Just went through the whole window selection circus for our remodel, and thought I'd share a quick tip that really helped me narrow things down. If you're stuck between Kolbe, Weather Shield, and Marvin wood windows (like I was), try to get your hands on actual corner samples from each brand. Photos online are nice and all, but holding the real thing in your hand makes a huge difference. You can feel the heft, see how tight the joints are, and get a sense of finish quality.
For instance, Marvin felt super solid and had a really smooth finish, but Kolbe surprised me with their attention to detail—really clean joinery. Weather Shield was decent too, but something about their hardware just didn't click with me personally. Anyway, having those samples side-by-side made my decision way easier.
Curious if anyone else has little tricks or hacks they used when picking out windows...it's such a big investment, you know?
"holding the real thing in your hand makes a huge difference."
Couldn't agree more with this. When we replaced ours a couple years back, I actually took those corner samples outside to see how they looked in natural daylight. Indoor lighting can be deceiving, especially with wood finishes. Marvin was my pick too—felt sturdy and the finish held up nicely—but seeing them outdoors sealed the deal for me. Small step, but it really clarified things...