While we always like to say that the best window is the one that fits a homeowner’s style and budget requirements, Anlin windows are a very good product that’s solidly built, with an excellent warranty.
What type of Anlin products can you buy?
Anlin only manufactures vinyl windows and doors, so you can’t get a fiberglass or wood window made by them, but when considered in the overall lineup of vinyl products we sell, they’re a well-made product at a great price.
Anlin offers three product lines that are applicable to Arizona homeowners, their entry-level windows, an upgraded product line, and a product line with a thin, modern frame.
The Anlin Catalina windows are their base product, with upgrade options available to improve energy efficiency.
The Anlin Del Mar product line upgrades the frame embedded within the vinyl from metal to fiberglass, adds more weather-stripping and foam inserts to improve insulation, and upgraded rollers on the sliding windows. They also include upgraded screens with a stronger frame, and a noise reduction package that can reduce outdoor sounds by up to 50%.
They also offer the Anlin Panoramic series, with a lovely slim frame that we often recommend at DunRite Windows & Doors. It allows more light into the home, has attractive beveled edges on the frame and provides the maximum amount of glass possible to enjoy the view. Even though features that are upgrades in the Panoramic line are included as standard in the Del Mar line, we still prefer to recommend Panoramic. This ensures a homeowner isn’t paying for upgrades they don’t need, or that don’t impact energy efficiency.
Lastly, they offer a Coronado series, which offers a small selection of operating styles that are not available in the other product lines, including double sliders, double-hung windows, casement windows, and awning windows. These require a deeper frame, in terms of depth of the window sill, than the more commonly used single sliders, single-hung windows and picture windows require. Anlin Coronado product requires more depth to install than the other product lines, so they’re typically used in combination with other Anlin products as a specialty window.
All Anlin windows are good, regardless of which product line you select, although the Panoramic is one of our favorites when it comes to appearance.
What do we like the most?
Anlin windows are particularly smooth to open and close, so there’s no tug-of-war going on. For example, the single-hung windows use a positive action counter-balancer, for silky-smooth lifting and lowering of the sash, instead of spring-loaded sashes. Their sliding windows are equally smooth, too.
Their price is competitive, often coming in less than comparable products from other brands, so we often recommend them for homeowners looking to save a little money without compromising on quality. The quality of screens we prefer are not available with Anlin windows, however, since a meaningful upgrade isn’t available, so if you’re looking for screens that are almost invisible, then Andersen windows might be something to consider.
A New Product Worth Considering
It might be worth taking a look at the new Anlin Designer Black™ vinyl window, which is very appealing to homeowners looking for a modern look. It’s a capstock product, which means it has a thin layer of black acrylic paint bonded to the vinyl after it’s extruded, on both the interior and exterior of the window or door.
The UV-resistant paint holds up to direct sun exposure with minimal fading, and it doesn’t heat up the vinyl beneath, which can be a major issue for black vinyl windows. It’s also scratch resistant to help prevent chips or other damage. The warranty is different, however, with only fifteen years of coverage against non-uniform fading or color change, and excessive cracking, pitting, warping, chipping, peeling, blistering or corrosion.
This is different than the typical Anlin double lifetime warranty, which covers repair, refund or replacement of their products, including freight, labor and accidental glass breakage for as long as the purchaser owns the home, along with one additional owner should the home be sold.
The transfer does require the new homeowner to notify Anlin without 90 days, however, which we don’t like. Many don’t think of it, since that first three months can be fairly overwhelming.
New Options
They also offer a newly improved pet door, which can be installed in glass at the factory, and a newly upgraded Quad-Lock system for their patio doors, the Anlin Malibu product line. These locks help improve security to sliding glass doors.
In Summary, Yes, Anlin Windows Are Good… Excellent, In Fact
All in all, we like the Anlin products, and their solid warranty. We’ve also never had any issues with warranty claims for our customers.
And according to DunRite Founder Sal Sucato, the only issue we’ve ever had with their products happened when their SunShield glass (upgrade) was combined with a dark frame, and the windows are installed where direct sun hit them all day long. Since dark frames tend to absorb and hold on to more heat than a light colored window frame, even solar reflective coatings only work so well when it’s over 120 degrees outside. That black window will get hot, and it can warp. This is covered by the warranty, however, and does not happen with all installations. It is influenced by the direction a house faces, the amount of direct versus indirect lighting, any reflected sunlight onto the windows (for example, from a pool, mirror or flat white roof), and even the color of exterior house paint and landscaping. All of these play a factor in the ambient and direct heat touching a home.
During an in-home sales appointment, the salesperson should be able to help guide you in the best product for your home. When it comes to dark window frames, however, we typically recommend fiberglass, Fibrex or thermally improved aluminum windows, not vinyl.
Do you have questions about whether Anlin windows are good, and which windows might be most appropriate for your home and budget? DunRite serves the Scottsdale and Phoenix Metro area. Schedule a showroom or in-person consultation today!
Published April 18, 2024
