Andersen or Pella Door?

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Looking to replace my sliding patio door before it gets cold. Went to Home Depot and looked at there best Andersen and then went to Lowes and looked at there best Pella. The Pella was $100 cheaper but was still under my budget of $1100.
 
I puchased Pella about 8-10 years ago. $20k worth of windows and door. Casement windows are fine. The doors I purchased were 3 french and 6 sliders. The french work perfectly and I am very pleased w/ them. The sliders are a disgrace. 4 of the 6 leak between the glass and the frame. The wood frame is all but rotted away. Do a little research on the internet. This is a problem from a decade ago, so it mey not be current. However note that Pella would not acknowledge the problem from a decade ago so take that for what it is worth.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/homeowners/pella.html

The things that sold me on Pella vs Anderson a decade ago wer:
1) Pella Aluminum vs Anderson Vinyl - color retention was the sell. My parents andersons were faded to taupe from brown in about 15 years.
2) Pella's slider is on the outside vs Anderson's on the inside. The harder the wind blows against the Pella, the tighter the seal.
3) Pella screen on the inside, Anderson on he outside. Was an asthetic thing for me, I didn't like seeing the screen on the outside.

Good luck in your search.
 
I had a very expensive Andersen French Door set from about twelve years ago where the cladding delaminated, and the seals between the doors and frame leaked, causing mold on the frame jambs. Your mileage may vary, but I won't buy Andersen again.
 
I think the most complaints are from Pella customers. So maybe I'll go with Andersen or possibly Marvin.
 
I was told the Andersen products at Home Despot are not the same line they sell and independent lumber yards; I would do some more investigation prior to making a purchase, especially if you seek to get spare parts.

My immediate manager where I work does a lot of high end home modifications and his opinion of the big boxes is that they have really driven the quality of home improvement materials into the ground and companies like Moen, Andersen went along for the ride.
 
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Dunno anything about Pella or Anderson. I do know that Home Depot and Lowes are exactly like Walmart in that they exert tremendous price pressure on their suppliers. If a company who makes (doors, windows, grills, tools, appliances, etc) wants their stuff to be on the shelves, they have to hit a certain price point. Some of them probably cannot without compromising quality.

Suggest getting several quotes including from local suppliers/contractors.

jeff
 
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