In what I expect will be an ongoing series of cost-related posts, today we’re going to a closer look at the windows we selected and their associated costs.

We have a total of 35 windows in the house, plus one sidelight next to the front door and two french doors in the kitchen. All of the windows (including the french doors) are Marvin Integrity, with the exception of the clerestory windows, which are higher quality Marvin windows.

To be honest, I’m not entirely sure how the Marvin windows differ (other than price), but as I mentioned previously, the Integrity windows have pultruded fiberglass exterior frames, wood interiors, dual sealed insulating glass with an Argon gas fill, and a Low E II coating (which means they’re all Energy Star rated). From an energy-saving standpoint, I would have preferred something like the triple glazed Thermotech fiberglass windows, however we simply couldn’t afford the added costs. We evaluated a number of products, but from cost to performance standpoint, the Integrity windows are hard to beat.

Given the amount of sun exposure and potential heat gain, we felt it was important to have 2 operable windows in the clerestory. The windows sit on opposite sides of the clerestory, which will allow for thermal-venting and cross-ventilation. However, this proved easier said than done, as the standard Integrity windows require a pole-crank to open and close them… which isn’t exactly practical, what with them being 23’ off the ground. If we wanted power-operated windows, we had to upgrade to the pricier Marvin models.

For the price difference, I’m a little disappointed in the controller unit. I was under the impression it was going to be some sort of proprietary Marvin-specific device, but it’s actually something that can apparently be retrofitted to any number of awning windows. I have to wonder if it would worked with the Integrity windows as well?

The Sentry II, consists of 2 components: A wall mounted control panel and a motor unit that simply connects to the existing crank mechanism on the window. The motor unit is a little clunky, but it doesn’t even remotely compare to the horrifically-ugly control panel. I’m at a loss for where to put it in the house… I certainly don’t want to put to in plain view where I’ll have to look at it everyday. You’ll have to take my word, ‘cause I just did a quick Google search and I can’t seem to find a photo of it (which doesn’t surprise me… I wouldn’t exactly show it off either).

All in all, we definitely spent more on the windows than we had originally anticipated, but I’m quite happy with the final result.

Grand total: $28,525.25

I just got back from a meeting with the architects, and I’ve got a few updates to share.

First, we’ve decided on the windows – it’s looking like we’ll be going with Marvin Integrity windows throughout. They have pultruded fiberglass frames, plus dual sealed insulating glass with an Argon gas fill, and a Low E II coating (which means they’re all Energy Star rated). We got a range of quotes from a number of sources and for the price vs performance, the Integrity windows were the best option by far. Grand total is $23,860.03.

Because we decided upon the Integrity windows, we also needed to alter our elevations to accommodate their standard sizes. For the most part, everything is pretty much the same – however, the width of the living room windows changed considerably, and we also needed to separate the large clerestory window into 2 separate units. It definitely changes the overall appearance, but I’m still quite happy with it.

Check out the latest elevations on the Documents page