Updated September 2026. How we research products
UpgradeWorth illustration of the clad-wood principle. Not a photograph of the product. View official product photos.
Andersen · 400 Series
Wood inside, Perma-Shield outside, and a 5-year term on exposed wood
Andersen’s best-selling line: a wood interior you can stain or paint, clad outside in vinyl so you never have to touch it. The warranty transfers on sale, but exposed exterior wood is covered for less time than the rest.
- MaterialSolid wood core with Perma-Shield vinyl cladding on the exterior
- PositioningPremium mainstream, above the 100 Series, below Andersen’s wood collections
- WarrantyOwner-to-Owner, transfers on sale: 20 years glass, 10 years non-glass
- Exterior wood5-year term where wood is exposed, per dealer documentation
- StylesDouble-hung, casement, awning, gliding, picture, bay and bow, specialty
- Energy dataLow-E4 glass family, no line-wide U-factor published: check the NFRC label
UpgradeWorth has not physically tested this product. This review is based on Andersen’s product pages, warranty documentation, dealer material and publicly available information. Where a figure comes from a dealer rather than from Andersen, we say so.
The 400 Series is Andersen’s best-selling line and the one most people picture when they picture an Andersen window: a wood interior you can stain or paint, wrapped on the outside in vinyl cladding so you never have to touch it again.
Quick summary
| Brand | Andersen |
|---|---|
| Series | 400 Series |
| Frame material | Wood core with Perma-Shield exterior cladding. Andersen describes Perma-Shield as a proprietary high-grade vinyl that is vacuum formed or extruded around the wood for a weather seal, giving a wood interior with a low-maintenance exterior |
| Styles | Double-hung, Woodwright double-hung, casement, awning, gliding, picture, bay and bow, and specialty shapes; gliding and hinged patio doors are also offered in the line |
| U-factor | Not published by Andersen as a single range. NFRC-certified performance data is published per product in Andersen's trade product guides. Configuration dependent: check the label on your quote |
| SHGC | Not published by Andersen as a single range. Configuration dependent |
| ENERGY STAR | Andersen offers ENERGY STAR certified configurations across its lines; certification follows the glass package and the climate zone rather than the series |
| Warranty | Andersen Owner-to-Owner limited warranty, which Andersen states transfers when the home is sold. Andersen's 400 Series page states the coverage as 20 years on standard glass and 10 years on non-glass components. Dealer documentation adds that wood exteriors are covered for 5 years and lists exclusions such as art glass and blinds between the glass. Read the current warranty document before purchase |
| Price position | Not publicly specified |
| Installation | Replacement and new construction, sold through Andersen dealers and certified contractors |
Specifications from the manufacturer and certification databases, last verified September 18, 2026. Official product page. Values vary by configuration; check the label on your own quote.
What it is made of
A solid wood core with Perma-Shield exterior cladding. Andersen describes Perma-Shield as a proprietary high-grade vinyl that is vacuum formed or extruded around the wood to create a weather seal, and states the system has been validated through more than 50 years of use and accelerated weather testing.
The practical translation: the room sees wood, the weather sees vinyl. That is the entire proposition, and it is why this line costs more than the composite 100 Series and less than Andersen’s premium wood collections.
Styles
Double-hung and the Woodwright double-hung, casement, awning, gliding, picture, bay and bow, plus specialty shapes and patio doors. This breadth is the practical reason many projects end up here rather than on the 100 Series, which has no double-hung, bay or bow options at all. On a traditional house, that difference usually decides it.
Glass and energy performance
The line uses Andersen’s High-Performance Low-E4 glass family, including HeatLock and SmartSun coatings, with blinds-between-the-glass and grille options, and Stormwatch Protection packages for coastal code requirements.
Andersen does not publish a summary U-factor range for the series, because certification follows the glass package. Its own comparison notes the 400 Series can be more energy-efficient than the 100 Series. As always, the number that counts is the NFRC label on the exact configuration quoted, and ENERGY STAR certification is set by climate zone.
Warranty, and the part that gets skipped
Andersen’s Owner-to-Owner limited warranty transfers when the home is sold, which is unusual: most competitors’ lifetime headlines stop at the sale. Andersen’s 400 Series page states the coverage as 20 years on standard glass and 10 years on non-glass components.
The detail worth knowing, which comes from dealer documentation rather than the product page: wood exteriors are covered for 5 years, not 10, and items such as art glass and blinds between the glass are excluded. If your configuration has exposed wood on the exterior anywhere, ask specifically about that term before signing.
Price position
Andersen publishes no installed prices, and we do not invent them. What can be said honestly is where the line sits: premium mainstream, above the Fibrex 100 Series, below Andersen’s Signature-level wood collections. Clad wood generally prices above both vinyl and composite for comparable sizes.
Work out what your own quote means per opening with the Quote Analyzer, or put two quotes side by side with Compare Two Quotes.
What to check before you buy
- Which glass package is quoted, with its NFRC U-factor and SHGC, not just the Low-E4 family name.
- Whether the price is insert or full-frame: it moves the total more than the product choice does.
- The 5-year term on wood exteriors, if any exterior wood is exposed in your configuration.
- Whether art glass or blinds between the glass are in your order, since they are excluded from the standard terms.
- Who installs: Andersen dealer, certified contractor or a third party, and what labor warranty they give.
Pros
- Wood interior that can be stained or painted, in a line that does not require premium pricing
- Transferable Owner-to-Owner warranty, which survives a house sale
- The widest style range in Andersen’s mainstream offering, including double-hung, bay and bow
- Low-E4 glass family with coastal and specialty options
Considerations
- Non-glass coverage of 10 years, and 5 years on wood exteriors
- No published U-factor range, so every comparison must be done unit by unit
- Wood interiors need finishing and occasional maintenance, unlike composite or fibreglass
- Colour counts differ between dealer sources, so confirm what is actually available for your style
Who should consider it
Traditional houses where the interior detail matters, projects that need double-hung, bay or bow units, and owners who want a wood interior without moving to a luxury line. If nobody in the house will ever stain a window frame, or the budget is the binding constraint, the composite 100 Series does the same job for less.
Alternatives worth pricing
- Andersen 100 Series, Fibrex composite, the value line from the same manufacturer. Head to head: Andersen 100 vs 400.
- Pella Impervia, fibreglass, if maintenance-free matters more than a wood interior.
- Marvin Essential, Ultrex fibreglass, competing at a similar level with a different material argument.
Official sources
We earn nothing from these links. Specifications vary by configuration and change between model years; the verification date is in the summary table.