Like any retail location, Home Depot most certainly makes very strategic decisions about which product brands they sell and which ones they don’t. Some of these decisions likely have to do with profit margins (which products will make them the most profit when sold), but it also has to do with demand (which products their customers are looking for).
With replacement windows, there is another factor involved: some manufacturers don’t allow their windows to be sold in retail locations like Home Depot. One of these manufacturers is Anlin Window Systems.
As a company, Anlin has decided that they will only offer their products through independent replacement window dealers like BM Windows in San Diego. This isn’t because they have anything against Home Depot—they could probably sell a lot of windows if their products were sold in these types of stores. It has more to do with preserving the integrity of their products.
Anlin knows that proper installation of their products is a very important factor in how their windows perform. Anlin makes very high-quality, energy-efficient windows and doors, but if they are not installed properly, they won’t perform as promised. Homeowners won’t see the energy savings they were hoping for and the windows may not continue to function well over time. For this reason, Anlin has chosen to only sell their windows through authorized dealers who are highly experienced in replacement window installation and who have gone through Anlin’s factory training.
Here’s something that not everyone knows about buying replacement windows through Home Depot: the people who will be installing your windows are not employees of Home Depot. Home Depot is not in the installation business—they are in the retail business. When they sell something that needs to be installed like replacement windows, they contract with outside installers to do the work. These subcontractors could be very experienced and skilled installers, or they could be quite the opposite. You have no way of knowing what type of installation service you will receive when you buy from Home Depot. And if you receive poor service, it could be challenging to get someone back out to fix any issues.
When you go with a smaller, independent replacement window dealer, you can read the reviews about their installation teams and see if they consistently provide quality installation and service. And if you do ever need service on the windows you purchase from a replacement window dealer, they are more likely to be able to help you in a timely manner than a large store like Home Depot.
So, if you’ve ever wondered why a company like Home Depot doesn’t sell Anlin windows and doors, it isn’t because Anlin’s products aren’t good quality—quite the opposite, in fact. It’s because Anlin wants to make sure their products are installed by vetted professionals who will preserve the integrity of their products.
If you read online reviews about Anlin windows and doors, you will see that they are consistently well-reviewed by homeowners. The same can’t be said for most other replacement window products and this probably has a lot to do with who installs the products. When you buy Anlin windows, you can be confident that they will be installed by expert Anlin-approved installers.
