I have a basement window that is rather large. It's about 80in wide and maybe 30in tall. One of the panes of glass has basically begun to break away from the casing. It's an old window and needs to be replaced. I want to get a new window before winter because a lot of heat will escape through there. I'd like to have something with good insualting ability/ high R value.

When I look in the phone book there are tons of places and brands to choose from. What's a good window? I don't want to spend a fortune on the best window there is, but I also don't want a cheap POS either. Something that is a good value is what I want. What should I be looking for? Thanks.

btt

Look in the phone book for companies that build custom dual pane windows. Give them the dimensions. They fabricate it and you install it.

Marvin or Andersen.

Pella

Quoted: Pella

+1

I have an Anderson double hung in the front of my hose and its pretty nice. I even screwed something up on the installation and they sent me a new frame free of charge.

Anderson has gone down hill in recent years. Still o.k. but I think Pella is a better window.

Quoted: I have a basement window that is rather large. It's about 80in wide and maybe 30in tall. One of the panes of glass has basically begun to break away from the casing. It's an old window and needs to be replaced. I want to get a new window before winter because a lot of heat will escape through there. I'd like to have something with good insualting ability/ high R value. When I look in the phone book there are tons of places and brands to choose from. What's a good window? I don't want to spend a fortune on the best window there is, but I also don't want a cheap POS either. Something that is a good value is what I want. What should I be looking for? Thanks.

You probably need a "replacement " window, one that is custom made to your opening, Pella and Anderson are not real big in the replacemrnt window market. I do windows for a living and the best I have found is made by Simonton Co. Check your yellow pages under windows, someone will have Simonton. Norandex Building Supplies has them here in Mi.  Or go to www.simonton.com

The R-value of concrete is essentially zero. Unless your basement is insulated, you'd be wasting your money on a window with a high R-value.

You can get good quality single hung double pane vinyl framed windows at Lowes or The HomoDepot at a reasonable price.  It's a basement window.  How sexy does it have to be?  Be prepared for some weird markings on windows. 4/6, 4/4, 3/4, etc. Bring a tape measure to be sure of the size.

Quoted: Quoted: I have a basement window that is rather large. It's about 80in wide and maybe 30in tall. One of the panes of glass has basically begun to break away from the casing. It's an old window and needs to be replaced. I want to get a new window before winter because a lot of heat will escape through there. I'd like to have something with good insualting ability/ high R value. When I look in the phone book there are tons of places and brands to choose from. What's a good window? I don't want to spend a fortune on the best window there is, but I also don't want a cheap POS either. Something that is a good value is what I want. What should I be looking for? Thanks. You probably need a "replacement " window, one that is custom made to your opening, Pella and Anderson are not real big in the replacemrnt window market. I do windows for a living and the best I have found is made by Simonton Co. Check your yellow pages under windows, someone will have Simonton. Norandex Building Supplies has them here in Mi.  Or go to www.simonton.com

+1......Pella and Andersen are, for the most part, new construction windows, and you do pay a premium for the brand name.  Simonton makes a great replacement vinyl window.  I specifiy their new construction double hungs  for most of the homes I build.

Quoted: The R-value of concrete is essentially zero. Unless your basement is insulated, you'd be wasting your money on a window with a high R-value.

My walls are all finished with studs and drywall over the concrete with insulation between the drywall and concrete. The side of the house that the window is on is partially exposed basement.

Not to mention, even if the concrete didn't insualte, wouldn't the dirt on the other side of the concrete provide some sort of insualtion? I can't imagine it would be absolutely zero unless the concrete walls were above ground.

Quoted: You can get good quality single hung double pane vinyl framed windows at Lowes or The HomoDepot at a reasonable price.  It's a basement window.  How sexy does it have to be?  Be prepared for some weird markings on windows. 4/6, 4/4, 3/4, etc. Bring a tape measure to be sure of the size.

The window is on a partially exposed wall that faces the street, so it's a pretty visible window. I want something that is pretty decent looking.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I have a basement window that is rather large. It's about 80in wide and maybe 30in tall. One of the panes of glass has basically begun to break away from the casing. It's an old window and needs to be replaced. I want to get a new window before winter because a lot of heat will escape through there. I'd like to have something with good insualting ability/ high R value. When I look in the phone book there are tons of places and brands to choose from. What's a good window? I don't want to spend a fortune on the best window there is, but I also don't want a cheap POS either. Something that is a good value is what I want. What should I be looking for? Thanks. You probably need a "replacement " window, one that is custom made to your opening, Pella and Anderson are not real big in the replacemrnt window market. I do windows for a living and the best I have found is made by Simonton Co. Check your yellow pages under windows, someone will have Simonton. Norandex Building Supplies has them here in Mi.  Or go to www.simonton.com +1......Pella and Andersen are, for the most part, new construction windows, and you do pay a premium for the brand name.  Simonton makes a great replacement vinyl window.  I specifiy their new construction double hungs  for most of the homes I build.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll take a look at those windows. Sounds like it might be the way to go. Thanks everyone!

Are you doing this yourself or having it done?  I did all my own windows, and if you're semi-handy with tools it's pretty easy to do.  

Two things I didn't see mentioned is what kind of window (picture, crankout, doublehung) it is, and what kind of siding you have.  

My old windows were the integral brickmold/wood sash type.  I took them out to rough opening, cut back the siding slightly to clear for the nail fins, wrapped the opening with tarpaper to prevent moisture buildup, slid in the new window, nailed it down, and insulated around it with Great Stuff Window & Door expanding foam.  

Towards the end I was getting to the point where I was doing a window/hour.  

If you have standard rough openings, Anderson makes a decent window for not a lot of dough.  They have them at Home Depot.  

Marvin makes custom windows for a little more, but they are also a decent window.  I have a mix of both, and the gray vinyl on both is so close that you can barely tell the difference.  

I have a bunch of pictures of the progress, in you're interested.

Oh, and I'd stay away from "insert" style windows, especially if the wood around the old window is in bad shape.  You're just delaying the inevitable.

Quoted: Are you doing this yourself or having it done?  I did all my own windows, and if you're semi-handy with tools it's pretty easy to do.   Two things I didn't see mentioned is what kind of window (picture, crankout, doublehung) it is, and what kind of siding you have.   My old windows were the integral brickmold/wood sash type.  I took them out to rough opening, cut back the siding slightly to clear for the nail fins, wrapped the opening with tarpaper to prevent moisture buildup, slid in the new window, nailed it down, and insulated around it with Great Stuff Window & Door expanding foam.   Towards the end I was getting to the point where I was doing a window/hour.   If you have standard rough openings, Anderson makes a decent window for not a lot of dough.  They have them at Home Depot.   Marvin makes custom windows for a little more, but they are also a decent window.  I have a mix of both, and the gray vinyl on both is so close that you can barely tell the difference.   I have a bunch of pictures of the progress, in you're interested.

I can probably do it myself as I like to consider myself a pretty hand person (built my own lower on my 1st AR, build computers, work on my own car, etc.). However, I have never installed a window before, but I doubt it's all that difficult.

Anyway, the current window is a sliding window. It's about 86in wide and 32in tall. There are two smaller sliding windows at each end and one larger fixed pane in the middle. I was thinking of replacing the entire thing as the middle pane of glass has partially peeled away from the frame and hangs open a little bit.

The replacement one doesn't have to be a sliding window though. It could be double hung, which is what my wife would prefer, but I don't know if that would work with our size opening.

I suppose I could just glue the pane back into the frame with some kind of construction adhesive, but all the panes of glass are single pane and I am planning on putting a wood stove in the basement, so I'd like to have a little more efficient window to keep that heat in better.

I have vinyl siding.

The window is kind of an odd size, so I kind of doubt I'd be able to find one at a hardware store that would fit properly. I'm thinking that it will have to be a custom job.

Thanks for the advice!

Quoted: Oh, and I'd stay away from "insert" style windows, especially if the wood around the old window is in bad shape.  You're just delaying the inevitable.

BS ! If the wood is bad you simply install a new wood buck ( that means the old wood around the window ) in the opening.