Doors and Windows - The best retrofit window??

I am thinking of replacing all the windows in my house with retrofit dual pane windows. Home Depot carries Viking brand. Can anyone share their experience with Viking or other brands of retrofits. The factors I am considering are quality, cost, ease of installation, etc.

One other thing, I realize my retrofit windows will be smaller because they have to fit inside the old frame. How much smaller will the windows get?

Any help would be great.
Serv

The amount of light you'll lose is not that much. The only time replacement windows give people problems is when they have a big A/C they put into that window. If that's the case, take a tape measure with you next time you go look at windows. Measure the glass width of both the new and old windows and that should give you an idea how much space you'll lose with the new window. In most cases it's about an inch.

Not all openings are equal and rarely are they square. Each manufacturer of replacement windows have ways to compensate for the variances. You should read the instructions carefully before attempting to install one.

The other problem people have is measuring for the correct size for replacement. I believe Home Depot uses the united inches method. Again read the instructions carefully before ordering the windows.

You could tell how well a window is manufactured by the type of Counter Balance Weight (CBW) it uses. Ask the sales person to show you the mechanism the window uses to hold the window up when you open it. If you look at higher end windows like Pella, Anderson and Marvin, it's apparent that they spend a lot of time and research on their CBW's. It's like kicking the tires of a car, you can tell a flimsy one from one that is more solid and secure.

I would suggest that you take the following into consideration. Make sure that the manufacturer has been around for a while. Warranties are an important issue in buying any product and you want to have a reasonable chance of "collecting" if something goes wrong. Get information on three or four different windows and get copies of the warranties and compare them. Good quality products will generally carry longer warranties on frame, parts, and glass (against seal failure.) Vinyl windows from different manufacturers can look very different. Some look "sleek" and "clean", others "boxy" and "clunky" etc. Another important issue in purchasing any new window is high performance low-e glass. You can buy a window with an energy efficient frame but 70+ percent of the window is glass and if it's not energy efficient, you're defeating your purpose. There are lots of ways to judge the energy efficiency of glass, but if you get one with a "shading coifficient" under .50 (.48) that will be fine. There are many more details but at this point you need to do some investigating yourself and come back with some informed questions.
Good luck
John

Viking are good windows, but Pella and Marvin seem to be the best. Only a few dollars more. In my business I use alot of windows. I always try to use Marvin if I can for one very good reason. They wall have a man come out and measure your windows correctly. Very important item..This service is free. All windows are manufactured to fit your openings. If you measure and they are the wrong size you have a window you can't use, and they do not take them back. If they measure them and they don't fit, they will correct their mistake. Good Luck