Been thinking about replacing the old windows in our house, and now I'm stuck in a bit of a pickle. I was chatting with my neighbor yesterday—he just got Renewal by Andersen windows installed and he seemed pretty thrilled. Said they're super efficient and the installation was smooth as butter. But then I have my brother-in-law who swears by Andersen 400 Series—claims they're just as good quality-wise, but easier on the wallet if you're handy enough to handle installation yourself or hire someone local.
Honestly, I'm leaning toward the 400 Series because saving some cash sounds pretty appealing right now (you know, holidays coming up and all). But then again, I'm not exactly Bob Vila over here, so DIY could turn into a disaster real quick, lol.
Anyone else been down this road before? Curious how it turned out for you or if you'd do things differently next time around.
I went through almost the exact same debate last year. We ended up going with the Andersen 400 Series, mostly because of budget reasons and because I like having control over who does the install.
"Honestly, I'm leaning toward the 400 Series because saving some cash sounds pretty appealing right now (you know, holidays coming up and all)."
Yeah, totally get that. We hired a local contractor who came highly recommended by friends, and it worked out great. The windows themselves are solid—good insulation, smooth operation, and they look sharp. But I will say, the installation took longer than expected (weather delays, scheduling conflicts...typical stuff), and there were a few hiccups along the way. Nothing major, but it wasn't exactly "smooth as butter" like your neighbor described Renewal.
If you're not confident in your DIY skills, I'd definitely recommend finding a reliable local installer. It still ended up cheaper than Renewal for us, but just be prepared for a bit more legwork on your end.
Yeah, I hear you on the installation hiccups—we had a similar experience. Our Andersen 400s have held up great though, even through some pretty harsh winters. Definitely worth the minor headaches during install, especially considering the savings compared to Renewal.