| Author |
Message |
Pamy
Member
01-01-2002
| Friday, June 26, 2026 - 7:29 pm 
We had 22 ( it included the windows in our back house). It was worth it, kept the house cooler. It's been about 10 yrs and they are still like new
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-06-2000
| Saturday, June 27, 2026 - 12:33 am
I get those cash offers wanting to buy my place but no reasonable place to go in Orange County CA and I have absolutely no desire to relocate. So I have to keep climbing stairs.
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Mack
Member
07-22-2002
| Saturday, June 27, 2026 - 5:37 am
We have a main floor master bedroom and while our office and movie theater are upstairs we can easily live on the main floor for the most part. We only momentarily considered replacing only the front facing windows but actually when pulling the screens out the windows that failed were two in the back of the house and two in the front. No way of knowing which ones would have failed or how many if we hadn’t stopped. It will be a few weeks before we know at least the initial bid but we’re prepared for a sizable cost. I should have added that during the door upgrades last year we didn’t upgrade the door from our master to the patio. It doesn’t match exactly the doors from our family room to the patio but we had it painted and I changed the hardware so it looks pretty much the same. We rarely, like in almost never, use it but now is the time to just get it all done.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-06-2000
| Saturday, June 27, 2026 - 10:11 am
Yes, that is a good thing to have, all essentials downstairs.
We do have a very limited number of one story units, but they are pretty small.. Would be adequate but are rarely on the market. I do like sleeping upstairs with a view looking at a very large elm tree.
But it seems like everything you have done and plan to do are making your environment better and better.
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Grooch
Member
06-16-2006
| Sunday, June 28, 2026 - 3:20 am
Mack, so glad you did not go Anderson. I do not care for them, did not want them when we replaced our windows, was not listened to, and now I'm stuck with them. Ugh.
Here's a little story and something you should check into before you sign anything for any windows you buy.
In the main bedroom, on one wall, we put in 1 giant window that is really 3 windows all next to each other. After they were put in, it was time to decide what to get for window treatments. I wanted Plantation shutters, but no way that was in the budget. Lol! So, I figured i would get individual blinds that went inside the windows.
Well.... I discovered that with these Anderson windows, you can't do that. Because you would have to install the hardware into the frame of the window and that would void the warranty. Wait what?!? Who designs these things? If I wanted shades, I would have to get one very long one to cover all 3 windows at once and put the hardware into the wall, which is ridiculous and would cover the fancy-dancy frames the windows have and just look ugly.
I googled what other people did, and there were a lot of complaints online from people with the same exact problem. One person posted a solution for what he did and it was ridiculous and not a perfect solution. These complaints started years ago, so Anderson isn't listening.
I lucked out and got a set of very expensive blinds (maybe Hunters) from an estate sale from a mega mansion that was being torn down for $50 that fit perfectly, and a carpenter friend who put them up for free and somehow managed to do it without voiding the warranty. They're an old set (they have cords to pull them up and down, and to open and close the shades) but they look brand new. Maybe the old ones have a different way to attach them, or the more expensive ones have better hardware. I don't know, but I love them.
Moral of the story, figure out how you want to cover your windows and check to see if it will void the warranty before you sign anything and save yourself a major headache.
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Mack
Member
07-22-2002
| Sunday, June 28, 2026 - 7:16 am
Thanks for the heads up. Indeed one of the things we want to do is replace a lot of the window coverings we have today. Some actually were installed by the original owners of our house some 26 years ago. We’ve kind of lived with them but with new windows and slightly different configuration it’s time to update/upgrade.
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Mack
Member
07-22-2002
| Monday, July 06, 2026 - 7:01 am
We are going ahead with our window replacement using the same company, in fact the same project manager, that did our doors awhile back. Their window count is a little different than ours but they count the arched top of our three palladium windows as separate windows so the final count was 39 windows versus our count of 36. They are also going to replace the last two exterior doors we didn’t replace in the previous work. One is the door from our master bedroom to the patio that we rarely use but it doesn’t exactly match the other two doors from our family room to the patio. It also isn’t as energy efficient as the new doors. They will use the same manufacturer and line as the family room doors so other than being a bit smaller it will be an exact match. The other door is actually the service, sometimes call a man door, in the garage to the driveway. Again it rarely gets used but part of that is that it is failing so I just leave it be.
We are not using Anderson windows. Nothing really against Anderson because they are great windows but we’re getting all the windows and the last two doors replaced for 60% of what Anderson wanted for just the windows. According to Consumer Reports Anderson gets an A+ and the company supplying our windows gets a B+. At our age it just doesn’t make sense to go with Anderson. We did talk to a friend who is a real estate agent and she said the key if we sell like in the next ten years it will be the windows and doors will have been replaced will be certified energy efficient. The brand has little to no impact and the warranties are almost exactly the same. Because of lead time to make the windows and the doors and our travel plans looks like it will be September before we actually get the work done.
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Pamy
Member
01-01-2002
| Monday, July 06, 2026 - 7:29 am
We got Anlin windows. We love them. Good luck with the project!
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Mack
Member
07-22-2002
| Monday, July 06, 2026 - 8:07 am
We’re going with the Mezzo Series windows from Alside. The doors will be from ProVia. ProVia also makes windows but the cost is close to Anderson. We really like their doors so stayed with them.
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Grooch
Member
06-16-2006
| Monday, July 06, 2026 - 9:03 am
Congrats Mack on getting that part decided and done with. It's a stressful thing deciding because it's such a huge commitment.
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Mack
Member
07-22-2002
| Monday, July 06, 2026 - 9:30 am
It was kind of hard but after breaking a window and having three others malfunction when we tried to pull screens it had to be done. We met with our financial advisor and together we gamed out a way to in essence to pay cash for them so no monthly payments. Barring a downturn in the stock market he says he’ll recover the whole outlay in five to six months or sooner.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-06-2000
| Monday, July 06, 2026 - 3:48 pm
That will be a relief to have it all done.
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-26-2000
| Monday, July 06, 2026 - 11:34 pm
We live in a lovely over-55 community where the windows get replaced when needed by the condo association. As do roofs. And exterior painting, and buildings and roads. And we have an in indoor swimming pool and gardeners. I found this place about 15-20 years ago from going to estate sales. Bwahahahaha!!! I said when we have to get off the steep freaking hill with the steep freaking driveway, we should move to this place. And we DID! MY estate sale will be a doozy. I have already told Bigdog if I go first, and we are still here, just tell all the neighborhood women to come and empty my clothes and shoes and accessories.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-06-2000
| Tuesday, July 07, 2026 - 1:48 am
Ah, we have to handle our own windows and garage doors but our association does cover roofing, painting, concrete, asphalt, landscaping, clubhouse, pools, tennis/pickle all court, basketball court, kiddie play yard and a few benches and even free poop bag dispensers for dogs. We are all age, though.
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Mack
Member
07-22-2002
| Friday, July 10, 2026 - 2:58 pm
We met with the project manager for the window and door project today and completed the final details. He will write up the final contract next week for us to sign. On the advice of our financial advisor we will take a loan out with the window company but that’s only to float the funding until after the first of the year. We have the funds but taking them out now would cost us more income tax. We’re not going to do the install until mid September because of our travel plans and it won’t be quite as hot then. Means we’ll only be “borrowing” the money for 90 to 120 days with no penalty for early payment. The project manager knows this and supports it.
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Grooch
Member
06-16-2006
| Friday, July 10, 2026 - 4:47 pm
How many windows can they do in 1 day? Curious minds want to know.
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Mack
Member
07-22-2002
| Monday, July 13, 2026 - 1:13 pm
They are planning on five to six windows a day. In reality I think some of the windows are quick and relatively easy. I figure the bigger palladium windows, of which we have three, could take the better part of a day. Project manager is planning seven working days.
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Mack
Member
07-22-2002
| Friday, July 17, 2026 - 4:13 pm
We officially signed the windows and doors contract today. Now the ball is in the contractor’s court. We are still asking for a mid September install.
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Grooch
Member
06-16-2006
| Friday, July 17, 2026 - 4:34 pm
Congrats!
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Mack
Member
07-22-2002
| Monday, July 27, 2026 - 4:05 pm
Took the next step in our window and door replacement renovation project. The project manager and the installer foreman came today and made the final measurements. Lead time is about 5-6 weeks. While most of the builder’s grade windows were standard size we do have seven windows that are non-standard. We’re excited about the project and extremely happy that the same foreman who did our previous door replacement will be the installer again. He is an incredible installer and nothing short of perfection is his goal.
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Mack
Member
07-22-2002
| Saturday, September 12, 2026 - 5:40 pm
Just an update. Still waiting for our window replacement windows to be received by our installer. We’re thinking maybe a couple of weeks until that happens. Meantime, and is it turns out more than one project, we’ve met with the company that will replace some of the window coverings once the new windows are installed. No contract with them but the devil is in the details and the final measurements once the new windows are installed. Next on the agenda is the renovation of our guest bedroom bathroom upstairs and our powder room downstairs. Met with a designer yesterday and signed a contract with her and her company to do both. That will take several weeks because of the custom work so won’t be done until February 2027 after we return from our South Pacific cruise in January 2027. As an aside note we bought a new refrigerator for our kitchen. They have delivered it twice but the first refrigerator was damaged somewhere in shipment. The second try today was a manufacturer defect so returned again. According to the place we bought from the third replacement won’t be here until late October. Carey is beside herself but it is an upgrade replacement and our existing main refrigerator works fine.
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Grooch
Member
06-16-2006
| Sunday, September 13, 2026 - 3:20 am
Mack, thank for the update. I was wondering about your windows yesterday. We are going to replace 5 more windows next month. Waiting for the quote. We are using somebody else this time, and not the contractor who did all the work on remodeling the house. Thank God. That guy would work on my days off, took forever and would not talk to me, making it very uncomfortable for me. Nice guy, but odd. I don't think I could handle it again.
I can relate to your refrigerator story. We just replaced our washer and dryer. After it was installed and I went to use the washer for the first time, the drum wouldn't spin. I called about it, and they were sending a repair man. I had to wait a week for that. They sent the delivery guys who only know how to install the washer. They informed me it was broken and I needed a new one. I already knew it was broken! So I had to wait another week for the new one to come in. I made the appointment for a Saturday. Two days later I get a text the appointment was on Tuesday ( . The appt was for 9am-11am. I figured I'd have the whole day to do laundry, because I'm now 3 weeks not having a machine. They didn't come til 4:45 that evening. I was stuck home the whole day waiting for it,
The only good thing is that I had gotten a call during the week from a representative from the company Costco contracts with and I had politely vented to the lady about everything. So she called me up after the delivery. She said she had been watching that truck all day to see when I would get my machine. She knew everything I had gone through and the money I had spent on tips and laundry mat. And I knew this new delivery guy was pretending to not speak english, and whenever I asked a question, he would be mute. But he could ask for a glass of COLD water in perfect english. She gave me a $150 gift card to make up for my troubles. I never in a million years expected that! Didn't even know it was a thing. And my laundry machine works!
So, I feel Carey's pain.
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Mack
Member
07-22-2002
| Sunday, September 13, 2026 - 7:34 am
Carey’s “pain” particularly yesterday was we had gotten a text the evening before that the delivery would be between 1 and 4 PM Saturday. We got up at our typical 7 AM and were out having our morning coffee. Should add here that Carey is not a morning person and it usually takes two mugs of coffee before I engage her in conversation. Anyhow, the phone rings at 7:30 AM and it’s the delivery company saying they’ve had a cancellation and will be at our house in 15 minutes! Mad dash to empty the existing main in the kitchen. Of course it was for nothing as the 2nd new refrigerator had a cracked interior shell. The second dose of “pain” came in the afternoon when the store called and said the next delivery date was October 26!!! The refrigerator is a GE Profile that GE put on a 25% off sale and they have basically sold them out in San Antonio. None of the big stores like Lowe’s, Home Depot, etc., has any on hand. A little Internet search and it’s that way pretty much in all of Texas.
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Grooch
Member
06-16-2006
| Sunday, September 13, 2026 - 8:29 am
You deserve a $150 gift card, too!
I'm a morning person, but don't give me a 15 minute warning!
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Mack
Member
07-22-2002
| Sunday, September 13, 2026 - 9:46 am
She eased her “pain” this morning with some shoe purchases. 😬
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