Pella is one of the major brands that are synonymous with windows, in huge part due to their recognizable name and massive advertising budget. But what about the quality of their windows?
In reality, Home Guard’s replacement windows have substantially better energy-efficient ratings, stronger lifetime non-prorated guarantees, and a much more attractive price point.
With Pella, you’re paying for the name. With Home Guard, you’re paying for the best replacement windows and warranties offered by any company in the field.
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Window Materials | Sunshield virgin vinyl. | Vinyl, fiberglass and wood. |
Available | Home Guard currently offers 7 different styles of replacement windows.
| Pella offers approximately 6 different styles of replacement windows. |
Customization
Options | Different colors Different finishes State-of-the-art FlexScreen | Different colors Different finishes Various latch-types and components |
Glass | High-quality energy efficient Cardinal Insulated Glass. Home Guard windows offer a full array of Conservision glass options, a myriad of decorative glass designs, & premium features typically only found in high-end windows. | Pella’s glass options are made by Cardinal, a premium glassmaker. Despite using the same manufacturer, Pella charges more for their glass than Home Guard. |
Insulation | Argon gas makes up 98% of Home Guard’s window insulation. Home Guard’s warranties cover any argon gas leaks, as well. | Argon gas makes up 98% of Pella’s window insulation. |
Energy Efficiency | Home Guard’s high efficiency insulated glass system/doublepane clarity has: a U-Factor rating of 0.20 an air infiltration rating of .01 The lower the U-factor and air infiltration rate, the more energy efficient a window is.  | Pella’s double-hung windows have: a U-Factor rating of .19 an air infiltration rating of .30 The lower the U-factor and air-infiltration rate, the more energy efficient a window is. |
Warranty | Home Guard windows carry an all inclusive, transferable, lifetime warranty, the same as all of the more expensive brands. All Home Guard windows carry the exclusive glass breakage warranty. | Pella Windows offers a limited lifetime warranty with 2 years skilled labor coverage on the majority of its windows products for the original purchaser. Warranty term becomes 10 years upon transfer. |
Pricing | Typically $1,200-$2,000 per window. | Similar to Home Guard, but with a limited warranty and lower quality. |
Although we can tell you that Home Guard’s replacement windows (and the benefits that come with them) are better than what Pella offers, you can see the difference yourself with some direct comparisons.
Home Guard’s replacement windows are made with Sunshield virgin vinyl, making them exceptionally durable and reliable.
Pella’s material options include wood, fiberglass, and vinyl, but Home Guard’s vinyl frames are not only better performing and better insulated than all of what Pella offers, they’re also built better and will last for a lifetime.
Both companies offer customization options, but Home Guard offers the most different colors, finishes, and other customization options to choose from.
Additionally, where Home Guard offers approximately seven different styles of replacement windows, such as casement, double-hung, sliding and others, Pella currently offers just six, including double-hung, single-hung, sliding, picture, awning and casement.
Another thing to consider is the fact that FlexScreen is an upgrade for our Home Guard replacement window projects. FlexScreen window screens are easy to are highly effective and easy to maintain, bringing even more value to your Home Guard replacement windows.
Home Guard uses glass made by Cardinal, a premium glassmaker known around the world, for their windows. Despite the fact that both companies are using the same, high-quality glass in their windows, Home Guard’s overall window construction is superior, meaning that the glass will be far more effective when used in their system.
Home Guard and Pella both use Argon gas as an insulator for their replacement windows.
Although both companies are arguably equal in terms of insulation ability, Home Guard sets itself 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.
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, which is low when compared to competitors
“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 double-hung replacement window has an air infiltration rating of .01, while Pella’s 250 series has a notably higher rating of .30. Put simply, Pella’s windows suffer from much greater air leakage than Home Guard’s.
Home Guard has the best warranties in the entire business, with an all-inclusive, transferable, lifetime warranty, along with an exclusive glass breakage warranty. Finally, even the argon insulation is covered in Home Guard’s generous offerings.
Pella, on the other hand, only offers limited warranties, such as two years of skilled labor coverage for most of its window products.
Home Guard’s replacement windows, with their high-quality and lifetime warranty, usually cost between $1200 and $2000 per window.
Pella’s pricing structure is similar, but far less appealing when considering their limited warranty and overall poor quality of construction and components.
As with Renewal by Andersen, when you pay for replacement windows from Pella, you’re really just paying for the name, rather than a superior product.
Despite lacking relative brand recognition, Home Guard has developed high-quality replacement windows that contain all the benefits of windows made by Pella (along with other competitors, such as Renewal by Andersen or Marvin), but at a much better value, with better service, and even better warranties.
