New windows represent a major home investment decision. On average, homeowners spend over $2,000 per window once installation costs get factored in.
When such a large ticket item gets purchased likely to last decades, it pays doing in-depth research before commitment. The crux of the decision often comes down to splurging on premium window brands or opting for mid-range alternatives from trusted names like Milgard.
Both routes have pros, cons and lots of fine print influencing which proves the better choice for your specific home. Let’s dig deeper into premium versus Milgard windows regarding materials, insulation, warranties, lead times, aesthetics, customization, and the ever-important pricing considerations helping steer your decision.
A Brief Comparison Table
| Category | Premium Windows | Milgard Windows |
| Cost | Expensive, often $1000+ per window | Mid-range pricing, ~$250-$1000 per window |
| Materials | Natural wood, aluminum-clad wood, fiberglass composites | Vinyl, fiberglass reinforced vinyl |
| Insulation Ability | Excellent (Multi-pane glass, argon gas, low-E coatings) | Good (Double pane glass standard, some triple pane options) |
| Energy Efficiency | Very High (Optimized to retain/block heat) | Good (Meets codes but not most efficient) |
| Lead Times | 8-12 Weeks (Custom-built) | 1-2 Weeks (Prefabricated) |
| Appearance | Luxurious (Real woodgrains, high-end hardware) | Decent (Faux wood finish options available) |
| Warranties | 20-50 years (Components and glass breakage) | 10-20 years (More limited coverage) |
| Customization | High (Sizes, finishes, shapes) | Low (Limited flexible sizing only) |
| Brand Prestige | Very High (Andersen, Marvin, Pella) | Medium (Known but not top tier) |
| Resale Value Boost | High (Buyers pay more for premium features) | Moderate (Still viewed as replacement window) |
Diving Into Premium Windows
The premium or luxury class of windows encompass beloved brands like Andersen, Marvin, Pella, Kohler, and Jeld-Wen.
Through precise engineering and construction from quality materials, these industry flagships deliver exceptional insulation, durability, sound dampening, and curb appeal.
Architectural Digest, This Old House, and Consumer Reports frequently recognize this upper echelon of window manufacturers for continually raising the bar.
The necessary question becomes whether their hefty price premiums prove justified or overhyped when affordable alternatives like Milgard exist.
Let’s analyze what defines true premium windows more closely.
Characteristics of Premium Windows
Premium windows must achieve excellence across four vital performance pillars to warrant the lofty pricing – materials, insulation, longevity and aesthetics.
- Materials Matter
Superior framing materials separate the premium herd from the Builder’s Grade flock. Natural wood species like Pine, Oak and Mahogany offer unmatched insulation properties while bringing interior design elegance.
Advanced composites like Fibrex (Andersen) and TRUexterior (Pella) blend synthetic resins and wood fibers for superior stability and durability over vinyl. On the exterior, aluminum-cladding provides waterproofing without regular repainting needs.
- Optimizing Insulation
Premium brands utilize the best glass and gas filler innovations ensuring multi-layered insulation. Glazings like triple pane and ThermD insulating provide formidable thermal insulation.
Specialty glass options add solar heat, UV light and sound dampening barriers. The gaps between panes get filled with denser argon or krypton to prevent convection heat transfers better than air. As energy costs continue rising, premium windows deliver tangible utility savings.
- Long-Lasting Construction
Meticulous manufacturing with robust quality testing ensures product longevity over 30 years. Premium windows undergo brutal cyclic air, water and structural load testing to guarantee weatherproofing and operation through decades of use.
Pella even evaluates lifetime performance by exposing units to extreme UV and humidity conditions continually to validate a minimum 20-year service life. Paying more upfront serves no purpose without enduring performance.
- Visual Appeal
Woodgrains, finishes, hardware and architectural shapes give premium windows beautiful form matching their function. Nature’s designs blended with contemporary colors and finishes enable matching any home décor.
This aesthetic refinement helps justify the outlay to owners prioritizing looks matching investment property values. Milgard finish options only scratch the surface of premium window visual variety.
Premium Windows Pros
- Unrivaled insulation properties from advanced materials and glass reduce energy costs
- Ability to customize exact sizes, finishes and architectural details
- Durable construction that outlasts vinyl and composite rivals
- Much longer 20-50 year performance warranties provide peace of mind
- Beautiful natural wood aesthetics and innovative composites please design tastes
- Excellent lifecycle value by enhancing property resale prices
Premium Window Cons
- Expensive initial purchase and installation costs running thousands per window
- Lead times of 2-3 months due to bespoke manufacturing
- Supply chain disruptions occasionally delay projects
- Shortages of replacement parts if older window units fail
Weighing up the pros and cons makes clear premium brands deserve their reputation for quality albeit at a steep price. Homeowners expecting to stay long term or seeking future return on investment may judge the extra outlay today worthwhile. We next analyze how Milgard competes as a very solid midrange window solution.
Milgard Windows Overview
Founded in 1958, Milgard grew into one of the largest national window and door manufacturers thanks to their continual innovation with vinyl framing and composite materials.
Their extensive style and product line variety meets most homeowners’ quality and budget needs if premium brands exceed affordability.
Let’s analyze what you get – and give up – by selecting Milgard over premium options.
- Milgard Materials
Milgard utilizes premium vinyl formulations containing stabilizers and impact modifiers allowing enhanced durability and longevity over standard vinyl. Multiple internal chambers provide structural integrity while allowing color finishes consistent with exterior facades.
Series like Tuscany and Trinsic also feature fiberglass reinforced frames resisting expansion and contraction cycles minimizing seal leak risks. Milgard proves you need not pay premium dollar for decent composite materials and engineering.
- Insulation Capabilities
For glass, Milgard employs double pane options across its portfolio while flagship Triple pane offerings match premium brands. Their trademarked SunCoat or SmartSun glazings help filter excessive solar heat and UV rays. Argon gas injection creates an insulating barrier between glass sheets.
While Milgard insulation technology still trails category leaders slightly, performance suffices for most climates. You won’t be left out in the cold during winter—or baking indoors come summer.
- Aesthetic Appeal
Lacking the rich wood finish options of premium windows understandably downgrades Milgard’s visual appeal. However, their variety of vinyl exteriors from basic white to faux woodgrain suit most homes while resisting weathering and age over two decades or longer.
No one will mistake Milgard for top tier Andersen or Marvin on looks alone. Yet, maintaining exterior home facade continuity without an ugly vinyl eyesore gets achieved.
- Warranties
Milgard provides strong assurance with their Full Lifetime Warranty covering materials, component and workmanship defects. However, glass coverage spans only 20 years—10 years shy of premium brands’ standard coverage.
On the positive, lifelong guarantee of vinyl color fading and operational components like balances and locks mean no ongoing worries. Should issues arise down the track, Milgard promises prompt remedies or complete window unit replacement where defects emerge.
Milgard Pros
- Broad range of window types and operating styles suiting custom needs
- Vinyl materials offer good durability and low maintenance at affordable pricing
- Pleasant aesthetics blending with most home designs and colors
- Full lifetime warranties provide decent protection on materials
- Quality and service rightly earning Milgard its industry reputation
Milgard Cons
- Vinyl materials still fall short of premium window construction quality
- Glazing options less varied and may incrementally traill leading brands’ energy efficiency
- Shorter 20-year coverage of glass defects compared to 30-50 years from premium brands
- Occasional supply chain issues causing product delays or install hiccups
Milgard makes a compelling case delivering pleasing, durable windows matching most homeowners’ expectations and budgets. Compromises emerge on insulation factors and warranties that budget-focused consumers will likely downplay or overlook entirely. Premium brands retain the performance edge ultimately.
Direct Comparison of Premium And Milgard Windows
We’ve explored what separates the premium class from affordable challengers like Milgard. Now let’s directly compare leading brands Andersen and Milgard to showcase how the materials, features, and performance stack up.
- Materials and Construction
Andersen has innovated with materials for over a century.
Their Fibrex composite fusing wood fibers and thermoplastics creates a highly stable, durable framing material retaining the warmth and beauty of natural wood.
Milgard’s premium vinyl profiles make practical frames lasting decades but lack the charm and heat retention of timber.
When it comes to insulation, Andersen offers leading High Performance Low-E4 glazing, triple pane, plus options like sound dampening laminated glass. Milgard’s standard double glazing solutions with basic SunCoat fall slightly behind.
- Customization and Style Choices
Over 5000 exterior color and interior woodgrain combinations across hundreds of product lines and architectural shapes help Andersen windows fit any home vision—from modern to traditional.
Milgard lags well behind on style flexibility although their dozen glazing and color options work for most. Custom sizing also goes in Andersen’s favor.
- Warranties
Andersen offers impressive 20 year coverage across glass breakage, sealing, hardware and screen components—double Milgard’s 10 years. Both provide lifetime unit frame and finish coverage, however Andersen extends ‘lifetime’ to a lengthy 50 years.
- Cost Comparison
Here lies the greatest differentiation. Andersen windows range from approximately $700 up to $2000 per unit at the higher end. Milgard entry models start around $250 per window with triple glazing options nearing $1000. Set your budget expectations accordingly.
While Andersen commands steep premiums, their feature sets and assurances often prove worth the spend for discerning homeowners planning long occupancy. Double lifetime glass coverage and leading energy savings make that hefty initial outlay pay future dividends.
Key Buying Considerations
We’ve detailed what separates premium and affordable window options on paper—now let’s summarize what matters most when deciding between the two classes.
- Budget Limits
Available spend inevitably determines suitable brands to shortlist.
Homeowners with unlimited budgets will gravitate premium while moderate incomes sensibly downsize expectations.
Milgard and similar mid-range makers comfortably serve the majority seeking ‘good for most’ window replacements at palatable prices.
Be realistic around budget ceilings when weighing premium brand desirability against affordability factors.
- Energy Priorities
Energy audit tests demonstrate premium windows like triple glazing return substantial cost savings from heat retention and cooling compared to standard double panes.
Where extreme weather swings prevail and you occupy the home long term, the decade-plus breakeven point from upfront investment makes sense. In moderate climates, base Milgard lines sufficiently reduce bills.
- Future Plans
Homeowners expecting to sell within 5-10 years should think twice before splurging on premium windows unlikely to sufficiently recover installation costs come resale.
Plus, selling agents affirm you recoup a lower rate of investment the more overcapitalized the home looks to buyers. Milgard or mid-range brands boost appeal without overdoing remodel budgets.
- Design and Lifestyle
For design-focused individuals or luxury home segments, premium brands handcrafted elegance and customizable charm proves essential. No fiberglass or uPVC frame replicates solid oak woodwork gracing century-old homes.
Yet Milgard range diversity keeps mainstream buyers happily on-trend regarding finishes, shapes and visual cohesion.
While vinyl windows occupy 74% total market share, the premium brand opportunity continues growing as home values and renovation activity accelerates. Andersen and Pella clearly lead the pack.
Milgard retains an honest following blending quality, affordability and choice. Hopefully the detailed window brand pros, cons and comparison points presented will help steer your investment toward the optimal long term window solution.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Let’s recap some frequently asked questions when evaluating premium vs. Milgard windows.
Premium windows warrant their high prices through better insulation from advanced framing, glass and gas fillers saving long term energy costs. More durable construction and extensively longer warranties ensure high value protecting your investment over decades. While short term owners won’t sufficiently recover extra spend, lifetime homeowners benefit.
Milgard’s top-tier Trinsic series eclipses entry models on visual elegance thanks to slimmer sightlines and richer exterior finish options. Trinsic also insulates marginally better courtesy of proprietary SunCoat MAX glass. Though for 2-3 times the price, Trinsic fails matching premium brands on warmth retention or acoustic insulation. Pay more only if appearance obsession demands it.
Milgard Ultimax fiberglass and Trinsic vinyl product lines represent the pinnacle of style and performance the brand offers. Both series provide pleasing contemporary profiles and popular operating choices. Triple glazing upgrades plus insulation enhancing glass coatings on Trinsic models ensure effective energy conservation. While premium brands still outclass them, Ultimax and Trinsic deliver Milgard’s best for homeowners unwilling to compromise too heavily on quality.
No – Milgard windows almost exclusively come factory ordered in standardized sizes to maximize manufacturing efficiency. Their Flexible Sizing capability allows certain width and height adjustments but nothing approaching true custom work. Homeowners demanding unique architectural shapes or unusual dimensions will need utilizing premium brands at a costly premium.
Offering homeowners great variety of styles at reasonable prices explains Milgard popularity. Their coast-to-coast manufacturing and distribution provide fast installation while nationwide presence brings peace of mind should any warranty issues emerge. Durability and thermal performance adequately satisfies most homeowners without busting remodel budgets. Smart consumers grasp what Milgard reliably delivers.
Closing Remarks
Overall Andersen windows are considered the better option over Milgard, albeit for almost three times the price. This famous premium window brand sets the benchmark for materials, construction quality, insulation, noise reduction, customizability and warranties.
Their Fibrex composite frames merge the strength of wood and low expansion of vinyl windows. Andersen’s High-Performance Low-E4 glass optimizes energy efficiency and UV protection, outperforming standard Milgard double pane offerings.
From an aesthetic perspective, wood-clad Andersen windows also provide timeless elegance. While you pay a hefty premium, their continued innovation, sustainability efforts and 55% market share reflect why many homeowners accept nothing but Andersen.
