Andersen Windows vs. Home Guard Windows

Although we can tell you that Home Guard’s replacement windows and the benefits that come with them are better than Renewal by Andersen’s, you can see the difference yourself with some direct comparisons.

Window Materials

Home Guard’s replacement windows are made with Sunshield virgin vinyl, making them exceptionally durable and reliable. Andersen tends to discourage vinyl window frames, opting instead for their own wood-based composite material known as “fibrex.” They claim that vinyl window frames will fail within 5 to 8 years, but that is simply not the case: Home Guard’s vinyl frames are not only better performing and better insulated than Andersen’s, but they’re also designed to last for a lifetime and backed with a lifetime non-prorated, transferable warranty.

Available Styles & Customization Options

Both companies offer seven styles of windows, along with substantial customization options, such as different colors, finishes, and more. That said, we’ve recently started using the state-of-the-art FlexScreen window screens in all of our replacement window projects, which gives Home Guard an extra edge over the competition.

Glass

Both Andersen and Home Guard use glass made by Cardinal, a premium glassmaker known around the world for their windows. Despite the fact that both companies are using similar, high-quality glass in their windows, Renewal by Andersen’s price point is much higher.

Insulation

Home Guard and Andersen both use Argon gas as an insulator for their replacement windows. Where lower-end windows use between 35-50% argon fill for their insulation (with other gasses picking up the slack), Home Guard uses argon for 98% fill of their insulation. Not only does Home Guard have arguably better-insulated glass, but they set themselves apart by replacing any lost or leaking argon gas that has escaped from their windows, even going as far as to cover the gas in their warranties. Home Guard also provides a lifetime glass breakage warranty – even if it’s the consumer’s fault.

Energy Efficiency

The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) tracks and rates the energy performance of windows for consumers. Two of these values are “U-factor” and “air infiltration.” A “U-Factor” is the rate at which a window transmits non-solar heat flow. The lower the U-factor, the more energy-efficient a given window will be. Home Guard’s high-efficiency windows have a U- factor rating of .20, while Andersen’s is significantly higher, totaling at .01, meaning it is far less energy efficient. “Air infiltration” is the term for air leaking through a window, and it is measured by how many cubic feet of air will leak through in a given timeframe. The lower a window’s air infiltration rate, the more airtight it will be. With that in mind, Home Guard’s high-energy replacement window has an air infiltration rating of .01, while Andersen’s 400 series has a notably higher rating of .12. Put simply, Andersen’s windows suffer from much greater air leakage than Home Guard’s.

Warranty

Without a doubt, Home Guard Windows offers the best all-inclusive, transferable, lifetime warranty in the industry! All Home Guard windows carry an exclusive glass breakage warranty, as well. Andersen, on the other hand, only offers limited warranties for their frames, hardware, moving parts, insulated glass, and screens, lasting between 10 or 20 years, depending on the product in question.

Pricing

Renewal by Andersen’s windows typically costs between $3000 and $4500 a window, which is far more than Home Guard’s $1200 – $2000 per window, despite offering less warranty coverage. As you can see, when you pay for replacement windows from Renewal by Andersen, you’re really just paying for the name brand, rather than a superior product. Despite the relative lack of brand recognition, Home Guard has developed high-quality replacement windows that contain all the benefits of windows made by Andersen (along with other competitors, such as Pella or Marvin), but at a much better value, with better service and even better warranties.