Hi,
Does anyone have experience with the Atrium brand of sliding glass doors? HD will order them for ~$600 less than Anderson and since I need to get two of them the price is attractive. Is the difference in quality or name-brand markup? I can't find much useful on the web.
Thanks, Mitch
Have you checked Pella pricing at Lowes to see where they are in price? That might be another for you to consider and is definitely as good as Andersen.
Generalities such as Pella is better than Andersen are just that generalities. Unfortunately each of these products have many series, for Pella, it's Architectural Series, Designer, and ProLine (frankly I find ProLine a cheap and awful window, my opinion), Andersen has Series 200, 400, Woodwright, and KML Custom. Now I am in the fenestration industry and work for neither of these companies, but dealing in generalities is plain dumb.
As for the Atrium Door, at one time it was the premier brand (early '80's) of swinging patio doors. Today, there are allot of choices. I couldn't tell you about their quality objectively.
Do your homework, and go to places other than HD where you might actually find an expert who can explain the differences in quality.
I look for the following, assuming its a swinging door:
Unit comes pre-hung and set-up in its frame unless you are over 12' in width Hinges are adjustable The finish of the exterior is superior - if an Aluminum Clad product, it should be extruded with an AAMA2605 Finish, which will keep the product from fading or chalking, if your budget is in the vinyl clads, avoid the dark colors as these will show noticeable chalks in an unreasonable period of time The hardware operates smoothly The door performance (Air/Water/Structural) is DP30 or higher Depending on your climate and the current insulating value of your home add Low E II
Of course this all depends on your budget, you have to feel you received value for your purchase. You are the ultimate judge of that.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.