Opinions on Mathews Brothers Triple-Pane Windows
I’m looking for a review from fellow New Englanders on Mathew’s Brothers triple pane vinyl windows? They are manufactured in Belfast, Maine. They seem to be very reasonably priced. Does anyone have any experience with their energy performance and quality? My biggest concern is that their SHGC and visible light is lower than I’d like (0.25, 0.4 respectively with a U = 0.19.) My window budget is tight so my options are limited to get a low cost tri-pane with reasonable performance. I’m also considering Pella 350 series and Intus but both are a bit more expensive than Mathew’s Brothers so I’m hoping to hear that they’re a quality window. FYI this is for a new construction home is zone 6.
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Hi Brian, allow me to weigh in here, since I work for Mathews Brothers. The window you refer to, our Sanford Hills product line, was designed after the putty-glazed wood product we made for 160 years. This product line was introduced late 2018, and has rapidly become a window of choice for builders and homeowners who want the substantial look of wood, but without the price tag (and maintenance) that wood demands.
Structurally, we easily achieve a PG50 rating for our Double Hung windows, and a PG65 for our Casements. The Thermal properties are equally remarkable, with Energy Star 6.0 rating with just the 3/4" Insulating Glass Unit and one surface of Low-e. The triple glazed units achieve a 0.22 U-Factor, again, with a single surface of Low-e. We do offer multiple configurations of Low-e, depending on your requirements and window exposure. Some increase SHGC, some reduce it. Some increase VT, some reduce it. You decided what it is you want to achieve, as often you don't need the added expense of triple glazing to achieve your goals.
We have been making windows for 167 years now, and if we did not offer a quality product at a very reasonable price, year in and year out, we would not be growing at the rate we are. Our warranties are bullet proof, as is our commitment to service.
Please contact us through our website if you need more information, as I only check this site occasionally. Thanks!
You might want to look at Klearwall. They are sellers of European window brand Munster Joinery. Quite cheap, for what they are. I'm assuming the U values quoted above are center of glass specs, since you need to know the exact size and type to spec full assembly u values. COG u-values for Klearwall are in the 0.1 range or below, with SHGC of up to at least 0.5. Not sure on the visible transmittance, but the ones I have are perfectly acceptable; I look through the window and it's basically like there's nothing there.
On the downside, customer service has not been the best. Some of this may be due to us being in Canada. We've had some fit and finish issues with many of the operating windows, which may be installer related. Since the installer went belly up, we were left kind of holding the bag in the middle. They sent us some parts, and they sent a service guy up once who seemed to be in a rush and not all that familiar with the products (and two weeks later he didn't work for them anymore).
So kind of a mixed bag, but if you're shopping based on price you're going to be making some compromises.
Brian,
Did you buy the Matthews Brothers windows? I am curious as I am considering them as well.
Thanks
Andrea