Window & Door Guides
46 years of installs condensed into plain-spoken answers — sizes, costs, brand comparisons, and what actually holds up in Idaho.
Guides
Sizes, measuring, materials, and how-to knowledge.
How We Install a Window: Step by Step, Done Right
Every step of a correct full-frame window install — sill pans, shims, low-expansion foam — and what each skipped step costs you. From 46-year employee crews.
12 Questions to Ask Any Window Installer Before You Sign
Print this list and use it on every window company you interview — including us. Twelve questions, why each matters, and what a good answer sounds like.
Standard Window Sizes: Charts by Type (2026 Guide)
Standard window sizes from 46-year installers: double-hung, casement, picture & egress size charts, how to read '2850' notation, and when custom makes sense.
Window Installation Day: What to Expect in Your Home
An honest hour-by-hour look at window installation day — timeline, dust, pets, weather calls, surprises behind old trim, and the final walkthrough.
Cost Guides
Real price ranges for windows, doors, and installation.
Big Glass Doors: Multi-Slide & Bi-Fold Wall Costs for 2026
What multi-slide and bi-fold glass walls cost in the Treasure Valley: from ~$8,000 for smaller systems into the $30,000s for large engineered openings.
Patio Door Replacement Cost in Idaho: 2026 Installed Prices
Patio door replacement costs in the Treasure Valley: sliders $1,800–$3,200, French doors $3,000–$6,000, multi-slides from $8,000 — and what moves the number.
Skylight Installation Cost: What Boise Homes Pay in 2026
Skylight installation costs in the Treasure Valley: fixed $1,800–$3,200, venting $2,500–$4,500+, Sun Tunnels from $800 — plus what drives the quote up or down.
Window Replacement Cost in 2026: Real Numbers from Installers
What window replacement really costs in 2026: $650–$1,800 per window installed by material, whole-house budgets, and where not to cheap out.
Comparisons
Brand vs. brand and material vs. material, specs on the table.
Andersen 400 vs. Marvin Elevate: Head-to-Head by Installers
Andersen 400 Series vs. Marvin Elevate compared by a dealer for both: construction, tested U-factors, price gap, and which Idaho homes suit each line.
Andersen vs. Marvin Windows: An Installer's Honest Comparison
Andersen vs. Marvin compared by a dealer who installs both: construction, U-factors, warranty, price, and which one fits Idaho homes. Spec table included.
Andersen vs. Milgard: Premium or Value? A Dealer Compares
Andersen vs. Milgard windows from a dealer for both: the real price gap, clad-wood vs. vinyl trade-offs, warranties, and which Idaho homes suit each.
Casement vs. Double-Hung: Which Style Fits Which Room?
Casement vs. double-hung windows from 46-year installers: sealing, ventilation, cleaning, cost and wind performance — and a room-by-room answer key.
Jeld-Wen vs. Milgard: The Builder-Vinyl Successor Question
Jeld-Wen vs. Milgard vinyl windows compared by Idaho installers — the brands most Treasure Valley homes choose between when builder windows fail.
Marvin vs. Milgard Windows: A Dealer for Both Compares
Marvin vs. Milgard from an authorized dealer for both: price gap, materials, warranties, and which Idaho homes each brand actually fits. Spec table included.
Pella vs. Andersen: An Idaho Installer's Unsponsored Take
Pella vs. Andersen windows compared by Idaho installers — construction, warranties, local service reality, and which fits your home. We sell one, service both.
Pella vs. Marvin: Features or Materials? Installers Weigh In
Pella vs. Marvin windows from Idaho installers — feature innovation vs. fiberglass materials science, price tiers, service reality, and who should buy which.
Vinyl vs. Fiberglass Windows: The Idaho Math, Honestly
Vinyl vs. fiberglass windows compared by installers of both: real price gap, lifespan in Idaho's climate, dark-color truth, and a decision framework.
Window Warranties Compared: Andersen, Marvin, Milgard, Pella & More
Sixteen manufacturer warranties side by side, from the documents: glass, components, finish, labor, transfer and breakage for the brands we sell and service.
Wood vs. Vinyl Windows: What Each Is Actually For
Wood vs. vinyl windows compared by the company named for wood: price gap, maintenance truth, historic-district rules, and a straight decision guide.
FAQ
Direct answers to the questions we hear every week.
When Is the Best Time of Year to Replace Windows?
Windows can be replaced in any season. Winter brings the shortest waits and best promotions; order by early fall to beat the cold. What actually matters most.
Do New Windows Increase Home Value? The Honest ROI
New windows recoup roughly two-thirds of their cost at resale. The full return — energy savings, comfort, avoided rot, listing appeal — is the real story.
Egress Window Requirements in Idaho: IRC Rules Explained
Idaho egress window rules under the IRC: 5.7 sq ft clear opening, 20-inch minimum width, 24-inch height, 44-inch max sill — plus window well requirements.
How Long Does Window Installation Take?
Window installation takes 30–90 minutes per window and 1–3 days for a whole house. The real wait is the 3–8 week manufacturing lead time. Here's the timeline.
Is Wood Windows Inc the Same as Renewal by Andersen?
No. Renewal by Andersen is Andersen's own Fibrex replacement division; Wood Windows Inc is an independent Idaho dealer for the full Andersen line and more.
Replacement vs. New Construction Windows: The Difference
Insert replacement windows go into your existing frame; new-construction (full-frame) windows strip to the studs. Which is right, and the 15-30% cost gap.
What Is Low-E Glass and Which Type Does Idaho Need?
Low-E glass explained: how the invisible metallic coating works, U-factor vs SHGC, passive vs solar-control coatings, and which Idaho elevations need which.
Why Do My Windows Fog Up Between the Panes?
Fog trapped between panes means the insulated glass seal has failed. Why it happens, why cleaning is impossible, and when to swap glass vs the whole window.
Why Do My Windows Sweat on the Inside in Winter?
Interior winter condensation is indoor humidity meeting cold glass — usually not a broken window. What fixes it, and when sweating glass says upgrade.
Manufacturer Warranties
The written warranty, read line by line: coverage terms, exclusions, and how claims work. All warranties →
All Weather Aluminum Warranty: 10-Year Parts, 1-Year Labor, Kynar 20
All Weather Architectural Aluminum's residential warranty, line by line: 10 years on parts, labor in year one, 20 years on Kynar paint, 1 year on screens and motors.
Andersen 100 Series Warranty: Glass, Fibrex & Who Pays the Labor
Andersen's 100 Series warranty read line by line: 20 years on glass, 10 on components and Fibrex finish, 2 years of labor when you buy from an authorized dealer.
Andersen 400 & 200 Series Warranty: Glass, Perma-Shield & Wood Terms
Andersen's 400 and 200 Series warranty, line by line: 20 years on glass with stress cracks, 10 on components and Perma-Shield, 5 on wood exteriors.
Andersen A-Series Warranty: 20-Year Finish, Lifetime Corrosion & Glass
Andersen's A-Series warranty, line by line: 20 years on glass and finish adhesion, 10 on fade and components, lifetime corrosion coverage.
Andersen Big Door Warranty: Liftslide, Bifold, MultiGlide & Folding
Andersen's big door warranties, line by line: 20 years on glass and 2605 finish, 10 on components, 2 on all-wood exteriors, 5 on retractable screens.
Andersen E-Series Warranty: 2604 vs 2605 Finish, Wood Terms & Glass
Andersen's E-Series warranty, line by line: 20 years on glass, 10 on interior wood and hardware, 5 on exterior wood, and how 2604 and 2605 finishes differ.
Anlin Double Lifetime Warranty: What It Covers and the Idaho Question
Anlin's Limited Double Lifetime Warranty, line by line: lifetime parts, labor and glass breakage, one transfer with a 90-day notice, and the Idaho labor question.
JELD-WEN Warranty Explained: Lifetime Vinyl, 2-Year Labor, 10-Year Cap
JELD-WEN's 2019 window warranty, line by line: vinyl covered while you own the home, wood 20 years, 2 years of skilled labor, breakage included, 10-year cap on sale.
Kolbe Warranty Explained: 30-Year Finish, 20-Year Glass, 30-Day Notice
Kolbe's 2025 and 2026 warranties read line by line: 20 years on glass, 10 on components, up to 30 on 2605 finish, 20 on wood decay, and the 30-day notice rule.
Marvin Warranty Explained: Glass, Finish Terms & the 60-Day Rule
Marvin's 2026 limited warranty read line by line: 20 years on insulated glass, 10 on components, 20 on aluminum cladding, 10 on Ultrex, and the 60-day claim rule.
Milgard Moving Glass Wall Warranty: 20-Year Glass, No Labor
Milgard's AX650 and AX450 moving glass wall warranty, line by line: lifetime frame for the original owner, 20 years on glass and finish, 10 on components, no labor.
Milgard Warranty in 2026: What Changed, What Is Standard, What You Buy
Milgard's 2026 warranties, line by line: lifetime frame, 20-year glass and 10 years of skilled labor standard, plus the paid Full Lifetime upgrade.
Pella Warranty Explained: Lifetime Terms, 10-Year Reset & 2-Year Labor
Pella's wood and vinyl warranties, line by line: limited lifetime for the original owner, 2 years of labor, 20-year glass on vinyl, and the 10-year reset on sale.
Prime Window Systems Warranty: Lifetime Frame, 10-Year Glass & Labor
Prime's 2025 window warranty read line by line: lifetime vinyl for the first homeowner, 10 years on glass, 5 on hardware, 2 years of skilled labor, not transferable.
Quaker Windows Warranty: 20-Year Glass, 1-Year Labor, Not Transferable
Quaker's June 2024 warranty, line by line: 20 years on glass and vinyl, 10 on hardware, 20 on 2605 finish, 1 year of labor, a 3,500-foot altitude rule, no transfer.
Sierra Pacific Warranty: 30-Year Finish, 20-Year Glass, 2-Year Labor
Sierra Pacific's wood, clad and vinyl warranties, line by line: 20 years on glass and wood rot, 30 on 2605 finish with proration, 10 on parts, 2 on labor.
Therma-Tru Door Warranty: Lifetime Terms, Finishing Rules, Tru-Defense
Therma-Tru's 2025 door warranty, line by line: lifetime for the original owner, what transfers, the 6-month finishing deadline, and the $2,500 Tru-Defense rider.
VELUX Skylight Warranty: 20-Year Glass, 10-Year No Leak & Labor Rules
VELUX's 2026 warranty, line by line: 20 years on skylight glass, 10 on the unit and flashing, 5 on motors and blinds, and what the 10-year No Leak promise requires.
Windsor Pinnacle Warranty: 20-Year Glass, 30-Year Finish, No Labor
Windsor's 2025 Pinnacle warranty, line by line: 20 years on glass, 20 or 30 on the clad finish by AAMA class, lifetime pine rot coverage, 10 on parts, no labor.