replacement windows from Home Depot?

We recently spoke to a window installer from Home Depot regarding their basic, vinyl, double-hung windows. Their windows seem really good, they have an excellent warranty/guarantee, but I felt are fairly pricey ($500 per window--we live in PA). They have 2 types of windows they are offering and I have some general questions that maybe someone here can help me with.

1. The upgrade has thicker glass (so it's less likely to break) and the panes are set farther apart so they can get more argon gas in them which was something he seemed very proud of. He said the thicker glass and wideer spacing/more argon helps with the insulation. But won't that argon just disipate over time? Is it really that great an insulator?

2. He also mentioned some kind of coating (a polymer I think) is on them to help the rain run off it rather than bead on it making it stay cleaner longer. Does that really work?

3. The corners are mitered instead of boxed. Does that matter in the long run?

Besides the high cost per window they have a minimum requirement of 3 windows installed or they charge you a $200 surcharge. We really only need one window installed right now, but there is no way I'm paying $700 for one double hung window to be installed. Is it unusual to have a minimum requirement or is that standard?

Thanks for your help!

 

How long do you plan to live in the house? If you are planning to sell the house soon, your extra cost of super-deluxe "brand X" windows may not be worth it.


The sort of person who might be willing to appreciate the deluxe windows would most likely drag you over the proverbial coals with hundreds of nit-picky details and contingencies. Do you really want to deal with a buyer who pro-rates the impact of minute details?

 

Actually we just bought the house and plan on being here for 30-40 years so we want good windows, I'm just trying to find out if the Argon, mitered corners, the polymer coating, etc. are really worth it.
Thanks

 

Ask Home Depot who actually makes the windows. You might be pleasantly surprised. I bought all my Viking replacement windows at HD. Viking is the name Pella put on their windows sold to HD.

Contrary to popular opinion, the big boxes do sell quality merchandise. They can sell it for less because they buy in trainload quantities instead of truckloads. If a manufacturer can make a large production run, their unit cost goes down and some of the savings actually make it to the consumer.

Getting quality from a big box takes a little research but there are good deals there................and some real junk, too.