Author: thewindowdog

The Pella 250 Series windows are a decent vinyl window option. This had been the mid-range option with the upgraded Pella 350 series windows being the top of the line. In my humble opinion the Pella 350 series model was a better choice but that model has since been discontinued. Now the 250 series is the top of the line option.

With that said, the 250 series is a decent window model, but not as nice as the higher end options that you can get from other manufacturers. I don’t know why they discontinued their nicer option, but all we’re left with is this 250 window model.

What are the advantages of the Pella 250 Series windows?

The advantages to these windows are pretty limited. They are made by Pella. They’re obviously a large and well established company so that’s a positive.

They do offer a neat screen option in the hidden screen. This is a screen that is attached to the bottom of the window sash and it comes up when you open the window. Here’s a picture:

They say this screen is backed by a 10 year warranty but that would typically only cover manufacturing defects. If your kids (or your cat) damages this screen there will be replacement costs. It’s also not as simple to fix as a regular screen. I think an option like this is neat in a brochure, but not necessarily as neat in real life.

What are the disadvantages?

There are a few downsides to this window model. They’re not the most efficient and the color options are pretty limited. We’ll have more info in both of those topics below.

Beyond that, these windows are generally more expensive than comparable windows from other manufacturers. The pricing I’ve seen from customers tends to show these windows being offered at a pretty significant price premium. That just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. I’d say the relatively bad value proposition is a pretty substantial drawback to these windows.

What colors are available for Pella 250 Series windows?

The color options for these windows are rather limited. It is common to see many more available colors when looking at windows from larger manufacturers. In this case Pella limits the color choices to just the few options shown below.

As you can see the basic window colors are white, fossil. If you order one of those options the windows will be that color inside and out.

Then you can add an exterior color if you want to jazz it up a little bit. The only exterior color options are brown and black.

So, while the color options are pretty limited they do offer the most popular colors. I would guess these options will do the trick for the majority of customers.

Are the Pella 250 Series windows energy efficient?

They’re very middle of the road in terms of efficiency. They advertise three InsulShield glass packages which is a nice way to try to keep things simple. They don’t advertise efficiency ratings. This is a pretty common thing to do when the efficiency ratings aren’t remarkable.

Generally when a company offers real measurable efficiency ratings that are pretty good they’re happy to tell everyone about them.

Is the Pella 250 Series warranty any good?

Not really. We’ll have a complete Pella vinyl window warranty review coming out within the next several days so look for that. For now, the warranty is decent in that it’s backed by a very large company. That’s good.

There are substantial drawbacks to the warranty. For example, they try to restrict your ability to sue them if the products have issues. The warranty term can also be shorter than you’ll see from other vinyl window manufacturers.

I’d say the warranty on the 250 series windows is probably ok, but not a selling point in my opinion.

What’s the bottom line?

Overall I think this is not the best option in most cases. Some customers are just more comfortable with well known brands like Pella or Andersen and that tends to be why these windows continue to sell.

There’s nothing particularly wrong with the Pella 250 series windows and I think many people would be happy with them. The value isn’t typically the best as you’re paying a premium for the Pella name. I do think you can get a better value elsewhere.

How can you find a great window company?

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.

Other posts you might find interesting:

• The BEST replacement window reviews
• Why you should NEVER buy Andersen windows
• Is triple pane glass worth the cost?
• Can you get window prices online
• How to find a great window company

Here we have Andersen Heritage windows reviews so you can find out if these are the best windows for your project. These are aluminum windows which aren’t nearly as popular today as they once were. Why have customers turned against aluminum windows? Are the Andersen Heritage windows any good? Let’s find out.

What are the advantages of Andersen Heritage windows?

These windows are made in the Southwest. That’s about the only part of the country where you’ll still see a lot of aluminum windows.

Advantages of aluminum windows are that they can be made with very slim frames in a wide range of styles. Aluminum is stronger than other materials like vinyl or wood so the frames can be smaller and the windows can be larger.

You also get a more commercial look which can be a good fit for some projects. Here’s an example.

In order to get a look like this you really need an aluminum window. In that case, the Heritage model might fit the bill.

What are the disadvantages?

The downsides of aluminum windows including the Andersen Heritage windows are the prices and the short warranty.

Aluminum windows are generally a fair bit more expensive than their vinyl competitors. In the case of the Heritage window the warranty is also much shorter. We’ll have more warranty info below, but it’s not a great sign that this window model might have the shortest warranty of any Andersen window product. In my mind the warranty is an indication of how long the manufacturer expects the products to hold up. It’s pretty important.

How efficient are Andersen Heritage windows?

Interestingly, Andersen publishes efficiency data for just about all of their window models, but they don’t appear to publish ratings on the Heritage aluminum windows.

Aluminum windows are often not as efficient as other window types and I can only assume that’s why this info isn’t published. In addition to probably being less efficient than other types, aluminum windows can also have relatively high air infiltration rates. If anyone out there has real info on the efficiency ratings, including air infiltration please post a comment below to let us know.

If you’re considering these windows I suggest you do it for the look and the commercial style rather than for the efficiency.

What colors are available?

The color options are rather limited. Below you can see the popular interior and exterior colors. They do also offer custom colors, but that’s not always a great idea.

You can see they offer the same colors in the thermally improved and the non-thermally improved options. Who knows why they make that distinction in the colors graphics since the choices are the same. They do list the options in a different order which is also a little weird.

The finish warranties are different on the painted vs anodized finishes so that’s something to be aware of. More info on the warranty below.

Is the Andersen Heritage window warranty any good?

Not really. In fact compared with the A-Series, E-Series, 200 Series and 100 Series it might be the worst Andersen window warranty. That’s not good.

This limitation recently appeared in all of the Andersen window warranties. I think it’s a bigger deal than people might realize. If you don’t opt-out of this clause within 1 year of purchase (not installation) your rights are severely limited. I don’t really know how that’s legal, but I’m not a lawyer.

Beyond that, there are other important limitations to be aware of. For example, you get coverage on the insulated glass for 20 years. That’s pretty good, but there’s more to the story.

As you can see above the warranty for non-glass components is very short. 2 years from date of purchase is almost silly compared to what you get from other manufacturers. Say it takes 2-3 months from when you ordered until the windows are installed. That means you might only get 21 months of warranty coverage. That’s unusual.

The warranty on the anodized finishes is only 5 years. You also get that same 5 year term on the applied finishes. That’s not a particularly long time for something that is sold as being very durable.

What’s the bottom line?

If you need aluminum windows for a commercial look or for extreme sizes this might be a decent option. Just be aware that the warranty is short and you’ll want to understand the efficiency ratings.

Aluminum windows used to be very common, but other materials have gained substantial market share as customers pick other options. If you don’t need aluminum windows for your specific project you might want to look at other frame materials.

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

How can you find a great window company?

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.

Other posts you might find interesting:

• The BEST replacement window reviews
• Why you should NEVER buy Simonton windows
• Is triple pane glass worth the cost?
• Can you get window prices online
• How to find a great window company

Here we’ll look at Andersen 200 Series windows reviews to see if these windows are a good choice for your home. The 200 Series is the cheapest wood window option from Andersen. That means it won’t be as nice as the fancier A-Series and E-Series windows that we’ve reviewed previously.

The 200 Series is a step up from the 100 Series which uses their Fibrex imitation wood frames. Since the 200 is real wood it might be a better option. Let’s find out.

What are the advantages of the Andersen 200 Series windows?

The main advantage of these windows is that they’re made with real wood. As I’ve said previously, my company primarily offers vinyl windows, but I do understand why someone might want wood windows. There are many tradeoffs that come with wood windows vs vinyl including higher prices, shorter warranties and less efficient results.

That said I do definitely prefer real wood to imitation wood products like composite and fiberglass windows. I’d say the fact that these use real wood is the main advantage over other products.

What are the disadvantages?

The drawbacks to these windows will include the efficiency, warranty and prices along with limited options and styles available in this model. The Parma-Shield exterior vinyl cladding can also be a concern.

Years ago my company offered wood windows through Jeld-Wen and the rep from Jeld-Wen used to pick on the vinyl cladding that Andersen offered. He would say that their extruded aluminum cladding was stronger and more durable. I have Andersen wood windows in our cabin and they have the vinyl cladding. It’s held up just fine for me, but it is something that competitors might do better.

We’ll get into a little more detail on the efficiency and warranty below. To keep it short here, the overall efficiency ratings of these windows are pretty mediocre. The air infiltration rates are higher than you’ll see from most vinyl windows meaning they let in more air when closed and locked.

The warranty is also much more limited than a vinyl window, but pretty similar to what you’d expect for a wood or composite window. For example, you get 20 years of coverage on the glass unit and 10 years on most other components. The warranty on exterior wood is 5 years.

There is a substantial limitation of your rights to sue them if there are problems down the road. You can opt-out of this limitation but only if you do it right away. If you delay you may lose those rights forever. Find more info on that below.

Are Andersen 200 Series windows energy efficient?

Not really. While they say they offer the “industry’s widest array of glass options” the efficiency ratings for those options are pretty typical. There’s nothing I’ve seen that would indicate these windows are any more efficient than anything else. In fact, there are many window options out there with far more efficient options.

The air infiltration rates are another concern. They only publish the rating as being <0.20 which is pretty high. I usually suggest looking for a window with an air infiltration under 0.05, but that’s really more geared towards vinyl windows. Wood, composite and fiberglass windows don’t seem to seal as well as they almost always have higher (worse) air infiltration rates.

As you can see in the chart above the U-Factor and air infiltration rates for these windows aren’t fantastic. They do offer more glass packages with different ratings but nothing about the efficiency options is remarkable.

Is the Andersen 200 Series warranty any good?

It depends. Compared to most vinyl window warranties the warranty on the Andersen 200 Series windows is not very good at all. That said, when you compare this warranty to other wood windows it looks a little better.

That said, there is one very important aspect of this warranty that you should be aware of:

This is the first paragraph in the updated Andersen windows warranty. In my opinion it’s pretty important. If you don’t opt-out of this restriction within 1 year of the date of purchase your rights are severely limited.

Notice they use the date of purchase as the start of the timeline which is probably a month or two before your windows are actually installed. I would recommend everyone go to their site and opt-out of this restriction ASAP.

Beyond that limitation the rest of the warranty is pretty reasonable. You get 20 year coverage on the insulated glass, 10 years on most other components. There is no labor coverage and no glass breakage coverage either.

What colors are available for Andersen 200 Series windows?

The color options are pretty limited for the Andersen 200 Series windows. Here you can see the interior and exterior options.

The exterior colors are the permanent-shield exterior cladding which is a vinyl cladding. As I mentioned above it’s something that Andersen’s competitors use against them. To be fair I do have personal experience with this product and it’s worked just fine for me. It might be something to be concerned about in a very high sun area, but how much you weigh that concern is really up to you.

The only interior options are an unfinished pine or a repainted white. If you wanted to paint yourself or if you wanted a white interior these options will be perfect. Otherwise this will mean you’ll be paying someone else to paint them which will add to the cost of your project.

What’s the bottom line?

Overall, if you’re someone who has to have a wood window and you want a relatively basic solution this might be a fine product. The efficiency and warranty aren’t great, but they are similar to other wood windows.

The color, style and hardware options are very limited, but many people don’t pick the fancy options you see in many window brochures.

If you do want different colors, styles or better efficiency you’ll definitely want to look elsewhere.

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

How can you find a great window company?

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.

Other posts you might find interesting:

• The BEST replacement window reviews
• Why you should NEVER buy Simonton windows
• Is triple pane glass worth the cost?
• Can you get window prices online
• How to find a great window company

Find Andersen 100 Series windows reviews here to see if these are the best windows for your house. The Andersen 100 Series uses Fibrex frames which is a composite material that is also used in the Renewal by Andersen line of replacement windows. This product can come with quite a sales pitch, but is it really any good?

Here we look at the Fibrex frames, the energy efficiency, warranty and the advantages and disadvantages of this window model to see if it’s the right fit for you. Let’s get started.

What are the advantages of Andersen 100 Series windows?

The main advantage of the Andersen 100 series windows is the look. They can look very nice. These windows use a composite frame material that they call Fibrex. These frames offer a painted finish that can look a lot like a wood window.

They’ll tell you the Fibrex frames are more durable than a wood window and prettier than a vinyl window. Andersen finds themselves in a tricky spot promoting this product. They want to show it as being “better” than a vinyl window, but they don’t want to compete too much with wood windows since they sell so many wood windows.

Unfortunately the nice look of these windows is about where the list of advantages ends. Let’s look at the disadvantages for more info.

What are the disadvantages?

The main drawbacks to this window model are the price, the warranty and the efficiency. Those can be pretty major drawbacks.

The prices for these windows can vary based on the dealer or distributor that is offering the windows. We’d typically expect to see them installed for $1200+ per window so the cost is up there.

The efficiency is another major drawback. We’ll get a little farther into the ratings down below, but the U-Factors are higher (worse) than nice vinyl windows and the air infiltration ratings are higher (worse) also.

Beyond all of that the warranty isn’t as great as the warranties you’ll see from other companies either. It’s true that this warranty is transferable regardless of who owns the house. That’s good. Unfortunately the warranty is much more limited than other options. We have more info on details and examples from the actual Andersen 100 series warranty below.

Are the Fibrex frames really any good?

I’m not a huge fan of paying a premium for imitation wood. I do like the look of real wood windows and I understand why some people pay the premium for it. In my mind if you want real wood windows you should get real wood windows. Getting imitation wood windows has just never really made sense to me.

For example, the warranty on the 100 Series windows is 10 years on the frame members. The warranty on the A-Series is also 10 years and the warranty on exterior wood frames on the Andersen E-Series is 5 years.

So, if the Fibrex material was so super duper you’d expect it to have a significantly longer warranty than other models, but it doesn’t. I know some people say they don’t worry too much about warranties, but the warranty is telling you how long the manufacturer expects the product to last. If they thought it would last 50 years it would have a 50 year warranty.

In my mind the Fibrex frames are more sales pitch than anything else.

Are Andersen 100 Series windows energy efficient?

Not especially. There are many glass packages available for these windows and they’ll all have different efficiency ratings. You’ll see catchy marketing names like HeatLock, SmartSun, PassiveSun, etc. These all sound great, but the ratings are all relatively average.

As with other Andersen wood and composite windows, the air infiltration rates are not the best. It seems that they just can’t make these windows seal very well and that’s not ideal.

For example, a nicer vinyl casement window will have an air infiltration rate of 0.02 or maybe 0.04. The Andersen 100 Series casement windows have ratings of <0.20 which is substantially higher. They don’t publish the exact ratings for each model and size so we’re just going by the published info.

Overall the efficiency ratings for these windows just don’t look very remarkable.

Is the warranty for Andersen 100 Series windows any good?

Not really. Andersen is in a strange spot with the 100 Series windows. They’re trying to compete with both wood and vinyl windows. In comparison to the warranties for most vinyl windows the 100 Series warranty is not very good at all.

Most vinyl windows will come with a lifetime transferable warranty that is good for as long as you own the house. Those warranties are then transferable when you sell the house. The 100 Series comes with a 20 year warranty that is actually only 10 years on many components. That’s shorter.

The salespeople sometimes say that lifetime warranties are actually only 7 years, but there’s just not any truth to that. The fact that you can still find salespeople saying things like that tells you that they know the warranty doesn’t compare very well.

Note in the paragraph above, they say you give up your right to be involved in a class action suit or to have a jury trial. I don’t know why they seem particularly worried about that, but it’s something for you to be cautious about. You have 1 year to opt out and that year starts when you originally placed the order, not when the windows were installed. I’ve read a lot of window warranties and this feels a little tricky to me.

When comparing the 100 Series to wood windows the warranty looks a little better. It’s very similar to the warranty you get on the Andersen A-Series windows and you might say it’s a little better than the warranty on the E-Series windows.

Overall, I’d say the warranty on these windows isn’t a selling point in my opinion.

Are Andersen 100 Series windows the same as Renewal by Andersen?

Not exactly, but the Fibrex frame material is the same. We’ve heard from many readers who commented at the bottom of this page saying they were able to find much better prices on Fibrex in the Andersen 100 series vs Renewal by Andersen. I certainly believe that to be true.

There are some differences in the products, but you get the same frame material, similar efficiency ratings and significantly lower prices in the 100 Series. We’ll have a full comparison post looking at 100 Series vs Renewal by Andersen soon, but for now it’s my opinion that the 100 Series is a significantly better value.

What colors are available for Andersen 100 Series windows?

There are a surprisingly limited number of colors available for these windows. Below you can see the interior and exterior color options.

You can see they do offer a black exterior with a black interior which is something you don’t find from most vinyl window manufacturers. If you’re an HGTV fanatic who has to have black interior this could be a decent option. I am surprised that you don’t see 50 color options for these like you do on some other Andersen window lines. I can only guess that they use fancier color options to entice you into more expensive window lines.

You do see more of their signature strange sales claims regarding colors. For example, they claim the finish is 12x thicker than vinyl windows. Has anyone ever been too worried about the thickness of the paint?

Remember, when you’re reading claims made by window companies you want to focus on what it actually means to you. Do you care if the paint is thicker? I don’t. You might care about how long the paint will last and you can see that in the warranty.

Most vinyl windows with a painted exterior finish will come with a 10 year warranty on that finish. What sort of warranty do you get on Andersen 100 series windows?

You guessed it. 10 years. So they claim that the paint is thicker and you’ll “never have to paint it” but then they tell you in the warranty that they don’t expect it to last any longer than the “thinner” paint on other windows.

What good is it if it doesn’t last longer? Sounds like it might just be driving up the cost. How can they say you’ll never have to paint it and then say they only think it’ll last 10 years. Sounds like just another sales pitch to me.

What’s the bottom line?

Overall this is a good option if you’re in love with the idea of the Fibrex composite frames. If you’re willing to pay the substantial price premium over a vinyl window for an option that is pretty but is less efficient, has a shorter warranty and is much more expensive than this could be an option.

I do think this is a much better value than the similar Renewal by Andersen line. If I were buying windows like this for my house I’d definitely get real wood vs the imitation wood you get with this Fibrex line.

That’s really a distinction that’s up to you. If you prefer this look over vinyl and you’re comfortable with the trade offs then it’s a fine solution. Otherwise, I’d look elsewhere.

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

How can you find a great window company?

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.

Other posts you might find interesting:

• The BEST replacement window reviews
• Why you should NEVER buy Simonton windows
• Is triple pane glass worth the cost?
• Can you get window prices online
• How to find a great window company

Here we have Andersen A-Series windows reviews to see if these are a good option for your home. Andersen says these are their best performing and most energy efficient windows. Does that mean these windows are a great choice or is Andersen just trading on their name and reputation in the industry? Let’s find out.

What are the advantages of the Andersen A-Series windows?

Similar to the Andersen E-Series that we reviewed recently, the A-Series is a very nice looking product. That’s going to be the main advantage to these windows over other choices. Here’s a glamour shot from their brochure:

Unfortunately, beyond the good looks there are some downsides to these products that you should be aware of.

What are the disadvantages?

There are a range of disadvantages to these windows. For example, they’ll be considerably less energy efficient than a nice vinyl window. They’re also relatively expensive and the warranty is much more limited, in some respects, than others.

For example, in the brochure they say the A-Series windows never need painting and they hold their vibrant finish.

Then in the actual warranty they say the windows won’t fade for 10 years. Of course most people never read the fine print in the warranty, but we do.

To say the windows will “never need painting” and then say the warranty is only for 10 years feels a little dishonest to me. If they really thought the windows would never need painting shouldn’t the warranty cover the finish for a little longer? Maybe that’s why they want to limit your right to sue them as part of the warranty. We’ll get more into the warranty down below.

So, the main drawbacks of these windows in my mind are the warranty, the efficiency and the relatedly high prices. Next we’ll look at the efficiency.

Are the Andersen A-Series windows energy efficient?

Not really. We know Andersen touts these as being their most efficient windows and the ratings can be decent, but they’re defininltey less efficient than windows you’ll see from other manufacturers, often at lower costs.

For example, in preparation for this article I reviewed efficiency ratings for over 150 configurations of the A-Series casement window. The very best U-Factor available without grilles was 0.24. Lower is better when it comes to U-Factors and 0.24 is ok, but it’s definitely higher (worse) than you’ll see from many other manufacturers. Why is this the very best that Andersen offers? I have no idea.

As you can see the very best ratings we could find for the most efficient option available in a casement window still isn’t particularly great. These are probably more efficient than the old windows in your house but they’re not as efficient as many other available options.

What about the Andersen A-Series air infiltration rates?

This is another area that doesn’t look so great for Andersen. The air infiltration is presented in the chart above as being <0.20 which is pretty underwhelming, especially for a casement window. Most top of the line type casement windows will have air infiltration ratings around 0.02 or about 1/10th of the air that you get through the A-series windows.

To be fair air infiltration is one of the ratings that will vary by size so it’s sometimes challenging to present one rating for one window. The size of the window can change the rating a little bit. Still, 0.20 is super high for a casement window. Most vinyl window options will seal much better.

Is the Andersen A-Series warranty any good?’

Not really. Right off the bat I would be concern that they try to limit your rights in the very first paragraph.

As you can see, right off the bat they say that you give up your right to participate in a class action suit or to have a jury trial unless you go to their website and fill out a form within a year of the windows being installed.

This strikes me as being a little tricky as most people won’t have a problem in the first year so they likely won’t actually read the warranty. If you spend $20k on windows and have a problem 3 years down the road your rights might already be limited. Strange.

We already showed you how they claim these windows never need painting but then say if they fade after 10 years you’re on your own.

There are some aspects of the warranty that are better. For example, the insulated glass is covered for 20 years. They may just provide the glass and no labor, but at leas the glass is covered.

The other components like locks, latches, balances, etc are only covered for 10 years which is also a relatively short time period. They also have no obligation to provide labor for a repair to these components either.

And, labor is not covered at all.

The warranty is transferable and stays with the windows rather than with the purchaser which is a nice feature. Many other warranties make you transfer the warranty to the buyer of the house hoping you’ll forget. Andersen doesn’t do that and that’s a selling point if you ask me.

What’s the bottom line?

Overall I’d say these window are very pretty. They also come with relatively high prices, a very limited warranty and efficiency ratings that aren’t too great.

If you’re in a situation where the look that they offer is worth the tradeoffs then these windows might make sense for you. for everyone else, there are probably better options out there.

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

How can you find a great window company?

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.

Other posts you might find interesting:

• The BEST replacement window reviews
• Why you should NEVER buy Simonton windows
• Is triple pane glass worth the cost?
• Can you get window prices online
• How to find a great window company