I would guess any person who owns a home in Columbus, Ohio has heard of Window Nation and Renewal by Andersen. Both of these top name Replacement Window companies spend an absorbent amount of marketing and advertising dollars to ensure they are at the top of the list when we begin our search for replacement windows. But are they all they’re cracked up to be? Keep reading.
Be sure to see the Wacky Window Woman Comparison Chart where I have reviewed and stack ranked many of the well-known Replacement Window companies in central Ohio. Who has the best price and what can you expect during your Window demo?
Replacement Windows by Renewal by Andersen – central Ohio
Renewal by Andersen was the sixth company that I had come into our home to give us a price for my Window project of 12 windows. Many of the Replacement Window companies that come before had warned me that Andersen would be the most expensive and they were correct.
“Rob” asked what other replacement window companies had we had out and we gave him the run-down of the names. He went on to say that we could expect his price to be double the average priced window, plus an additional 20%. His biggest competition is typically Infinity by Marvin and Pella.
He basically said, and I agree, that he doesn’t really even compare to a traditional Vinyl Window as they are manufactured differently and most definitely are not in the same price point. They have done a great job of marketing and advertising their product as being the best, as long as you are willing to spend the big bucks.
Renewal by Andersen talks a lot about their Fibrex material, claiming it’s far superior to vinyl. And sure, the frame matters—but let’s not forget the real MVP of energy efficiency: the glass.
It’s actually the Low-E coatings and argon gas fills that do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to keeping your home comfortable and your energy bills in check. The frame—whether it’s Fibrex, vinyl, wood, or unobtanium—isn’t the main player in stopping heat loss or keeping out the cold. It’s like praising the picture frame for the quality of the artwork inside.
So while Fibrex may be a solid, durable choice, if you’re comparing windows, don’t get too caught up in the frame material alone. Pay close attention to what’s in the glass unit itself—that’s where the real performance happens.
Replacement Windows by Window Nation- Columbus, Ohio
“John” was the representative that Window Nation sent to our home. “John” did exactly what I had expected all of them to do, meaning a big show. He told us that Window Nation is the 3rd largest replacement window company in the US. He shared that he had been with the company 27 years and he even boasted about being a member of their President’s Club and the lavish trips he’s been on. That was my first clue that they were not going to be the most affordable.
We got our money’s worth with his presentation. He asked me to walk him from the front of the home and work our way along each wall so he could measure every window. Ten of my twelve windows are the same size and we told him that, but he insisted on measuring them all. This took time he didn’t have as he was 15 minutes late due to traffic, which I completely understand, but we were also clear that I had a hard stop at 90 minutes and would have to excuse myself to join a work meeting online. As it turned out, he didn’t get through his presentation as he hoped, which meant he ended with a one-legger at the end, meaning you only have of the two owners and a decision wouldn’t be made that day as they would need to “talk” before they made a decision.
He had us watch two videos of previous customers going on about how much they liked “John” and how happy they were with the job Window Nation had done. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, give me the price already. Then we finally got down to the numbers.
I’m glad I took notes on my phone as he didn’t leave us with any type of electronic or paper quote. He presented all the different prices at a very quick pace, but here is the jist of what I took away from the appointment.
Keep in mind, he had already groomed us to be prepared that a typical price for a standard window from Window Nation in the Columbus, Ohio area is $2100 per window.
- Window Nation’s Starting Price at full retail was $ 24,869
- The one-year guaranteed price was $ 34,859
- The price if we sign today and become a part of their “Target Home” program was $19,304 (that program said we would have to place a sign in our yard for 30 days and we weren’t allowed to share our discounted price with our neighbors)
- After I left the meeting, my husband said that “John” also stated, that if and when we are finally ready to make a decision, to call him and he could likely get it down to $16,000, but he’d have to get management approval.
Are you confused? Me too!
Best Windows for your Home Columbus Ohio
I’ve sat through the demos so you don’t have to. Well, you’ll likely have to sit through at least one, but my Wacky Window Comparison Chart can help you whittle down the two or three you truly want to consider without having to do what we did and sit through four, five or even six demos. I’ll admit, the ones who could finish in less than an hour and still cover the basics were my favorites.
The company who did the best job of this was “Joe” at McCloud Windows. He came in, shared how the process worked and then got busy. Once he confirmed the windows we wanted replaced, he made some notes and sent the information to Nathan the owner of the Company for pricing. He brought in his window, the Alside Quattro series window. He demonstrated how the window operated and showed us the memory mesh screen, which I thought was super cool and then left us with a quote based on the price he was given by the owner of the company. We also appreciated that he gave us one price. Not a super high price that that was discount one, two or three times – just one low price.
McCloud was the 2nd of three total demos before we made our decision. “Joe’s” presentation along with Nathan McCloud’s very, very competitive pricing is why we choose McCloud Windows.
Residential Window Replacement Columbus, Oh
If you are considering Window Nation or Renewal by Andersen, just know that Window Nation is in the middle of the pack and Andersen is at the bottom as the most expensive that I’ve had into my home for a quote thus far.
If you are in the market for residential replacement windows in Columbus, Ohio, be sure to the see the Wacky Window Woman Comparison Chart. I have had several of the most well-known window companies in Columbus, Ohio out to my home to give me a quote for my window project of 12 windows.
You may have more or less windows or you may have a window or two the need to be tempered or maybe you have fancy windows with round tops, all of these will impact your ultimate price, but you can use the chart to gauge the cost difference when they all priced the same home using the same exact specs. The chart specifies what was included in the quotes I received.
