New Construction Weather Resistant Windows
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Hello –
We are in the process of building a new small home at the beach (Superstorm Sandy destroyed prior), and am having a difficult time deciding which windows to put in our home. Our builder recommends a vinyl double hung Silverline by Andersen with StormWatch protection. Per code, all windows must be weather/storm resistant. Can anyone provide comment/opinions as to the best storm resistant (HurricaneShield, StormWatch, etc) windows? Andersen, Pella, Silverline By Andersen, etc? Wood vs Vinyl? My head is spinning trying to figure out what is best.
Thank you!
Replies
If you have TAS 201, 202 and 203 the state of Florida considers them to be sufficient for impact, structural and wind load respectively.
Dont live any where near you so I am not familiar with you cities requirements on windows. you should ask you builder what the minimum requirements are for the windows and most manufacturers will have a line that would cover those requirements.
If you are anywhere near the water (which i guess you are since the home was damaged by the huricane) I would probablly opt for a vinyl window. At least a vinyl exterior. Wood will be very high maintenance close to the water.
I have never used pella, but have not heard great things about them. Silverline, craftsman or any of those anderson lines are (to not say cheap) more budget frendly lines so know you get what you pay for. I believe windows are one of the items people tend to want to save some money on when they should be looking to spend as much as they can afford to.
Best of luck on the search.
You have a couple of issues here, basically code vs safety. A lot of states are way behind the curve on their wind codes, elevation requiremts etc, some having virtually none at all and this shows up whenever they have the most minor storms.
By Florida standards, "super storm" Sandy was not that super at all (Cat 1 to TS) but because so many homes were built below the FIRM datum and had very little wind resistance, it kicked almost everyone's ass.
If you can afford it. I would put in impact and wind rated windows, even if the code doesn't require it.
This is a guy in Texas who chose to build to the 150 MPH code when his neighbors were built to minimum code.
http://gfretwell.com/electrical/art.gilchrist.house.irpt.jpg
Clarification
Thank you for your responses - I truly appreciate the help and advice. I am not too worried about code and safety, as long as it is "storm resistant" or "impact resistant" we are fine. I am more confused on which is the best company/brand for long term durability. I assume all vinyl window is better than wood for the ocean air exposure? There are so many window manufacturers. Our builder uses Silver Line by Andersen with Storm Watch. Has anyone had any experiences with them, good or bad? Or Pella 350 w HurricaneShield? Encompass by Pella w HurricaneShield? Ply Gem with storm resistance? Andersen with StormWatch?
Thank you!.
I have no experience with Pella but my Andersen 400 sliders are pretty nice (wood inside, vinyl outside)
Usually they use local windows around here, WinDoor or PGT. the former being the better brand.
I have a WinDoor corner slider that is 150 mph rated and impact but it wasn't cheap.
You have more than a choice between vinyl and wood. Most of the major makers offer fiberglass and/or other products that are highly weather resistant.
The strongest windows usually have aluminum frames.
They are common in Florida but I know they are not that popular up north.
Not gonna happen here
Let's not beat around the bush here. There is no clear "best" window brand for long term durability or storm resistance. There are so many factors involving aesthetics, function, finish, specific site conditions, and cost that make that would be impossible to determine. Not to mention that you've provided very little insight to all of the above. If you're seeking that type of answer in this forum, then the best you're going to get are uninformed personal opinions . In this case (and in my opinion) they're near worthless.
I'd recommend working between your builder (sounds like his is barking up the right tree) and the specific window manufacturer to get the "best" answers to all your storm, durability, and budget concerns. If you're worried that your builder is biased toward one particualr brand, then ask them to present two other reputable window manufacturer options for your review. If you need more options than that, then you either don't trust your builder (get a new one) or you're being too anal (life's too short).