I am in the planning stages for build a house in zone 5. I was originally going to build a code minimum house but I found this site and now I'm looking to kick it up several notches. I'm looking for a good new construction style window that won't kill my budget. I'm hoping to find something readily available, that seals well and has a good R value. I know you can't have it all. I'm just hoping for some recommendations of good middle of the road windows. Thanks

There are any number of pretty good U0.25 ish double pane windows that are "good enough". If you're stepping it up to U-0.20-ish performance, Harvey has some reasonably priced well designed triple panes, as does Paradigm.

Taking the U-factors lower than that don't make a whole lot of sense in a zone 5 location, unless you're trying to hit some particular performance point (PassiveHouse USA or something.) Being conservative on total window area , window placement, shading factors etc, it's possible to hit Net Zero Energy with U0.25, or even U0.28 windows with an array that still fits on the house.

Some basics:

Avoid windows on the west side (or minimize the size if you must), since the low angle PM sun will cause peak cooling loads to soar.

Design roof overhangs on the south side to kill mid-day solar gains from April through August, but allowing those gains to creep up beginning in September. You can sometimes get better performance from a total energy use point of view with a somewhat higher U-factor on the south side, if it has a higher solar heat gain coefficient (SGHC), but at the expense of a higher peak heat load. Code min south side windows, properly shaded might even be close to optimal.

North side windows still have a net energy gain, but don't go crazy on size since the peak heating load grows with window size. North facing windows offer shadow-free daylighting, making it preferable to other orientations for daylighting considerations.

Casements & awning windows are generally more air tight than than single or double-hungs, and offer more egress area. Single-hungs are tighter than double-hungs. Fixed inoperable windows are even tighter, and often a better choice for many locations in a tight high-R house.

Don't forget code minimum for bedroom escape egress. The windows in bedrooms MUST be operable and the opening must be large enough for an adult to escape from. That is listed in the IRC book.

My issues with windows bought in the States is that they are a compromise to work in all areas of the US. We are in Michigan and actually went with Canadian Inline Fiberglass windows. I believe they are designed for colder weather and that is when we need them to perform. I also don't like wood in any window (mold, rotting, paint/stain upkeep). Our windows were half the cost of the US windows we priced. There is no import tax and us dollar is better then Canadian dollar.

I've heard various reports about the service from Inline over the years - not many positive. Please let us know if you've had positive experiences with them.

We received them last fall and have been installed since spring. Good so far. Will have to see what winter brings. Thanks for the heads up.

We did go to Canada to check them out and made a weekend of it. They gave us a very nice tour of the plant, worth the trip to Toronto to see the product first hand.

I looked into them several years ago - they sounded great. Remember mostly that they didn't return phone calls & were in general non-responsive. Also know that that type of behavior can change when different people have that responsibility, so I haven't written them off.

As always, lots of great info. thank you!

Yes, I have the egress standard almost memorized now :-)

One of the local building supply places recommended Marvin Integrity windows. Are they as good as he made them sound?

I will add Inline to the list for quoting.

Marvin Integrity double hung windows are not available with triple glazing, but most of their casements and awnings are. They are IMO, excellent windows - fiberglass frame, good fit & finish, long lasting, nice looking pine interiors. I prefer European style tilt-turns, but for someone looking for a medium priced American window you can't do better. I've been replacing the old single glazed windows in my house with them, as well as using them where they make sense in new work.

Marvin Integrity double hung windows are not available with triple glazing, but most of their casements and awnings are. They are IMO, excellent windows - fiberglass frame, good fit & finish, long lasting, nice looking pine interiors. I prefer European style tilt-turns, but for someone looking for a medium priced American window you can't do better. I've been replacing the old single glazed windows in my house with them, as well as using them where they make sense in new work.

I suggest vinyl windows, they are easy to maintain and long lasting. When I was looking for window structures while we were replacing windows, our contractor asked to get vinyl windows. We installed vinyl windows, it is being 1 year since then and hasn't seen any problems till now.

Posted By Lbear on 26 Oct 2016 10:59 PM
Don't forget code minimum for bedroom escape egress. The windows in bedrooms MUST be operable and the opening must be large enough for an adult to escape from. That is listed in the IRC book.

You only need one egress window or door per bedroom. The other windows can be smaller or fixed.

T-sox, have you looked at Duxton Windows?

oops!

well shoot!

Well life has been in the way of the house planning. The house we were living in went on the market and sold in just 3 weeks! No one (including me) thought it would sell that fast right before Christmas but it did. That left us scrambling to find a temporary place to live.

Everything is mostly settled now and things are somewhat back to normal. I need to get back on the house planning before the weather breaks. I will look into Duxton windows.

I'd also look at Alpen. Full fiberglass frames, and triple-glazed. Prices are a bit higher than Marvin Integrity on smaller sizes, but significantly less on large units. You can also choose among low and high SHGC glazing with no change in price. Marvin charges a huge premium for that. And a US manufacturer with very good service.

I'd also look at Alpen. Full fiberglass frames, and triple-glazed. Prices are a bit higher than Marvin Integrity on smaller sizes, but significantly less on large units. You can also choose among low and high SHGC glazing with no change in price. Marvin charges a huge premium for that. And a US manufacturer with very good service.

Depending on your price range and time frame, it may be worth getting a few quotes from German manufacturers. Even basic vinyl models will often outperform domestic models on quality and insulation most of the time. Disclaimer, I work for a German company =)

A good middle ground option can also be aluminum clad vinyl which will give you a bit more strength, better u-values and have a nicer look without the cost of wood or alu clad wood.

If you want US manufactured but European style and better energy performance, check Alpen or Glo Windows for example.

The problem I have seen with European window is (IMHO) to there insulation values better they reduce the glass area in the window. You end up with a lot less glass for the size of the rough opening in the wall. Which also makes them look ugly to what US people are used to.