For the Best Windows for the Money – These are Must Haves
- 100% virgin vinyl
- Welded frame and sash Triple weather stripping around sashes
- Lowe/argon gas a must for energy star
- Slim line design so u don’t lose too much glass space w replacements
- Vent latches that allows sash to open a little but not completely
- Drain holes on top of the sill not below on the outside which allows greater air flow into the home
- Vinyl wall thickness of .08 mm or more
- Honeycomb/multi chambered frame design to deaden air flow
For the Best Windows for the Money – These are What You DO NOT NEED
- Exotic materials that are 2-3x the price of vinyl. vinyl represents over 80% of the replacement market for a reason.
- Nothing needs to be inside the sash ie. foam filled/fiberglass insulation (this does not lower the ratings of the window with it)
- Reinforced meeting rail (with a wall .08 thickness, this is not need unless window is really big)
- Triple pane not needed in Pa. climate (it’s an oversell.)
- Triple/quadruple insulation around sashes (over kill but the hard sellers love to pump this stuff up)
More Consumer Advice on Buying Windows
We go into a lot of homes everyday and get all kinds of questions about why to buy vinyl windows vs. all the HIGH-PRICED other materials out there.
Hard Selling by Competitors
If we get into the home, the consumer did not bite on the hard sell tactics of my competitors that you “must buy today” some exotic material other than vinyl (you know who I mean, the first name starts with an A, and starts at $2,000/window, they will beat you down to $1,700/window and finance you for the rest of your life, but you got to buy tonight. They advertise every 5 minutes all over the place and hope 25% of the world buys. You get 20 years on the glass, and 10 years on the window. I do not call this a great warranty for $2,000 per double hung window).
In reality, how much time do you spend looking or staring at your windows? Most would reply “not a lot”. Window and Door Magazine is a leading source for sales data on all windows sold in the US. They say, “All replacement windows sold 80% of the time are VINYL”. My competitors would never tell you this because their hard-selling methods would be Flushed. Grant it, there are low and high-end vinyl windows. We sell ONE high quality vinyl window.
Some of their windows might be prettier with a few more bells and whistles, but are they really worth 2-3 times the price of a vinyl Keystone Window? We do not think so. Our windows are extruded to look like wood on the inside and out. They are usually white, but we can paint them and add wood grains to the interior if the customer wants this.
Energy Ratings are Important (We Beat Energy Star Requirements)
Our energy ratings (.27 U Value) are below energy star requirements in this climate zone, and our warranties are Lifetime on the vinyl including labor.
Our air infiltration ratings are below energy star requirements by 60%. There is no air coming through ever. Look at their energy star stickers completely because their catalogs that they show you are tested to their own liking, and advantages. Our vinyl is all first-generation virgin vinyl and welded for long term-beveled beauty. We have triple insulation around the sashes for maximum comfort. Vinyl thickness produces a DP50 rating (design pressure).
Our windows are also a narrow line design and you lose less glass space than with most of the other windows out there. You always lose glass space when you buy a replacement window, but don’t buy the thick/bulky windows out there.
Top Shelf Supplier
The 2nd oldest vinyl window company in the USA makes our windows in Ohio. When you buy a good window, you will get 25 years of performance out of it. You can pay $2,000-$1,000 per window or a lot less from Keystone Window. I don’t think you can tell the difference what material it is, unless you are 6” away from the window, so why overpay, get less of a warranty, and higher energy ratings?