window companies use very similar parts so it’s possible that another company will have something that will work for you, but you may need to try several distributors or manufacturers to find a part that will work.

Unfortunately if you can’t find the right part you might be out of luck and replacing the window may be the only option. Hopefully this info helps to solve your problem.

Understanding Window Prices

Recently the owner of one of our favorite window companies told me that a customer who had found him through our site was confused or unsure about my pricing examples so I wanted to clarify things a little bit.

This potential customer met with the owner of the company and when he showed her how the pricing would work for her project she said that Dan at TheWindowDog.com told her it would cost less and she thought he was offering a bad deal. I know him to be an upstanding guy, so I need to try to fix this situation.

It’s important to keep in mind that when I’m throwing out examples of what a window project should cost I don’t know anything about your house, your old windows or the options you’d like in your new windows. I know a lot of things, but I don’t know as much as the person who has taken the time to learn the details of your specific window replacement project.

As you’re reading my reviews it’s important to remember that most of the time when I’m talking about prices I’m talking about a plain, simple project with white double hung windows as that’s the most common scenario we deal with.

If your project requires extra work to fix a problem or if you’ve picked out windows with fancy options the prices will be higher. For example, if you’re ordering triple pane windows with a nice exterior color, a woodgrain interior and etched glass it will cost a bit more than any estimate I’ve thrown out there as those are expensive options.

This is why I repeatedly suggest starting with either the companies that we recommend here. You can be pretty confident that they’ll treat you well and give you an honest assessment of your actual project.

Folks do contact me with questions regarding specifics relating to their project and I try to help as much as I can, but without being directly involved in your project all I can do is guess.

I hope that helps to clarify any misunderstanding. If there is ever anything I can do to help just drop me a line with the contact link at the bottom of every page.

Thanks!
Dan

In Defense of Salespeople

Since starting this site I’ve attracted a bit more attention than I anticipated. As is often the case on the internet, there have been many people with questionable spelling skills who have criticized me for one thing or another. For the most part I have a chuckle, forward their emails to my friends, and move on with my life.

However, there has been one criticism that struck a nerve and it has to do with salespeople. Some of my most popular posts have been explaining the common sales tactics used in the shady corners of the replacement window business specifically and the home improvement business more generally. I’ve tried to shine a light on some of the methods that salespeople use to get folks to overpay for new windows and judging by many of the positive comments, I’ve been able to help quite a few people. That really feels great.

The criticism that has stood out to me has to do with the reasoning that because I’m exposing these tactics I must not like, appreciate or understand salespeople. This bothers me for several reasons, but most specifically because I have a deeper respect for a serious professional salesperson than just about anyone you’ve ever met.

I’ve worked in professional sales for almost 20 years in several industries. I’ve known great salespeople and sales managers and of course I’ve known the bad ones too. There are several important misconceptions relating to what it means to be a salesperson and this feels like a good time to address them.

First, misleading someone into making a bad purchasing decision is not the job of a professional salesperson. I’ll tell you why.

Sales is a craft. It’s a hard job that many people are afraid to do. It takes work and it involves failure; often quite a lot of failure. The failure is different than a baseball player who strikes out. That is done on the field in front of the crowd. Everyone knows you put in the practice and tried hard. You still might get cut, but your efforts are seen.

The failure that you’ll experience in sales is solitary. It’s you sitting alone in your car on a cold rainy night listening to a voicemail from a customer saying they bought elsewhere. It’s knowing you needed that sale to hit your numbers and remembering that customer shaking your hand and looking you in the eye just last week saying he was going to work with you. It can take an emotional toll that folks with regular salaried 9-5 jobs just don’t understand.

Folks deal with that kind of pressure differently and unfortunately some choose to take the easy road. You can lie or mislead your customers and if you’re half way good at that you can make a living. Being good at deception doesn’t make you a good salesperson. Why not? It’s too easy.

James Brown once said there’s a big difference between a lounge act and the main stage. If you need to mislead your customers to get a sale you will never make it to the main stage. You may be able to pay your rent, feed your family, buy a nice car, and you may even pickup a few “salesperson of the month” trophies, but you’ll never really be successful if you base your success on lying to your customers.

After college I was a finance manager at a car dealership in Indiana. We helped to arrange loans, sold extended warranties and other insurance products. During that time an undercover piece aired on a national news magazine show (Dateline or 20/20 or one of those). The show exposed some shady dealings amongst finance managers and it included hidden camera footage. It was pretty bad and as an insider it was completely unsurprising.

I knew that I never wanted to be the bad guy featured on one of those shows. I also knew that some of our transactions were not always the type that would make my mom proud. The pressure to hit our numbers was strong and we had to face the music in the managers meetings every month. A professional salesperson faces a level of accountability that Jill in customer service or Mike at the sandwich shop will never understand.

I was faced with a choice. I could keep doing things the way I had been taught and hope Stone Phillips never came walking through my door, or I could find a better way. I hid a tape recorder on my desk (this is back when recorders actually had tapes) and I listened to my interactions with customers, the successes and the failures.

I asked myself if I would be comfortable with this tape being played on the nightly news and at first the answer was a resounding no. To keep things short here I’ll let you know that I made it my business to solve that problem. I sought additional information about my products, met with experts, and focused my efforts on selling the products that created the most value for my customers. Within just a few months I was generating the second highest profit per contract in the dealership group, I was making more money each month and I was doing it with my head held high. There’s nothing wrong with making a lot of money when you’re not deceiving people.

Unfortunately in the window business it’s not uncommon for a salesperson to be in a no-win situation. There are many companies out there offering bad deals every day and the salesperson often has little to no say in the matter. A company offering typical vinyl replacement windows at $1,000 – $1,200 per window is offering a pretty bad deal and that salesperson is faced with a difficult choice. They can tell you it’s a bad deal and quickly find the unemployment line or they can follow the script and try to get paid.

In cases like that it’s common for the sales manager to recruit salespeople who are not familiar with the business. That way they can teach them that all of their claims are actually true. The inexperienced salesperson will believe this for a while which of course makes his job much easier. You can see evidence of this in the comments on my posts. We have industry people posing about how their windows really are so great that they are worth that cost. I ask them what makes them so great and they say things like virgin vinyl, special glass, fully welded frames, “top quality”, or they just don’t respond.

In many if not most cases the salesperson actually believes that his products are better. Why wouldn’t they? Their boss seems like a knowledgeable guy and he’s explained all of this very thoroughly. Once the salesperson realizes that many other companies are offering the same or very comparable products with similar installation and similar warranties at a fraction of the cost they’re faced with a pretty hard choice. If they’re going to keep their job the only option is to lie to the customer, try to sell the contract and justify it as being a “good salesperson” in order to sleep at night.

The job of a professional salesperson is to understand the wants and needs of their customers, provide a solution to a problem and to do it in a way that represents a real value to the customer.

Of course if you’re the salesperson you’re going to emphasize the positives and downplay the negatives. You’re going to know what your competitors are offering. You’re going to show that customer why your solution is the best solution and you’re going to continue to put yourself out there facing rejection every day.

You’re going to offer a professional demonstration of your products and you’re going to present information clearly and accurately in order to make sure that customers know you’re the best deal going.

If you’re going to make it to the main stage you’re going to work on your craft over and over and over again. How are you presenting this option? What caused you to lose that deal? What caused you to get this one? What could have gone better today? You’ll need to put in a lot of work that never gets seen.

When your coworkers spend 2 hours in a Starbucks waiting for their next appointment you spend that time in your car listening to a recording of your last sales call and talking out loud to yourself as you’re role-playing a different customer interaction. Does that feel awkward at first? Sure. Is it effective? Absolutely. Is it harder than drinking a mocha latte and talking about football with your friends? Yep.

When I started my company I knew I wanted to create an environment where success could be achieved without compromising our character and we’ve been lucky enough to achieve that. We have any great salespeople on our team who work hard every single day to help our customers. I know as the owner of a business I have the opportunity to control my own environment in a way that many people do not.

Ultimately if you find your self in a sales position that is a lounge act you have a responsibility to yourself and your family to find another job. Chalk it up as a life experience, and put those sales skills to work in the job market. As someone who has hired a lot of people I can tell you there are great jobs out there regardless of what you hear on the news. Staying in a bad sales job is nobody fault but yours.

Sales is a great profession. It can offer earning potential unmatched by many other professions and it comes with a freedom and a level of control that many people will never experience. Don’t be the guy out there lying to customers at 10:00PM about the managers special that expires today. It really is unnecessary and it gives us all a bad name. The really great professional salespeople in our industry make a whole lot more money up there on the main stage than any lounge act ever will. I promise.

If you’re looking for a window company right now, the best advice we have is to check out our list of the best window companies all over the country. You can find it right here.

Bow vs Bay Windows – What’s the difference?

We get asked about the differences between bow vs bay windows all the time. We finally decided it was time to whip up a post with the correct answer for all to see.

To put it simply the difference is in the layout of the windows. Both bow and bay windows stick out from the house, but they have a different look. Bow windows are made up of equal sized lites or panels while bay windows have a center section that is larger than the sides.

We may need a picture for this one. First we’ll start with a bay window.

Ok, so that’s a bay window. 3 panels, and the center is larger than the sides.

Now, here’s a bow window:
See the difference? The bow has several panels and they’re all the same size. A bow window can have 3, 4, 5, 6 or more panels, but they’re always the same size.

Is a bow window better than a bay window?

Nope, it is really just a style difference. Do you prefer the look of the larger picture window in the center or a bay window or would you rather have several symmetrical panels? One is not better than the other, they’re just different.

What is the price difference between a bow and a bay window?

The difference in cost is typically pretty small. Many manufacturers will charge more for a bigger window, but the difference between a bow and a bay is typically not a huge driver of the cost. A bow window with many panels (called lites) will typically cost more than a bay window with only 3 lites.

A cost difference of a few hundred dollars wouldn’t be unusual, but you shouldn’t see much more difference than that.

As you’re shopping for new windows be sure to check out our detailed window reviews here. If you’re looking for anything that you can’t find be sure to post a comment or send us an email. We read every single one and we’ll do our best to respond.

Single Hung vs Double Hung Windows

Here’s a little bit of terminology that is often misunderstood. What are the differences between single hung vs double hung windows? Here we’ll take a look at the basic definition and we’ll look at some of the other advantages and disadvantages including the cost, the operation, the screens, how they function and the typical price.

First things first! The basic definition:

Both single hung and double hung windows open up and down. The difference is that in a single hung window the bottom sash opens up and down, but the top does not move.

In a double hung window the bottom sash slides up and down AND the top sash also opens and closes.

Perhaps this picture will help:

single hung vs double hung windows — Here is the difference between a single hung and a double hung window.

So there it is, the difference is in how the window operates. People often confuse double hung with double pane. For the difference between double pane and triple pane windows check this out.

Ok, so how important is this difference?

Well, that’s really up to you. One important thing to keep in mind is that a single hung window does not allow the top sash to tilt in for easy cleaning. That means the bottom will tilt in, but the top will not. Is that a big deal? Only you can decide.

Beyond that many people don’t open the top very often so the difference is not important to them. We open the top quite a bit in my house as the window dog is a redbone coonhound from the hills of West Virginia and he would go straight through a screen if he saw a varmint in the yard. For us it is very important that the top opens, but you may have different priorities.

What is the price difference between single hung vs double hung windows?

This is a question we get asked a lot. The difference typically isn’t huge, but it can add up. The two windows are essentially the same with the single hung having less hardware. The cost difference between the two will depend on the manufacturer, but it wouldn’t be uncommon to see a price difference of $20-$40 per window.

If you have 20 windows in your house that amount can add up. We’ll often suggest switching to single hung windows as a way to save a few bucks, but it really just depends on how you plan on using them.

We hope that helps, for more detailed info on the greatest replacement windows check out these reviews. If there is anything you’re looking for that you can’t find just post a comment or send us an email. We read every single one and we do our best to respond!

Replacement vs New Construction Windows

Folks ask us all the time if they should get replacement windows or new construction windows. Are the windows the builder uses when they build a new home really any better or worse than the replacement windows that are sold by companies all over town?

We’re going to get to the bottom of this great debate right here. Get ready!

Before you can understand which option is better for you, you’ll need to understand what the terms mean. Basically a new construction or new home window is designed to be installed before the siding or brick is installed on the exterior of the home. A replacement window is designed to be installed after the siding or brick is already on the home.

Take a look at this picture. Here you can see two Pella windows that I bought from Lowes. The two models are very similar, but one has a fin that goes around the perimeter. This is called a nail fin and it is the only real difference between replacement vs new construction windows.

new home vs builder grade vs replacement windows. — This nail fin around the edge of the window is the only difference between replacement vs new construction windows.

That’s the only difference. Now, some people of varying degrees of honesty may tell you there are other differences beyond the nail fin (also called a nail flange). Let’s take a look at what someone might say.

New constriction windows are builder grade windows. They’re cheap and flimsy.

This is often true and it’s something to watch out for, but it’s not always the case. You can see in our review of the ThermaStar by Pella Series 10 new construction window that many of them are cheap.

Manufacturers build new construction windows with builders in mind. Believe it or not they’re more focused on the builder who buys thousands of windows than you, the guy looking to install 15 new windows in your home.

They know that builders want windows fast and cheap so that’s what they make. Builders know that when you’re buying a new home you’re looking at the fancy tub and the shiny kitchen. The windows are often an afterthought so they don’t spend any more money than they need to.

Here’s one way to think about it. When you’re buying a new home you’re buying a whole lot of things all at once. You’re less focused on each individual thing. When you’re buying replacement windows you’r just buying windows. You’re focused on the windows and you’re trying to get the best products you can.

Manufacturers of both new construction and replacement windows know this very well and they prioritize quality and costs based on the typical customer for each product.

If you’re buying new construction windows and you’re looking for quality be careful. It’s easy to go wrong here.

New construction windows will give me more light than replacement windows.

This may be true, but it may not. You’ll need to have a good idea of how the windows will actually go in before you can make that determination. Remember, the only real difference is the nail flange. The window itself is the same.

Often times replacement windows are installed inside the existing wood window frame. This is called a pocket installation because the window is placed in a pocket in the old frame.

There is nothing wrong with this installation method. In fact all new vinyl windows have a 3.25″ jamb depth because they’re designed to be installed in a wood frame.

Could you get more glass area by removing the existing wood frame? Maybe, but maybe not. If you remove the wood frame a new wood frame would typically need to be installed. Sometimes this comes with the windows, sometimes the installer will build it on site, but it is typically part of the installation. Is the new wood frame any thicker or thinner than the old wood frame you removed?

I have no idea, it depends on your house and you’re installer, but the difference is probably not dramatic. This is often used as a sales tactic, but it typically doesn’t make any noticeable difference.

New construction windows form a better seal than replacement windows.

I would expect this idea is spread by folks who are more familiar with new construction window installations. When installing a new construction window it’s easy to see how it’s sealed. Typically the nail flange is fastened to the sheathing then there is a moisture barrier (like a house wrap) and flashing tape applied in a specific manor around the window. When done properly it looks solid and it’s easy to see that it’s done.

In a replacement window installation it’s harder to see because you’re relying on the seal of the existing frame behind the siding. There are literally millions of replacement windows installed each and every year with no epidemic of leaks so it’s safe to assume that if they’re installed properly there is no greater risk of a leak from a new construction or new home windows compared to replacement windows.

So, which one is better?

Like most things in the window business there isn’t necessarily an easy answer. In general new construction windows are cheaper and of lower quality than replacement windows, but there are nice new construction and cheap replacement windows. The best strategy we can suggest is to find some local experts to take a look at your home and make a few suggestions.

We know the window business can be difficult to navigate and we applaud you for taking the time to do your research before making a decision. We would suggest doing the same thing when calling local window companies. We’ve done some of the work for you. For starters you can find our list of the best local window companies right here.

Author: thewindowdog